Posted on 11/03/2006 8:24:52 PM PST by freedom44
OAKLAND — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appreciates the Republican lieutenant governor nominee's opinion that the infrastructure bonds on next week's ballot are a mistake but believes he's "totally wrong." "If you went with his way of thinking, you would never rebuild California," the governor said Thursday of state Sen. Tom McClintock as he visited the Port of Oakland to stump for the $37 billion bond package.
With California's population continuing to swell, "we can't continue waiting; we have to build now," Schwarzenegger said, estimating the state's economy is only "70 percent living up to our potential" because it can't move goods and people fast enough.
Proposition 1B is a $20 billion transportation infrastructure bond which would provide money to relieve highway congestion, improve public transit and reduce air pollution, particularly at California's ports.
Harold Jones, the Port of Oakland's deputy executive director for external affairs, said while introducing the governor Thursday that the port is the nation's fourth-busiest container port and has spent millions on improving air quality, but to keep doing so needs federal, state and local support like that which Proposition 1B would provide.
Known as one of the Legislature's foremost fiscal conservatives, McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, contends Proposition 1B; Proposition 1C, a $3 billion affordable housing bond; and Proposition 1D, a $10 billion school construction and renovation bond,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- put too little money into projects that will last a generation, squandering too much on ongoing program costs and routine maintenance. He supports only Proposition 1E, the $4 billion levee and flood-control bond, and Proposition 1A, which would prevent existing gas-tax revenue from being diverted away from transportation projects.
The race between McClintock and Democratic lieutenant governor nominee John Garamendi, currently the state's insurance commissioner, is seen as one of California's tightest contests. Garamendi supports the whole infrastructure bond package.
Asked why voter support for these measures has been relatively soft despite their bipartisan backing and lack of organized opposition, Schwarzenegger replied Thursday that "no one has concentrated that much on it, there hasn't been that much information out there" until recent weeks.
The more voters learn about the package, the more likely they are to support it, he said, noting the bipartisan spirit behind the package is practically unknown right now in other states, or on the national political stage.
Earlier Thursday, Schwarzenegger touted the bond package in Prunedale, near Salinas, before being joined by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for a $1,000-a-plate fundraising luncheon at San Francisco's St. Regis Hotel.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides' campaign issued a memo wondering whether McCain — who in the Senate has championed campaign-finance reform — is comfortable with Schwarzenegger's record-breaking fundraising, now at more than $113.4 million since 2003.
There, I fixed it for him.
In the 1990's, the state grew by 3 million, but its white population dropped by almost half a million. L.A. County alone lost 480,000 white folks.
Interesting. The white population of the ENTIRE STATE dropped by "almost" half a million and LA county alone lost almost half a million.
Sounds like ONLY LA county is losing whites.
What is surprising is the action of Republican partisans and some conservatives on this forum. I can see no reasonable, or prudent, or logical, or philosophical reason to support a liberal for governor. None.
When Schwarzenegger works to undermine both the platform and the candidates of the party in which he is registered, he should be separated from the Republican Party.
Even an 8th grade, civics student knows where the Austrian will take the state in the next four years; higher taxes, bigger government; more government spending and fewer personal freedoms. To achieve his goals, Schwarzenegger will overcome the direct opposition of Republican legislators by excluding them from the legislative process.
That Schwarzenegger can be called a Republican by partisan loyalists, is simply dumbfounding.
I notice Arnie's Army of Apologists haven't been out to play lately.
Yes, I thought about that too as I was transmitting the quote. My guess is that LA County is so large geographically and so densely populated (and has the greater majority of illegals) that the statistics there natuarally reflect this disproportionality.
Mark my words, you wacko McClintock voters, come 2006 California will be the national leader in entrepreneurship!You just wait and see!!!! You guys will be eating crow!!!!
-- FR Arnoldbots, c. 2003
ROFL! You got most of it in there.
One of my favorites was the contention that, with Arnold, you get the same fiscal conservatism as you would with McClintock.
Yah... right!
By golly! You been payin attenshun!!! (snart!)
I'm so glad to have a governor who thinks we're so stupid that we can't remember the endless "infrastructure" bonds or gas taxes for roads or the buttloads of money for the schools IN WHICH THE MONEY NEVER QUITE SEEMED TO MAKE IT TO THE "REBUILDING" IT WAS INTENDED FOR.
Yes, he was wrong. He never should have recommended "yes" on the levee bond.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.