State of the State: Arnold Schwarzenegger vows to protect schools, rein in prison spending

Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/6/10 | Kevin Yamamura

[SmithL]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday in his final State of the State address that he will protect schools in his upcoming budget and proposed a constitutional guarantee that California will never spend more money on prisons than on higher education.

Schwarzenegger urged California's congressional delegation to block the federal health care overhaul backed by President Barack Obama unless the package includes billions of dollars more each year for California. He delivered his harshest indictment yet of the plan, calling it "a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes" and "health care to nowhere."

The Republican governor said California's budget deficit stands at $19.9 billion over the next 18 months, a slightly lower figure than estimated by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst.

"The budget crisis is our Katrina," Schwarzenegger said. "We knew it was coming. We've known it for years. And yet Sacramento would not reinforce the economic levees."

Schwarzenegger asked lawmakers to back a budget reform initiative submitted by California Forward. Among other things, that proposal would drop the threshold for passing the state budget from a two-thirds vote to majority vote. That would reduce the power of his own Republican Party in the Legislature, although the plan would still require a two-thirds vote for tax increases. The governor cited two other components of the initiative, however - a requirement that lawmakers review outcomes of past spending and using one-time revenue increases only for one-time uses such as paying down debt or building a rainy-day fund.

[SmithL]

that proposal would drop the threshold for passing the state budget from a two-thirds vote to majority vote. That would reduce the power of his own Republican Party in the Legislature, although the plan would still require a two-thirds vote for tax increases

The Majority party doesn't know how to write a budget that doesn't include tax increases.

[goldstategop]

Red Arnold's proposal would actually make California's "Katrina" worse by removing constitutional safeguards against higher taxes and more spending. That is exactly the kind of reform the Golden State doesn't need.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

[Cicero]

He delivered his harshest indictment yet of the plan, calling it "a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes" and "health care to nowhere."

Translation: "I oppose it unless California gets its own trough full of bribes, deals and loopholes."

[DoughtyOne]

What a major embarrassment this man has been for our state.

I took a chance on him, and this is what he did with it.

California is an amazing place. It deserves so much better than a man like this. It deserves to much better than the Legislature it has.

(Hangs head in shame...)

[NormsRevenge]

Katrina?

A major failure of levees on the Utopian manure streams of StinkyMento or what and more than plenty of crap to go around on the faces of all who assisted this attack on a once Golden State for their own petty agendas.

Built on a socialist base and what a nice touch with aRnie vowing to “Stop The Madness!” , all the while embracing Al Gore and the Global Varming scam.

A real nice touch. ;-)

[dsrtsage]

So, he calls it a trough of bribes, and demands its blockage because its a trough of bribes, unless california gets billions...uhhh uhhh, I’m confused

[SoldierDad]

Schwarzenegger urged California's congressional delegation to block the federal health care overhaul backed by President Barack Obama unless the package includes billions of dollars more each year for California. He delivered his harshest indictment yet of the plan, calling it "a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes" and "health care to nowhere."

Wait. I thought Ahnald was all for the health care reform legislation!!

[an amused spectator]

Arnold:

"Now, another priority related to the budget is pension reform. The cost of state employees' pensions is up by 2,000 percent in the last ten years -- you heard me right, 2,000 percent -- while revenues have only increased by 24 percent. The pension fund will not have enough money to cover this amount, so the state -- that means, of course, the taxpayer -- has to come up with the rest of the money. Now, we are already putting in there every year more than $3 billion towards pensions. That amount will go up to $10 billion."

Wonder why "reporter" Kevin Yamamura "reported" that Arnold "asked lawmakers to reduce the state's long-term pension obligations", instead of getting into the gory details that I posted above, and which came directly from Arnold's speech?

Commie union media.