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Posted on 10/09/2003 8:54:09 AM PDT by VxH
NEW YORK - Sometimes when young struggling nations emerge as democracies, the United States feels inclined to throw them a little aid. Iraq is one example. California might be the next if Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger has his way.
Schwarzenegger, who was elected on Tuesday as the current governor, Gray Davis, was recalled, hasn't offered specific ideas on how he will close the state's budget deficit, generally projected at $8 billion. But he did present a general idea that the money should come from Washington, D.C.--giving the poor, benighted people of San Diego, Santa Monica and Sausalito the same benefits the people of Baghdad, Al Basra and Karbula have been promised.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said he would appeal to the White House directly for federal aid, hopefully meeting with President George W. Bush when he travels through California for fundraisers on his way to Asia next week.
"I will make sure that I can meet with President Bush as quickly as possible, because I have a whole bunch of business, California business, to talk to him about and take care of," Schwarzenegger said during a short news conference at the Century Plaza Hotel. "There's a lot of money we can get from the federal government."
It's a swell idea. After all, California and Iraq both are seeking new direction after sudden recalls of unpopular regimes. But there are a few problems.
First, the fact that President Bush will be raising money in the state--something he is unlikely to do in, say, Al Kut, anytime soon--suggests that California is still a rich state that might be expected to pay its own way. While the Golden State is simpatico with Iraq in the sense that both have suffered power outages and both are sometimes said to be the size of California (California, as it happens, is exactly the size of California), that's about as far as it goes. With the federal budget also in deficit and California not actually having been invaded, it might get less aid than it would receive in an ideal world.
According to the State Department, the United States spends over $2 billion in new programs for the war against poverty and despair. Perhaps California can ask for a bit of that, taking a share from Pakistan or Vietnam. It could help.
Among the congratulatory telephone calls Schwarzenegger received on his election was one from Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa. The two men have something in common in that they both achieved high office after long careers outside government, Mandela as a political dissident, Schwarzenegger as a bodybuilder and movie actor. The U.S. budgets $1.2 billion for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis programs in sub-Saharan Africa (including South Africa and roughly 20 other countries). Maybe that money could be funneled to cash-strapped California instead.
But even if Schwarzenegger does convince the president to send the Africa HIV/AIDS money to Sacramento instead, that would likely leave a few gaps in the state's budget. At his press conference, Schwarzenegger repeated campaign promises not to raise taxes, to repeal the recent tripling of vehicle registration fees and to rescind a law Gov. Davis signed last month that allows undocumented workers to obtain driver's licenses.
This March, Davis said he believes that California is still owed $9 billion by energy companies that gouged the state in its recent energy crisis. Companies from whom the state is seeking refunds include Reliant Resources (nyse: RRI - news - people ), BP (nyse: BP - news - people ), Duke Energy (nyse: DUK - news - people ), Mirant (nyse: MIR - news - people ), Dynegy (nyse: DYN - news - people ), Calpine (nyse: CPN - news - people ) and, of course, Enron (otc: ENRNQ - news - people ). The next governor hasn't emphasized the state's claim against the energy firms. That was Davis' baby.
But Schwarzenegger will need some new ideas soon as some are now projecting the state deficit not at $8 billion but $20 billion. This is much more than the people of South Dakota and Mississippi would likely be willing to contribute.
Bagdad Deal.... or "New" Deal?
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Surely we could a few $bil to help out this new "emerging democracy".
The Feds created a large portion of the crisis by failing to deal with the problems created by their lax immigration enforcement.
And the best idea is ttou rasise all your taxes outside of California to pay for, among other things, his network of Hydrogen fuel stations for all those hydrogen cars out there.
Ah yes. All you out of state Schwarzenegger supporters. Send us your tax dollars.
I wasn't aware that the federal government forces the CA state government to provide medical care and education to illegals. I thought that was decided by your legislature and former nitwit of a governor. Didn't one of your propositions that was passed say you wouldn't pay these benefits for illegals, but was nullified by the courts?
This is a serious question, I'm not being smart - I really don't know.
And your business sector gets the benefit of the cheap labor. Got enough budget problems here as is without taking responsibility for yours. Elect a man who will solve your problem, not make it everybodies.
WRONG ..... nobody wants to bail California out of the stupid mess they made.
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