Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger & Views on the 2007 Budget Stalemate
The California Recovery Team Advisory Council Members and Friends of Governor Schwarzenegger had a conference call set for 4:00 PM PDT (08.15.07) but the Governor was running late because he was (still as I write this, “is”) in budget negotiations. At 5 minutes after we were informed that he was (is) running 15 minutes late because of the negotiations and to call back at 4:15.
Before I call back, I’d like to offer my comments on the current stalemate. I apprecaite the efforts of Governor Schwarzenegger has made to hold the line on spending and to balance the budget in difficult circumstances. As a member of Log Cabin Republicans, I can emphasize with the Governor’s difficulties in trying to hold true to your values while dealing with those in the Party who disagree with something so fundamentally important to you. It is not an easy job and he will not please everyone but he is doing his job and in my opinion a good job. And you know what, in talking with Sacramento insiders who used to work for former Governor Davis, Schwarzenegger is much better (and this comes from a “D”) in managing the job of governing the state. Now, back to waiting.
At approximately 4:22 John Hodgkis i(sp?) ntroduced the Governor. The Governor praised the assembly for its version for a budget that started with a $1.4 B deficit then was eventually reduced to a $700 M deficit. The Republicans in the Senate want a 0 deficit. The governor has promised a 0 deficit by using his VETO power to reduce the deficit to zero.
The budget Schwarzenegger wants (and will probably get), has the highest revenues ever (even though it is less than he wanted), fully funds education, fully funds law enforcement, does not call for any new taxes, and even has a reserve built in (I did not get the numbers-sorry).
From the Governor’s posiiton, he does not see why we cannot have a budget now. The only sticking point, if i hear correctly, concernns issues with the intrastructure bonds. Schwarzenegger was meeting with Peretta and Ackerman on this. It seems the “D”s and the Governor see it as a non-budget item while the “R”s in the Senate see it as a budget item. The Governor’s position, from my view, was that we should pass the budget now so that we can pay the vendors and people who depend on the state and deal with the non-budget intrastructure item later.
Schwarzenegger is very concerned about how the deadlock is effecting the elderly with regard to their care and payment to persons who provide care for them. The Governor wants the legislature to tackel the real issues such as health care reform, provide clean and adequate water for our future, and redistricting.
Schwarzenegger is hoping for a budget by Monday. He believes that with the “ZERO” deficit thanks to his veto power, his budget is in line with core Republican beliefs.
When questioned about how fast the state government will get back in business once the budget is passed, the Governor responded as soon as possible and emphasized the non payment is hurting the elderly and handicapped who rely on government funds. Schwrzenegger commented that the legislature should get out of Sacramento and travel the state like he does and they would see the impact they are having first hand and then maybe they would not delay as long as they do.
From what I took away, he believes that the sooner we get a budget, the faster we can work on the looming water issues (dare I say CRISIS?), health care, redistricting, and even restructuring the lottery. The Governor commented that he would not support reforming term limits if it is not ited to redistricting 9if i understood him corrrectly).
On a question about AB 32 and water and land developemnt, he commented that Attorney General Jerry Brown means well but that we have to all work together in a cohesive way to make our future better economically and environmentally by making sure that every all of the states agencies and departments are on the same page (including airports). He envisions reducing greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020.
The conference ended about a half an hour later. He talked more than I wrote about and the above are only highlights.
I wish him and all Californians well.
The Quinnipiac University polls of voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania — the big three Electoral College swing states — found voters by large margins more likely to see the endorsement of a gay rights group as a reason to vote against, rather than for, a candidate. But the DOPEY polls never took into account that Log Cabin Repubicans will most certainly endorse a republican candadate in 2008.
