Schwarzenegger to 'Go to the People' if Opposed

[kskiska]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Reuters) - Declaring he had a mandate from the people, California Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) said on Thursday that he would go over the heads of lawmakers if they did not back his political plans.

"I'm absolutely convinced I will be working very well with the legislature, Democrats and Republican alike," he told a news conference. "If there is a problem you can be assured that I will go directly to the people, because the people of California have made it loud and very clear that they want change."

He was referring to California's tendency to bring contentious issues to voters through initiatives and referendums. Analysts say California's finances are particularly difficult to untangle because previous referendums give politicians little leeway to adjust the budget.

As part of his program to clean house in Sacramento, Schwarzenegger announced that Florida's budget director, Donna Arduin, would conduct an audit of state finances. "I think there is a lot of waste that we will find," he said. Arduin is on leave from the staff of Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the president's brother. The campaign cited her success in realizing a budget surplus in Florida and her past experience in both New York and Michigan as examples of her qualifications for the much-touted audit.

more…
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&e=1&u=/nm/20031009/pl_nm/politics_california_dc

[aquart]

1. His innocence is touching, no?

Like what the people want matters in this nation.

[hedda_foil]

2. Florida's budget director will conduct the audit, huh?

So do ya think the Coleeforneeuns who wanted to get the professinoal politicians out of office are catching on to what they've elected?

[madaboutharry]

4. Gee,

tbe "Coleeforneeuns" should be getting a little nervous about this. I heard a reporter asked some woman why she voted for Arnold and she replied "He looks like fun." I don't know, but this doesn't sound like most peoples idea of "fun."

[Pale_Rider]

3. Is Donna Arduin ...

... another supply-side theorist?

http://members.tripod.com/~reno4governor/index-52.html

The claim came in response to Democratic accusations that the likely $400 million to $800 million shortfall this autumn was caused in part by the $1.6 billion in "recurring" tax cuts that Bush and the Republican-controlled legislature have approved since 1999. Bush budget chief Donna Arduin wrote in an Aug. 2 letter: "$1.6 billion in tax cuts have yielded an average 4.1 percent annual increase in state tax revenues." Bush has repeatedly credited the tax cuts for increasing state revenue and used the 4.1 percent figure in an Aug. 5 letter to the editor of The St. Petersburg Times.

But an analysis by The Palm Beach Post of a spreadsheet from the Bush budget office shows that the 4.1 percent figure does not include other factors -- such as an increasing population -- that contributed to Florida's economic growth. It calculates that all of the increase has been caused by the tax cuts. "There's no way you can make any sort of analysis using just one data point," said Florida Atlantic University economics professor Sharon Lassar, an economist who, like Bush and Arduin, subscribes to the "supply side" theory that lowering tax rates actually increases total tax revenues.

Just looking at total tax receipts, however, is of little value, said Lassar, who reviewed the spreadsheet provided by Bush's office. "It doesn't support either side."

[Pale_Rider]

5. And oh crap!

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/02/16/Columns/Red_ink_blues.shtml

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush's budget director flipped on her laptop and began a power-point display, not with fuzzy graphs or charts but with a firm declaration.

Florida is in good shape, flashed the message on overhead TV screens.

Budget director Donna Arduin ticked off factors supporting her claim: Stable bond ratings, lots of new jobs, more tax money and the "fiscal discipline" to avoid tax increases. States with higher taxes are in worse shape, she said.

The members of the Senate Appropriations Committee were not impressed.

Their chairman, Republican Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, called the scene at the hearing on Feb. 6 "surreal," as if Arduin and lawmakers were in different states.

To Pruitt and many other senators, Florida is in bad shape and getting worse. They are again studying how to change the tax code to raise more money, citing Bush's budget as proof that the tax base can't pay for such basics as teachers at community colleges.

Will Arduin pass the budget liability to future generations of Californians? Hmmm, two years?

"Here we are again," Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, told Arduin. "Building a budget that focuses on getting us out of two years, declaring victory and shifting the liability down the road to the next group of people, without the tools to resolve the problems we know are going to be there."

What is telling is that the criticisms are coming from Republicans!

[fob]

28. Yavin was right. They are going to tap into the CalPers

retirement fund to "eliminate" the budget deficit.

[cosmicdot]

36. she's hardly "independent" - contributed to GOP

from opensecrets.org

Contributor
Occupation
Date
Amount
Recipient
ARDUIN, DONNA MS
TALLAHASSEE,FL
4/11/2000
$1,000
Bush, George W


ARDUIN, DONNA
FORT LAUDERDALE,FL 33312
STATE OF FLORIDA/BUDGET DIRECTOR
9/26/2002
$500
Republican Pty of Fla Fed Campaign Acct

ARDUIN, DONNA
TALLAHASSEE,FL 32308
1/12/2001
$300
Republican Pty of Fla Fed Campaign Acct

[corarose]

44. Adams Apple?

:kick:

[DuctapeFatwa]

6. Why doesn't he just go to his voting machines?

He will be sure to get a more satisfactory result.

