Free Republic

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says if an initiative to ban gay marriage qualifies for the November ballot, he's prepared to fight it. California's governor was in San Diego Friday speaking at the annual convention of the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's largest gay Republican group. Schwarzenegger said he was confident that a ban would never pass in California but called the effort "a waste of time" - joking that he wished activists would focus on allowing naturalized citizens to run for president instead. A Schwarzenegger spokeswoman did not say what prompted the governor to shift his position. He has previously vetoed...

When Proposition 13, California's landmark property tax limitation, was awaiting the judgment of voters in 1978, then-Gov. Jerry Brown denounced it as "consumer fraud" and added, "It's a rip-off, it's a legal morass and it's a long-term tax increase." As soon as the measure won overwhelming voter support, however, Brown – seeking a second term as governor – did a 180-degree flip, declared himself to be a "born-again tax cutter," and pushed a state tax cut through the Legislature. --snip-- Brown dismissed the criticism by quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson's aphorism that "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"...

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to veto a same-sex marriage bill for the second time in three years gathered lots of publicity. But at the same time he rejected same-sex marriage, Schwarzenegger quietly signed seven of the eight bills sponsored by Equality California, a leading gay rights organization. His record further enhances his reputation as a supporter of most gay rights. Equality California, while disappointed at Schwarzenegger's rejection of their top priority, called 2007 the most successful year in its history. The legislation signed by Schwarzenegger dealt with a variety of issues, including schools, taxes, civil rights and even...

Californians waiting to see if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would sign six bills pro-family groups called "bad and harmful" now have their answer: four of them are now law. One family activist thinks many of those who are disappointed and shocked by the governor's approval didn't really believe the measures would pass. Schwarzenegger vetoed bills for same-sex "marriage" licenses and additional millions for abortions and birth control, but approved two bills -- SB 777 and AB 394. One mandates positive portrayal about homosexual and alternative sexual lifestyles in instruction and activities in public schools, and the other orders "anti-harassment" training for...

California will face persistent budget deficits over the next 20 years unless officials take corrective steps that could include ending state support for the University of California and asking voters to raise property taxes to pay for public works projects, Treasurer Bill Lockyer said Monday. The annual debt affordability report prepared by the treasurer's office projects an average yearly gap between revenue and spending of 3.5 percent, which would translate to a $14.6 billion shortfall in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2027, according to Lockyer. "The sooner we get to fixing this problem, the easier and the smaller is...

Governor, not president, seen as head of U.S. fight SACRAMENTO – When the U.N. secretary-general extended an off-the-cuff invitation to participate in a global-warming conference in New York City, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't hesitate. “Of course. I feel honored. Thank you,” Schwarzenegger answered without pause as he and Ban Ki-moon wrapped up a July tour of a San Jose company researching ways to limit greenhouse gases. In contrast, President Bush has withstood growing international pressure to become more aggressive in setting a national agenda to curb global warming. The world will be reminded of the stark difference between the two...

"Everything is on the table," said Governor Schwarzenegger yesterday, when asked whether he would support a statewide sales tax, in this case, as part of a massive government intervention into health care in California. The Governor said that he could support placing a tax hike on the ballot on which Californians can vote. Presumably the Republican Governor, after negotiating such a "deal" for California taxpayers, would then advocate its passage as well. Shame on Arnold Schwarzenegger. I don't know how to sugar coat this, so I will just say it like it is -- he lied. He lied to me,...

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Says Marriage Could be Eliminated in Future SACRAMENTO, August 27, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In legal briefs submitted to the California Supreme Court, which is considering whether to license "same-sex marriages" next year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown both stated that a future Legislature could abolish marriage and yank marriage rights from a married husband and wife. A group hoping to place a question on the 2008 ballot to defend traditional marriage suggests that the briefs are evidence of the urgent need for the ballot initiative. In the Governor's brief, filed by his team...

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown filed legal briefs saying the California Legislature can eliminate marriage rights and get rid of marriage. In legal briefs submitted to the California Supreme Court, which is considering whether to license "same-sex marriages" next year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown both stated that a future Legislature could abolish marriage and yank marriage rights from a married husband and wife. It was revealed today that Attorney General Jerry Brown [see PDF of AG Jerry Brown's 8/17 brief ] and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger [See PDF of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 8/17 brief ] said the...

SACRAMENTO, (AP) -- Democratic Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez plans to introduce Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's health care reform plan next week to test whether it can win the two-thirds vote necessary for passage. "Our goal here is to push health care forward," Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Nunez, said Friday. "But we need to see what level of support there is for the governor's plan, and the only way to do that is to bring it to a vote." The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Schwarzenegger's ideas have languished without a legislative sponsor since he...

