Free Republic

Riverside -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took his 2,500-page plan to change California on the road Friday, but quickly found that his two-month statewide tour will be anything but a victory lap. Hecklers, demonstrators and commissioners with plenty of questions showed up for the first of seven scheduled public hearings on the plan, which is the centerpiece of the governor's effort to reorganize state government. "In my State of the State address, I promised to shake up government, get rid of all the waste and inefficiency and make government smarter, faster and a better servant to the people,'' Schwarzenegger told 600...

Way to go, Gov. Arnold! Declaring a "financial emergency," he has authorized the payment of state money owed to local government agencies, including the city of Bakersfield and Kern County. It's a gutsy, much-needed move. Democrat lawmakers would be well-advised to support it. Look for another bone to fight Republicans over. The money was caught in the sleight-of-hand that Sacramento politicians use to balance the state's budget and cover up their excessive spending. During more than a decade of Republican and Democratic governors leading California, sales tax, property tax and other fees, such as the vehicle license fee, have been...

COUNTDOWN (383 DAYS) TO VICTORY '04 Remarks by the President on the Economy and the War on Terror (AWESOME SPEECH) For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary October 16, 2003 President Bush Discusses the Economy and the War on Terror Remarks by the President on the Economy and the War on Terror Radisson Hotel and Convention Center San Bernardino, California Audio 9:38 A.M. PDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks for coming. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's great to be in the Inland Empire. (Applause.) With the 38th governor of the great state of California....