Posted on 12/30/2006 10:39:28 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's inauguration next week may be even a little more lavish than expected.
In the last two weeks, contributions from corporations and many of the governor's longtime political backers have more than doubled, to $1.4 million, the amount Schwarzenegger has on hand to fund the two-day affair, his inauguration committee said Friday.
The committee also offered the first details of how the money will be spent.
Festivities will kick off Jan. 4 outside the Capitol with a public gathering highlighting the greenhouse gas reduction law Schwarzenegger signed, as well as the state's other environmental conservation and clean technology efforts.
Power for the event will be pumped in from solar panels and biodiesel and biomass generators. Throughout the weekend, the governor and VIPs also will be shuttled around in zero-emission hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars, the committee said.
Former San Francisco mayor and Assembly speaker Willie Brown will be master of ceremonies at the Jan. 5 inauguration ceremony, which also will feature famed guitarist Jose Feliciano performing the National Anthem and original Broadway "dream girl" Jennifer Holliday.
The marquee event of the weekend will be an invitation-only black tie gala for 2,000 at Sacramento's Memorial Auditorium and headlined by singer-songwriter Paul Anka and Grammy Award-winner Donna Summer on Jan. 5.
Schwarzenegger, First Lady Maria Shriver and legislators will also be entertained earlier that day during a Capitol luncheon by Mariachi Divas, an all-female mariachi band from L.A., as well as other performers.
Carl Bendix, executive producer of the inauguration, said in a statement Friday that the eclectic musical mix was deliberate.
"Each one of these groups and entertainers represents the cultural, generational, and musical diversity of our great state and together they embody the governor's vision to make the California dream a reality for every resident of this state," he said.
Scores of corporate contributors will split the cost of the entertainment, said Julie Soderlund, a spokeswoman for the inaugural committee.
The committee Friday released an updated list of contributors, revealing that E&J Gallo Winery, the Zinkin family, Martin Matich and Stephen Matich, as well as the California Grocers Association, have joined the list of those donating at least $50,000 to the bash.
The campaign previously had said Adams Steel of Anaheim, the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Real Estate Political Action Committee, Chevron Products Co. and Raley's Supermarkets had given at least $50,000 apiece. Fifty-nine others have contributed at least $15,000 each.
The governor, who promised to try to weaken the influence of special interests on state government when he ran for office during the 2003 recall election, has repeatedly said that donations from corporations and business groups to his campaign committees have not influenced his decisions.
Soderlund reiterated that position, saying Schwarzenegger "makes decisions based upon what is in the best interest of the people of California. Those who contribute do so because they support his vision for the future of the state."
Some taxpayer groups, however, have criticized the lavish party. They said the event should be modest and funded with state money so donors do not have early access to the governor's office as he starts his second term.
Even though he can't run for another term as governor, the inauguration won't be the end of Schwarzenegger's political fundraising.
He has filed papers to take advantage of a bill he signed in September allowing the governor to raise up to $200,000 a year from private donors to cover expenses associated with holding public office.
How much is Nancy's little four day extravaganza going to cost?
i presume you mean 'peon' pelosi?
Republicans = 'lavish', 'extravagant', 'grandiose' etc.
Democrats....................... silence
Governor will likely be on crutches for his 2nd inauguration
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking forward to his second inauguration next week, but it's likely he will be celebrating while walking around on crutches.
The 59-year-old governor was recovering Wednesday from surgery the day before to repair the leg he broke while on a holiday ski trip with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Doctors at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica called the operation successful. They said they used screws and cables to link the broken fragments of Schwarzenegger's right upper thigh bone.
The accident happened as Schwarzenegger was gearing up for the last 200 yards of a run on Bald Mountain Saturday. His pole got caught in one of his skis and he fell.
"He was trying to take off again and he tripped," Adi Erber, a ski instructor who was with the governor, told the Los Angeles Times.
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