[La_Serpiente]

7. He's like Bush

He's already sounding like Bush...either your with us or against us.

[farmboxer]

8. California To Become Like Florida?!

The people voted against themselves once again!

[FlemingsGhost]

9. I believe Jesse Ventura said something very similar

Ahhhnuld is in for a very rude awakening.

[smallprint]

10. I think in a few months

Arnie is going to be "running from" the people.

:evilgrin:

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hawkeye-X]

12. The Dems can stonewall Arnold all day/night for the next 100 days

and tell him that his plans are insufficient for California, which is true.

Hawkeye-X

[ReadTomPaine]

14. From the look of his team so far, it's pretty clear...

...the people are the last thing on his mind. Heck the majority of the vote wasn't even for him. Florida's budget director? Dave Drier? The Dems should obstruct every single thing he does, right down to getting light bulbs for the governor’s mansion. No remorse, no apologies, no compromise. The recall wasn’t designed for this; it was designed for criminal behavior, and was manipulated from the start. All that will come of it is poisoned as a result. That's politics in Bush Era, and it was the decision of the right, not the left.

[Democat]

16. Freeper lies "overwhelming majority" - Arnold and Davis got the same votes

The difference in the number of people who voted for Arnold and those who voted no on the recall was slight. Arnold did not get 50% of the vote.

Arnold has as much of a mandate as Davis did, no more or less.

[MUAD_DIB]

20. What was the overall percentage of voter turnout?

I thought that I had heard of 60 % voter turnout.

If that is true and Ahh-nold recieved 50 % of that then there is no mandate.

It may have been a plurality and not a majority.

[AWD]

22. You think so, huh?

Overwhelming majority???

Listen, last time I checked, 48.6 percent of the vote is FAR from a majority, let alone an overwhelming one.

Second, the Dems were elected too....and they are in no way bound to pay attention to this bumbling moron. He is not God, he is not an entity. He's a lame duck governor who is about to get a rude awakening.

This is no movie set, there is no script. he's going to regret doing this.

[paulk]

25. I think you have a fundemental misunderstanding of how govt. works

The legislature is beholden to the people (mostly Democrats) who put them in office - not Arnold S.

I think Arnold also labors under this misconception - and he is about to get a rude awakening.

As several other posters have pointed out, it is media spin that A.S. won in a landslide. He did not even get 50% of the vote. More than half the people who voted, voted for someone else. He has no mandate.

He especially doesn't have a Republican mandate. A lot of people voted for him because of who he is, not because of his political affiliation. Certainly not because of his plans, because he never really said what they were. If he tries to push a Bush/Republican budget through, he will most likely have it thrown right back in his face.

And in that regard, his appointment of Jeb Bush's budget director for CA is not a good sign that he's willing to works with the Dem. majority in the legislature.

[JCMach1]

13. Budget surplus my arse... she robbed non-recurring

trust funds (including the tobacco lawsuit money) and our state's rainy day fund to pay for the JEBtm administration. Basically, the next governor will begin with a bankrupt state.

Not only that, local governments are having to pick up the tab with a tax rate cap of 10 mils. Most poverty counties are already maxxed on this or close to it. This, of course, means critical cuts in service to those who need it most. This includes essential infrastructure such as roads, drainage, police, fire and medical services.

:grr:

[bluedog]

30. our county..pinellas fl

is putting 6 cents a gal. new gas tax on us...because we haven't money to pay for highway repairs.....fl is getting worse and worse every day......

[Gman]

15. Verbatim from the Karl Rove playbook

a 49% mandate? Gray got 3.6 million votes, Ahnold got 3.7 million votes and this guy has a mandate?

The main thing here is he cannot be allowed to get away with saying he has a mandate as the Republicans like to do. If it's repeated enough, it becomes the truth.

[Q]

17. The legislature represents the people...

...Arnie is such a dumb ass. WE elect representatives to 'represent' us in government. He's just going to learn how to deal with the DEMOCRATIC process.

[Drifter]

18. Setup for Failure ...

Let'em have it Arnold. Go over the heads of the Legislature, and take it to the people. Remember that Davis was recalled because of the mythical budget deficit (Davis recently balenced the budget and reduced the deficit from $38B to $8B). Davis should be credited with fixing the California mess that Bush/Enron/Rove helped create.

Feel free to slash away at taxes. You are setting yourself up to put California in a far worse position than Davis ever did. Imagine how the people will feel when you drive the state into the ground (by going over the heads of those that represent the people).

