Schwarzenegger's high-stakes strategy could close the budget abyss --or cause the meltdown

The Los Angeles Times ^ | June 27, 2009 | Evan Halper

[KingofZion]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, seeking to conquer what could be the last budget crisis of his tenure, is engaged in a high-stakes negotiating strategy with lawmakers that could force him to preside over a meltdown of state government.

As legislators have scrambled to stop the state from postponing payment of its bills and issuing IOUs starting next week, the governor has vowed to veto any measure that fails to close the state's entire $24-billion deficit.

*** The governor readily admits that he sees the crisis as a chance to make big changes to government -- to "reform the system," he said Friday -- with proposals he has struggled to advance in the past.

Among them: reorganizing state bureaucracy, eliminating patronage boards and curbing fraud in social services that Democrats have traditionally protected. The governor also would like to move past the budget crisis to reach a deal on California's water problems that has so far eluded him.

*** Even if he had, said Bruce Cain, professor of political science at UC Berkeley, the time is ripe for Schwarzenegger to take a gamble: The governor has no obvious designs on future office that might require him to be cautious, and voters who rejected tax hikes in May's special election appear to support his approach. In any case, Cain said, most Californians will see those to be hurt by IOUs as vendors and "overpaid state employees," but not themselves."

"The reality of what these cuts he is pushing for will mean hasn't hit home with the public yet," Cain said. "They see him standing up to unions and trying to cut all the waste and fraud. . . . Until the middle class bleeds in a way they care about, Arnold has the upper hand."

[KingofZion]

It's going to kill some freepers, but it looks like the Governator is finally going to do what we sent him to do in Sacto. I find it amusing how MSM gets hysterical about the budget cuts, which will find widespread endorsement among the public.

[pepsionice]

What you’ve got is a top-heavy environment throughout California of people making $100k or more in city and state government. I would imagine that there are well over 80,000 employees in this category. When you say cutbacks...these people start shaking in their boots. They’ve put themselves into a huge mortgage situation and very impractical lifestyle. If you told them of a five percent wage cut...which would one of the best answers for the entire state...for four years while they try to reshuffle the deck...these people would go into a huge fit.

I don’t see how Obama avoids getting into this mess and creating a single package to bailout out California...and the neat problem is that there is an audience of 49 other states watching this. If you give money over to California....say $15 billion (which barely gives them eight months of time)...then the other states will jump in and claim their billions.

[unkus]

If you give money over to California....say $15 billion (which barely gives them eight months of time)...then the other states will jump in and claim their billions.

______________________________________

Claim before it all collapses. First come, first serve. Then it’s all over.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

If the Governor just had serious discussions with Tom McClintock, and many other California conservative politicians and had these serious discussions occur several times over the years up until now and then fully take their advice and ideas and fully put them into practice, then California would definitely be in much better economic shape today. The Governor seriously blew it by always being a RINO instead. Also, if Arnold ran as a RINO and then really became a conservative after becoming Governor, then California would definitely be in much better economic shape today.

[Torquay]

It is all SMOKE & MIRRORS!

A foreigner-actor feigning American conservative values is like tasking a foreign fox to protect the domestic hen house in middle-town America!

[William Tell]

KingofZion said: "It's going to kill some freepers, but it looks like the Governator is finally going to do what we sent him to do in Sacto."

"We" didn't send Arnold to Sacramento to close state parks. We didn't send him to release dangerous prisoners into the general population. We didn't send him to reduce the protection against our homes burning down.

Arnold may accidently reduce some of the liberal nonsense that plagues the state, but it will be completely accidental.

Let me know when Arnold reduces by even a penny the bureacracy that enforces infringements of the Second Amendment.

[counterpunch]

Arnie may do some good in the end after all.
In true action hero form, Arnie rode in as a savior, faced defeat by the system and his thuggish adversaries, fell from grace as he turned to his inner demons, and now is making a comeback as he fights for redemption.
Hollywood couldn’t write a better script for him.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well, I think he’s determined now that if California falls, it won’t be his fault.

[ComputerGuy]

In past years, his plans ran into opposition organized largely by well-funded labor groups and Democrats, who say his proposals are really meant to strangle government.

Gotta have that big, fat guvmint, you know.

[Vaduz]

He should just go to ed’s print shop and have him print some California cash it works for Obama.

[Glenn]

There will be another budget like this one next year unless true reform happens. And it isn’t going to happen.