Victor Davis Hanson Ping !
Posted on 09/03/2004 9:18:40 AM PDT by quidnunc
Only Arnold Schwarzenegger could get away with praising Richard Nixon and repeating the line “girlie-men” in a thick Germanic accent — and in prime time at a national convention. It is equally amazing that he is a Republican governor of an overwhelmingly Democratic state, surrounded by Democratic state assemblymen and senators — after beating a career Latino Democratic insider to replace a twice-elected career Democratic governor. How could this be?
Schwarzenegger is a cult icon, a savvy student of human nature, and a formidable media presence. But Arnold’s meteoric political rise was also a sign of the times of how desperate things were getting in California — and how its populace was forced to think the unthinkable in questioning its accepted laid-back way of business.
California had somehow managed to run up a $38 billion dollar shortfall. It produces the worst schools in the nation. Entitlements skyrocketed; so did the size of state government. It has the country’s largest penal industry, and a decrepit transportation system — despite having nearly the highest sales and income taxes in America. It wasn’t always so.
California is a naturally rich state. Almost everything combines in abundance to give us unimagined bounty — temperate weather, rich soil, a 1,000-mile coastline, timber, oil, minerals, and deep ports. Where else can one ski in alpine snow and then be on a sunny beach within 4 hours?
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at victorhanson.com ...
FYI
Students of history might 'recall' another Austrian fella who rose to power during times of turmoil and similar conditions in Germany not so many years ago. ;-)
(I'ma duckin' and I'ma coverin')
Thanks for the post.
The world's 5th largest economy. Wonder where it would rank if it had been properly managed?
Arnold stared down a protestor who made the same comparison. And he did it with humor and style.
In this predominate CRAT state, it has had years of corruption and misuse of public funds to get to this poor state in economic ruin. It will take many years to get the state back to being solvent. Arnold is trying and has made some progress, but until we vote out the CRAT block, economic growth will be slow. Those that blame Arnold are purely stupid and are trying to cloud their failure. The governor can do just so much. Because of this CRAT block, steps to economic reconstruction will be slow. Make take another term for Arnold and will probably extend beyond.
timber, oil, minerals, and deep ports.
Which can't be extracted thanks to the environuts out there!
The best advice I would offer Governor Schwarzenegger is for him to seek the advice of the California League of Women Voters, then do the opposite of their recommendations.
The 'environuts' converged on CA from every state in the union and they're financed from not just national but international sources. Widen your perspective a little.
Which can't be extracted thanks to the environuts out there!
See Post 11.
Thanks for the very helpful info. I've been anti-Ahnuld since Day One but was steamrollered both on FR and at the voting booth. I've been following your posts on CA environtmental issues and appreciate the expertise and dedication you demonstrate.
Of course, I would be remiss unless I also recommended my book. :-)
Thanks for the very helpful info. I've been anti-Ahnuld since Day One but was steamrollered both on FR and at the voting booth. This guy is no conservative. I've been following your posts on CA environtmental issues and appreciate the expertise you demonstrate.
Double post apologia. My bad.
(I'ma duckin' and I'ma coverin')
As well you should!
Take heart my friend. Remember Mn. things change.
And do folks need to be reminded of the lost opportunities to cut cut cut. But for fear of having some folks think poorly of such behavior or not like him, the state budget actually increased in size this year.
Reform may be on the way but it may also be too little and too late. In the mean time, is Arnie supporting the FairDistricts initiative?
Will his CPR ever see the light of day in the Capital?
Or will it have to go the initiative route which means at least 1 to 2 years of the highly accelerated rates of spending continuing unabated.
And even if CPR is passed, will any appreciable gains be realized in either savings or in returning some degree of sanity to this state's government.
You may want to ride him just a bit about his green tendencies as he prepares to sign the Sierra Nevada Conservancy into law.
In itself, the environmental powers that be, which have a number of their ilk in his administration and as advisors, are doing this state no more favors than they have in the past when it comes to energy and land rights.
But folks don't want to talk about that, for some reason.
lol
If I had stayed in my old hometown in Minnesota, I wouldn't be having near as much fun as one can have here in following California policicians and ther shenanigans and the looniest electorate in the world ,, well, next to New Jersey and New York anyway. ;-)
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