Read His Robot Lips

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has delivered on another campaign promise -- presenting a budget on time, and with no new taxes. For details and analysis, consult the excellent California-news website Rough & Tumble.

Comments

[Andrew Lynch]

Although I voted for the Libertarian gubernatorial candidate, I'm glad Arnold's around to whip the CA budget (known affectionately as "the bitch") into shape. I have no further comments to make on this subject or this governor, and I'll now step out of the way so that contrarians, sycophants, crybabies, and chronic arguers can get their groove on. Have fun!

[Rick Barton]

Andrew,

I applaud your principled appreciation of progress. Tell Arnold to Terminate those departments!

[Dan]

Schwarzenegger is the only person I've ever voted for who I have not later regretted having voted for. Considering the conditions he's working in, he's done an absolutely amazing job so far.

[Mark Fox]

It seems the Oak is a particularly clever dealmaker. He's made agreements with his opponents to shift the burden into next year. Better economic conditions may help then, but the debt must be repaid.

Naysayers believe more taxes are the answer. Perhaps, after a string of positive accomplishments, Schwarzenegger might get the electorate to recognize that cutting spending works just as well (or better). Then we would have California with lower taxes and smaller government (compared to a non-Arnold scenario). Wow.

[Gray Davis]

Mark Fox,

"He's made agreements with his opponents to shift the burden into next year."

In other words, he has avoided the problem for the time being.

[TWC]

yeah, 14 billion dollars worth of shifting into next year.

I know, its better than Gumbi. But had he gone the McClintock route with the RPPI (Reason Foundation) budget there would have been no bond and no tax increase.

[Rick Barton]

Hey, Arnold admires Reason. Someone tell him about this RPPI (Reason Foundation) budget.
I'm serious. Or, at least tell someone in a position to help....or send it to Arnold or something...Come on you guys out in Cal. think of something!

[thoreau]

I still stand by my vote for Larry Flynt! 🙂

[Dan]

a successful exploit of state-law recalls a freshly elected governer-incumbent.

Cons: One party got the other booted on a technicality, and now they're running an action hero. is he a puppet..

Thanks for not voting -- that's about the most clueless appraisal of the recall process I've been exposed to in months.

Here are some facts:
(1): There was no "technicality". The California Constitution, as *intended*, allows people to be recalled for any reason at all. Davis' gross incompetence and corruption was, in most people's minds, a good enough reason to recall him.
(2): One party didn't "exploit" this law. Davis was recalled by a popular vote of the electorate. The Republican Party was not the driving force behind either the recall or the vote.
(3): Schwarzenegger won with a greater percentage of the vote AND a greater number of popular votes than Davis had originally been elected with -- which makes him, by any democratic or legal standard, a completely legitimate replacement for Davis.
(4): Only an idiot could think Schwarzenegger is a "puppet" of the Republican Party. They only endorsed him because he was going to win; McClintock was the one they actually wanted.

[Charles]

for Rick:
George Passantino,
Director of Government Affairs, Reason Foundation
Director, California Performance Review
http://www.rppi.org/outofcontrol/archives/000369.html

--
Dan:

It hurts... a successful exploit of state-law recalls a freshly elected governer-incumbent. The last action hero, fresh from another summer blockbuster, along with gary colman and lary flynt run for office. Intellectuals then call the situation lame, while I am amused by an election that has more than two people running. I tried to make my own moral decision -- I'm much too self-important to register/vote.

Pros: He is distanced from the political-caucus, it's a 100 person race, regardless of there being two leaders.

Cons: One party got the other booted on a technicality, and now they're running an action hero. is he a puppet..

I never researched the candidate, as I said, I'm much too self-important for that.. but in my imagination I chose Bustamante. I regret that vote.

[Don]

"I still stand by my vote for Larry Flynt! :)"

What was that?

A throw-away vote?

A cop-out vote?

What?

[Lisa Simpson]

"Gumbi"? Qu'est-ce que c'est?

[Mark Fox]

Gray: In other words, he's a sharper politician than you. Loser.

[Gadfly]

$4 billion of the $15 billion shifted to future generations is of Ahnold's own making - the car tax he eliminated during his first week of office.

[thoreau]

A fun vote.

[twc]

Lisa, Gumbi is a nickname Gray Davis acquired as a result of his ability to bend in the political winds, well, sort of like his namesake.

Gadfly, you are more than welcome to voluntarily send Arnie my share of the car tax cut (as well as yours).

Rick, Arnold knows all about the RPPI budget and as Charles noted George Passantino is working with the team to cut expenses in the fine state of Californicate.

Everyone, five years ago California did quite well on 55 billion. Today 100 billion isn't enough. Throw it on the table any way you want to but California's problem isn't a shortage of tax money.

[Charles]

Dan, I don't know where you were when the recall took place...

"The Republican Party was not the driving force behind either the recall or the vote."

"They only endorsed him because he was going to win"
I understand why they endorsed him, but I have to disagree, the Republican Party was a driving force.

[Tech]

Only in in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia could Arnold even be considered a Republican.

He's to the left of many, if not most, Southern Democrats.