So, do you have any opinion on the subject of the thread (i.e. the projected increases in deficit spending) despite claims by the administration that we are on the road to fiscal recovery?
While there are many shades of "conservative", I don't know of any that support this behavior as fiscally conservative nor that intended to see a 37% increase in General Fund budgets since Arnold took office.
I already wrote that there is little to no support nor suggestion here, elsewhere, that Schwarzenegger is fiscally conservative. To my view and experience, no one contends that he is, so disagreeing that he isn't as occurs here so often bears no reference to any specific comments. It's as if that statement is repeatedly introduced on these threads as argument with nothing. As in, no one is alleging he IS a fiscal conservative so repeatedly declaring him not to be is mere echo of ongoing opinion. In fact, I've never read here that anyone ever posited that he WAS a fiscal conservative, simply that they acknowledge he says he's a Republican, the CA GOP says they have and are going to again endorse him, so, case closed as to the Republican Party card/affiliation in CA.
Which is the problem to many of our views as to the CA GOP and lack of responsiveness, lack of representation to and for conservatives in CA. We have a Republican Party that is moreorless behaving like Democrats and Democrats that are behaving like more liberal Democrats and no representation for conservatives.
In Schwarzenegger's perspective, we, the state, ARE on the road to fiscal recovery. I don't agree with that, but within the terms he's considering, he thinks we are.
That's about all I can postulate as to why the statement is made in real comparison with the actual figures involved. It seems to be a perspective by Schwarzenegger and those who endorse him, but I often wonder if it's just endorsement language and not a reflection of reality.
Which, again, unfortunately, calls into question the credibility of the CA GOP and Schwarzenegger. They're the ones in leadership, however, and I'm not. I and others here can only opine about what we'd prefer but unless it's reflected by actual individuals in office, it's mere personal opinion or fact, relatively.
But, I agree with the earlier commenter here who was criticised afterward, unfortunately, and that is that it's not serving any good purpose to "bash" Schwarzenegger and do so routinely. He's at least an improvement over Davis and over the potential that was posed by Bustamente.
He's at least a start. Bashing and smashing is just not productive, after a point. Given that most voters agree he isn't a fiscal conservative, we only have improvements ahead, is perhaps the most constructive way to look at this.
It's a start. Could have been a real change but wasn't. But at least a start. And, holding Democrats responsible for the damage to the state seems to go over their heads entirely. I doubt they will ever, as a collective political and economic perspective, ever get the point that their borrow and spend, self indulgent and socialist programs are what has sent the state into the pits.
Schwarzenegger has made -- so he says -- headway with the credit issues but I am not knowledgeable this morning to any extent to reasonably discuss those.