So who wants Arnold to be president now?? $47 Billion in the hole and CA almost broke!

[KansasVoter]

Seems like his shining star has dimmed a little!

[YOY]

1. But he's the Terminator!

And obviously being an action hero actor is a perfect pre-requisite for the presidency.

:sarcasm:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. Why doesn't he just blast the fuck out of that deficit. Or throw some on liners at it. That should

fix things. :shrug:

[Lerkfish]

2. unless I"m wrong, he CAN"T be president.

the president has to be a naturalized citizen born in the US, per the constitution, if I'm not mistaken.

[zbdent]

4. he might ... if the 4000th challenge to Obama's birth certificate gets ANY traction

in the courts ... probably by getting that ten ton granite version of the Ten Commandments "judge" to preside over the case ...

[nxylas]

11. All it would take is a constitutional amendment

Something I'd be in favor of, not because I want Ahnold as Prez, but because it doesn't seem fair to me that a naturalized citizen has all the rights of a natural born citizen except one. Plus, it would put an end to all these stupid Obama lawsuits.

[Rebubula]

35. I disagree

I would respectfully say that the person in the highest office (the one that controls foreign policy) should have absolutely no real ties to any other government or country.

Of course, our last several republican presidents have done more bad for our country than anything - but I do not favor changing this rule.

[nxylas]

39. Obama has ties to Kenya and Indonesia, should he be excluded?

That argument takes you into Birther territory. America is a nation of immigrants, the only people with no real ties to other countries are Native Americans.

[zbdent]

3. wasn't he supposed to, single-handedly, "terminate" the deficit?

he apparently "terminated" it like hitting the Hulk with Gamma radiation ...

[Historic NY]

5. Freepers will say Germany became part of the US when we beat them...

:shrug:

[YOY]

6. and Austria works the same?

Ahnold is Austrian and not German.

[Shiver]

12. It don't matter

All furrin' countrees ar teh SAIM!

[windbreeze]

7. Sounds like he's competing with Reagan....iirc, he left the State of Calif in the red also...

after being a staunch Republican, actor, and governor...you think they'd learn....wb

[BrotherBuzz]

9. Reagan balanced California’s budget

He successfully balanced California’s budget by taking a chainsaw to just about everything. We still suffer from the damage he inflicted almost forty years ago.

[windbreeze]

32. I must be misremembering

and am willing to stand corrected..wb

[coalition_unwilling]

28. Off topic, but what does "iirc" mean?

[windbreeze]

31. IF I remember correctly.....

I know...I had a hard time with FWIW....and IBTL....(for what it's worth....and In before the lock...just in case)wb

[coalition_unwilling]

34. OMFG -- thank you sn much! - n\t

[earth mom]

8. Dimmed a little? I wouldn't be surprised to see a recall of Arnold. nt

[rvablue]

10. In all fairness to Ahnuld *cough* ((can't believe I just said that)) CA will remain

billions of dollars in debt until the voters or a grand majority in the legislature overturn Prop. 13.

Of course, the legislature has known this for two decades, but they also know it is political suicide to do so.

And the people of CA will NEVER do it. Who would voluntarily raise their property taxes?

[grantcart]

16. Also the supermajority needed to pass any tax increase has made the state

ungovernable.

I have to give credit for Arnold for trying to get something intelligent passed. He has made it pretty clear that the Republicans in the State Legislature are sabotaging the process.

And his veto of the Democratic proposal was interesting - he wanted more stimulus money.

On fiscal matters a majority should be able to pass its own budget, this is insanity.

[nini]

18. Exactly

that freaking Prop 13 is killing this state.

[Bluenorthwest]

38. Yep

Prop 13.

[AtomicKitten]

13. I seem to recall the hysteria and bouncing Gray Davis because of Calif's deficit.

The Republicans should be choking on their hypocrisy. :mad:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

15. In some alternate universe, yes. In this one, no chance. nt

[grantcart]

17. Davis was recalled because of mass interuptions in electricity not because of the budget.

Although he should have been recalled because of the budget. He started out with a massive surplus and ended up getting fooled by the electric companies. He should have been working with the Attorney General and arresting people.

[AtomicKitten]

19. Davis (and Californians) were punked by Enron enabled by FERC.

Enron manipulated and siphoned billions out of California during the energy crisis (FERC turning a blind eye) thereby contributing to the deficit in an unholy downward spiral.

[grantcart]

20. and that's my point - any Governor that gets punk'd for billions is history

no matter how criminal the punk'g is.

[AtomicKitten]

21. Gray Davis never stood a chance in that political climate.

As a Californian, I'm actually sympathetic to him. Enron aided and abetted by FERC and the Bush Admin were allowed to screw California creating a massive deficit unscathed.

The Rs used the excuse of the massive deficit (they were fine with Calif being screwed over by Enron) to launch the recall, which is my point. It was an absurd shell game.

[Nay]

22. Agreed. If I were Gray Davis, I'd be laughing my ass off right about now.

When Arnold got in, all the workplace freeps thought that was just so COOL and he was gonna just fix everything!! Uh huh.

[AtomicKitten]

23. I just heard today Schwarzenegger is raising the sales tax on various items

but then again so is Paterson in NY. Stuff like downloading music, soda, massages, and other various sundry items. The Republicans are out of their damn minds if they think we can find out way out of this hole without raising taxes at all, and the Governator will take the brunt of that rage here in California. Hello Democratic governor in 2010. Poetic justice in my view.

[rvablue]

24. The only difference between CA and NY, though, is that

NYers pay property taxes based on the value of their homes.

CAers pay property taxes based on purchase price of their home, with microscopic annual increases each year.

Big difference, as far as municipal revenue streams go.

[AtomicKitten]

25. I was talking specifically about sales tax, but that's interesting info on property tax.

I think governors across the nation are going to be "creative" in raising revenue. They have no other choice. Things are on track to get worse before they get better unless Obama has a magic wand in his swim trunks. hee hee.

[rvablue]

26. If you live in CA you need to read Pete Shrag's "Paradise Lost"

It is prophetic (in that it was published many years ago) as to what Prop. 13 would do to the state.

Other guvs can get "creative." CA is screwed until they do something about Prop. 13. It is the ten-ton anchor that is sinking the state and CA will never recover until the line is cut.

[AtomicKitten]

27. Get it on the ballot. n/t

[Johonny]

41. pretty much

He's also was going to fix California's schools because he was all about the Children. How'd that whole thing work out. Turns out it sucks to be a governor when the president sucks.

[SwampG8r]

29. well

you gotta admit the press confrences would be hilarious!

[nolabels]

30. Hasn't it been made apparent that Arnold couldn't govern his way out of a wet paper bag ?

Chopped liver probably even has more effect :shrug:

[yurbud]

33. Arnold would rake in the know-nothing vote: he'd be Palin on steroids

How do you think he got into office here?

[OnionPatch]

36. Good thing we got rid of that incompetant Grey Davis.

:sarcasm:

[Mudoria]

40. He wouldn't have made an ounce of difference...

[Honeycombe8]

37. CA is ALWAYS on the verge of going broke, isn't it? Seems so. nt