When Mike Genest's appointment as state finance director came before the Senate last year, I voted against his confirmation. Although I had supported both of his predecessors, Genest had already demonstrated a willingness to cook the state's books in a manner that we hadn't seen since the Davis years. In the time since his confirmation, he has produced the biggest single-year general fund deficit in California's history and employed accounting gimmickry that would make an Enron accountant blush. These qualities are on full display in his recent attack (Aug. 10, Page B-7) on Sen. Jeff Denham's courageous stand for a...

Hyperbole in Sacramento is distorting an entirely reasonable argument. Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, believes the government shouldn't be allowed to sue to force compliance with rules that don't yet exist. After all, how can anyone comply with rules that don't exist? How would anyone know whether he or she is breaking the law? Nevertheless, Attorney General Jerry Brown is on a Kafkaesque mission. He already has sued the county of San Bernardino, hinted at doing the same to several other local government agencies and has succeeded in inhibiting two Northern California refineries from moving ahead with expansion plans. Brown's...

Our view: California's fiscal condition even worse than it appears It wasn't supposed to be like this. By this stage in the Schwarzenegger administration the budget was to be balanced and state spending under control. That the "Governator," whose starring role in epic films was his primary qualification, squandered an epic opportunity for reform can't be denied, but there's plenty of blame to go around. In case you've been enjoying your summer instead of following state politics, here's an update: The state missed the June 30 deadline for passing its $100 billion-plus budget, and all sides ---- the governor and...

Arnold Schwarzenegger is on a big-time political roll, not only in California but globally -- befitting a man who achieved worldwide fame as an action movie star. Voters like the governor's tireless peddling of global warming remediation and political "post-partisanship." His approval ratings in California are once again above 60 percent. And he's drawing fawning media attention, including the cover of Newsweek magazine and a cable television segment on an "environmentally hip" automobile makeover. Schwarzenegger swept through Washington and New York last week for high-concept speeches and splashy media appearances. He'll jet off to India, Canada and Britain later in...

SACRAMENTO – Creating commissions to address thorny issues has become a hallmark of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's governing style. The problem is they never seem to amount to much. High-profile Schwarzenegger advisory panels on prisons and government efficiency went nowhere. Now the governor has launched commissions on issues lawmakers have struggled with for years: prison sentences, the state water system and public-employee pensions. An in-depth report on schools requested by another Schwarzenegger panel, along with legislative leaders and the state schools chief, is scheduled to be released tomorrow. “Commissions are where intractable issues go to die,” said Thad Kousser, a political...

A lame-duck governor morphs into a Bill Clinton-Phil Angelides composite on policy and rhetoric. “That depends what the definition of ‘is’ is.” — Soon-to-be-disbarred William Clinton, speaking to the Lewinsky grand jury and showing that weasels know well how to use weasel words. Of the many indignities Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has inflicted of late on common sense and fundamental Republican principals, his support for the long-held socialist dream of state-run health insurance is perhaps the worst. As if his support for this deformed monster of public policy weren’t enough, he adds the insult of hiding behind weasel words as shamelessly,...

Governor Schwarzenegger has prescribed a new health care proposal that will require everyone living in California, including those who came in through the back door, to have health insurance, at an estimated cost of $12 billion. What ever happened to "rescuing California"? If this proposal becomes law, someone will need to rescue California from Arnold. The Democrats love this plan and so does Barbara Streisand and Sean Penn. In addition to covering illegal aliens, Schwarzeneggers proposal requires employers with 10 or more employees, provide full medical coverage for their full time employees. However, this aspect of the Governor's plan begs...

Within days of taking the oath of office for the second time, the Republican governor unveiled an audacious second-term agenda that includes health insurance for all Californians, new prisons, fuel standards to curb global warming and a second massive public-works bond package on top of the $43 billion approved by voters in the November election. “Yes, it's an ambitious agenda,” Schwarzenegger said Tuesday night in his State of the State address. “But we must be ambitious to get California to the future.” The governor's characterization of his agenda might be an understatement. “We may have to find a new word...

Before I get into what I hope to be a well-reasoned and economically sound discussion of Arnold Schwarzenegger's new "universal health care" plan, please bear with the following outburst: Arnold's plan is some of the most muddle-headed, idiotic, socialist crap I have ever seen from a serious politician, much less from a Republican. The highlights (lowlights?) of the plan: * California employers of 10 or more workers will be required to offer health insurance or else pay 4% of their payroll into a state insurance coverage program. * All children will be covered by insurance, either private or through the...

His health-care plan would regulate, centralize, restrict choice and add taxes Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled Monday a jaw-dropping plan to impose on Californians mandatory, universal health care coverage, along with a near-universal price tag. Sadly, the governor's solution piles on more of what created the health care mess in the first place: government mandates, government-imposed costs and government regulations, which all artificially restrict the market, drive up costs and, ultimately, limit medical care, rather than expand it. Gov. Schwarzenegger's plan, which unbelievably promises to lower costs and increase coverage, is an exercise in Orwellian logic. "Fixing health care requires changes...