We no longer need to convince the people of California that Arnold is bad for them, for now they will be paying him to do that.

Cheers
Drifter

[0007]

19. This guy has lived in fairyland too long!

California is not the charming, enchanting place that brought all those nice folks from places like the dust bowl.

The lizards and snakes have taken over.

[Snellius]

21. If it looks like a nazi and quacks like a nazi and acts like a nazi

it must be a Republican. Somewhere I've heard this "my way or the highway" before.

[rocktivity]

23. Arnold can pick up a quick nine billion

by completing the lawsuit filed against the energy companies who ripped off his precious "people".




rocknation

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. Republicans don't work with Democrats.

Compromise is not part of their M.O. They ignore, trammel and destroy.

[rocktivity]

26. Don't go to the people without their nine billion dollars, Arnie!

rocknation

[On the Road]

27. Using Ballot Initiatives May Actually be the Right Way to Proceed

I mean, I don't know what Arnold's planning on doing, but his hands have already been tied:

California's Budget is just under $100 billion this year, and determined without much wriggle room: 40% is mandated for spending on K-12 education by Proposition 98. Almost all of the rest is federally mandated spending on programs including health and welfare. Only 2.5% of the budget is discretionary -- available for cuts and reapportionment.

http://econ4dean.typepad.com/econ4dean/2003/10/california_here.html

The inflexible budget structure is the problem, especially if Arnold's not going to raise taxes.

Ballot iniatives are the ways things like this get changed in California. I think they've been avoided because so many politicians don't like them. (With some justification.) But they're there, and they have to be used when necessary.

[eileen_d]

29. Man, that is f**ked up

Sounds like the Governator will ignore the democratically elected legislators of the state if things don't go his way - way to be "for the people." I cannot wait for this pumped up moron to fall flat on his face with the public.

[cally]

31. He will have to eliminate many programs and funding

that are mandated by law. I doubt the Legislature will go along so he will have to have an initiative. I'll enjoy seeing him tap special interest money trying to convince voters to eliminate all environmental programs, release prisoners, get rid o f three strikes, reduce medical, special ed, increase class size. Oh yeah, this could be very entertaining.

By the way, the Governor must introduce a balanced budget by January 10 by law. :evilgrin:

[Bandit]

32. And he is a Republican ~ I wonder if he even knows the meaning of Republic

A republic does not rule by inititives and referendums. We elect someone to make those decisions for us. It is a way of delegating our authority. I wish California well but they get what they deserve.

[idontwantaname]

33. "people" are stoopid and ignorant...

while they save a peanut or two on the car tax.. the state will fall an additional 4 billion in debt.

[davidinalameda]

34. let's just get rid of the legislature and do everything by referendum

this is such utter bullshit

our budget deficit is going to be driven deeper into the red every time he doesn't get his way and he calls a special election

let's waste more money that could be going to education and infrastructure on poll workers

he just best be careful--his name might be on a recall ballot when all is said and done

[ElsewheresDaughter]

35. more proof that repukes are anti-american and hate democracy

[sushi]

37. Is he preparing

for a recall?

[Jack Rabbit]

38. The voters made one thing loud and clear

The voters made it loud and clear that they are unhappy, but little else. Electing an untested celebrity who avoided debates or presenting any exclicit, substantive idea doesn't make anything clear.

Schwarzengger won because he said little and allowed voters to project their hopes and fears on him. He smiled warmly, so more voters projected their hopes than their fears.

When I see a candidate like that, I grab my wallet to make sure it's still there.

Once again, the problems of the state cannot be solved by simple measures. There will be tax increases and painful budget cuts. As for deregulation, any governor who cuts a sweetheart deal with the coprporate priates is betraying the people.

[hunter]

39. California to remove Scwarzenegger if opposed!

Phhhhhht...

ACKth... Ooppps...

BLORK!

It will be just like Bill the Cat coughing up a hairball.

[Zhade]

40. FUCK YOUR "MANDATE". You are NOT my governor, you fucking NAZI.

NT!

[nini]

43. I hear ya!!

couldn't have said it better myself..

[calimary]

45. Truly!

I wonder how soon buyer's remorse will start setting in. At least he only has three years before he has to try to extend his franchise.

[mbee]

41. What a creep because I heard Bustamonte say the same thing

in a debate before selection 2. He said he would take issues directly to the people if need be. Obviously, AS is using Bustamonte's idea so now where have we heard that before? The only thing AS will be taking directly the the people is more and more deficits which will be a big surprise to them I'm sure!

[MaryBear]

42. Ahnold needs to remember

that the election was a vote AGAINST THE STATUS QUO, and not necessarily a vote for him. No way was he given a mandate to do as he pleases.