Dan Walters: Governor's claims on budget are undermined by his own data

Sacramento Bee ^ | 2/28/6 | Dan Walters

[SmithL]

After Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on "Meet the Press" on Sunday, his re-election campaign quickly dispatched an e-mail to reporters, quoting his claim to have sharply reduced spending and brought the budget much closer to balance.

Characterizing his $222 billion infrastructure improvement plan as "investing in the future" but "not spending," Schwarzenegger added, "Spending we have reduced. Remember what I said. We have cut down the structural deficit by 75 percent. It was expected to be $16.5 billion. We're now at $4.7 billion. That is great progress ... no matter what anyone says."

Schwarzenegger thus exposed to a national audience a bit of political propaganda that he and his aides have been peddling in California, including a Friday night speech to the state Republican Party convention - that he's been very tight on spending and thus is coming close to erasing the state's chronic budget deficit.

Were it true, it would mean that Schwarzenegger was fulfilling the promise he made to voters when he was elected in 2003 to clean up the state's fiscal mess, which had led to the recall of predecessor Gray Davis. And - more important to him - it would support his contention that the state can easily afford to repay the $68 billion in infrastructure bonds that he wants to float.

Unfortunately for him and the state, however, data that the administration uses to support its claim of looming solvency undermine the contention.

One has to go back a couple of years to put the claim in context. Schwarzenegger's first budget director, Donna Arduin, stunned Sacramento when she declared that the state had run up $25 billion in debt from three years of deficit spending, and projected that left unchecked, the cumulative deficit would reach $62 billion by June 30, 2007, including a $16.6 billion gap

[Czar]

Perhaps it wasn't clear enough from my post, Wasp, but I was referring to Arnold rather than Tom.

Not that Tom doesn't deserve plenty of criticism because he does. His cozying up to Arnold, the CAGOP and Dufus Sundheim is becoming increasingly pathetic.

[SierraWasp]

No, I got your meaning about Arnold, but we have a higher expectation from TOM, don't we? Yes Sir!!! You bet we do!!!

We hold Conservative Repubs to the conservative STANDARD! We hold all Republicans to a conservative STANDARD too, in their Party Platform, but it sure doesn't mean anything in CA anymore, does it? No Sir!!! You bet it doesn't!!!

[calcowgirl]

You right-wing wacko fringer you! How dare you one-percenters call for such extreme measures as balancing the budget! This would never fly in California! The far-right-wing-moonbat-ultra-conservatives just don't understand that this concept is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too conservative for a liberal state like California. Deficit spending as far as the eye can see is the best you can ever do in California! Pragmatic Republicans understand this. That is why they support the big borrowing and big spending proposals of the Governor.

Do I really need the sarcasm tag?

[Czar]

"Do I really need the sarcasm tag?

I believe we can dispense with that...

[SierraWasp]

Nah. The sourchasm was justa drippin offa yer reply there, cow gurl!!!