Back to His Old Ways

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The image makeover that the Governor’s office launched on Monday didn’t last long. In fact, at a “state event” in Redding the Governor did a complete 180 and went back on the attack.

According to the Associated Press, before hitting a couple of campaign fundraisers, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped off ceremonial checks to city and county officials in Redding and then trotted out his new and improved campaign rhetoric.

“This is what the campaign is all about,” said Schwarzenegger at a sparsely attended press conference at the Redding City Hall “Let’s make the state live within its means.”

The Governor later added:

“Every time the big spenders in Sacramento get into trouble what do they do? They raise taxes and steal money from local government.” (Associated Press, “Schwarzenegger Testing Campaign Waters” - July 28, 2005)

Glad to see our taxpayer dollars hard at work paying for another campaign event for the Governor…

Arnold’s Popularity Hits All Time Low

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Reuters reports that a new PPIC survey pegs Schwarzenegger’s approval rating at an all-time low of 34 percent, even lower than the Field Poll released last month.

“California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s approval rating dropped to a new low even before a controversy developed about his hefty side income from fitness magazines, according to a poll released on Thursday.

“Only 34 percent of adult Californians approve of the job Schwarzenegger is doing as governor, compared with 51 percent who disapprove, according to a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California…

“The institute's poll mirrors sinking numbers in a Field Poll last month among registered voters which found approval dropped to 37 percent from 55 percent in February…

“The institute conducted its poll of 2,502 California adult residents in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese from June 28 through July 12…

“The Public Policy Institute of California said its survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.” (Schwarzenegger More Unpopular Than Ever, Reuters, 7/21/05)

Schwarzenegger Pothole on the Daily Show

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Don’t Miss Tonight’s “Daily Show” on Comedy Central.

Correspondent Samantha Bee will report on the "Schwarzenegger Pothole."
11:00 pm Pacific

Last night’s show featured Lewis Black’s commentary on Schwarzenegger going from “vanquishing the Predator” to “getting his [hat handed to him] by someone named Wigglesworth.”

Non-Disclosures Tax Arnold’s Credibility

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For more than two decades, every major gubernatorial candidate in California has allowed the media a comprehensive review of their personal financial information – including tax returns. And, once in office, “Every California governor since at least George Deukmejian has released his tax returns, including Pete Wilson, who also had his holdings in a blind trust. President Bush has his holdings in a blind trust, and he releases his tax returns every year. So has nearly every president since Richard Nixon (see www.taxhistory.org).” (Sacramento Bee, December 14, 2004)

Why won’t Governor Schwarzenegger follow the precedent set by Democrats and Republicans alike? As a candidate, he had no problem offering a viewing of his old tax returns, why not his current ones? What does he have to hide?

Plenty, it seems.

According to his economic interest statement, Schwarzenegger received “more than $10,000” in income from 21 companies through his own company, Oak Productions Inc. One of the companies listed is American Media, “that promised to pay him at least $1 million a year over five years to serve as the executive editor of two muscle magazines owned by the company.” (Sacramento Bee, July 19, 2005)

These million-dollar details were not contained in his “legal” disclosures. The facts were learned later from American Media’s SEC filing.

However, this income must be reported on the Governor’s tax returns – returns the Governor’s Office has refused to release for the past two years.

"Schwarzenegger has declined to release his tax returns, so it is impossible to know how much money he is making from each of the interests paying his companies." (San Francisco Chronicle, July 20, 2005)

His office offers nothing but excuses, among them citing “privacy concerns” or saying his finances are “complicated.” These excuses won’t wash. Schwarzenegger is not a private citizen anymore. He is a servant of the people, a job he actively sought and he owes them transparency.

How many other multi-million dollar deals does the Governor have?

Californians will never know until the Governor follows the examples of openness set by his predecessors.

Let Them Eat Supplements

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Can’t believe the First Lady is too happy with the Governor’s politically tone-deaf explanation for why he isn’t returning money from American Media.

“He's keeping at least $1.5 million that the company should have already paid under the terms of the contract. ‘I have no problem about the money, but my wife had a little problem with that,’ Schwarzenegger told reporters, in reference to first lady Maria Shriver. ‘She was worried - that means less diamonds or something like that.’” (Sacramento Bee, July 19, 2005)

Way to throw your wife under the bus, Arnie. Nothing like having your husband essentially dub you “Maria Antionette” in front of the press corps.

Blazing Incompetence

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Why is the Governor trying to cloak appointing a political crony in the devastating tragedy suffered by others?

Last week, Schwarzenegger appointed “San Diego GOP Chairman Ron Nehring on the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection…. [Nehring is] heir apparent to become chairman of the California Republican Party. He is a senior consultant for Americans for Tax Reform, an organization headed by national anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist.” (San Diego Union-Tribune, July 18, 2005)

Environmentalists say “there is nothing on Nehring's résumé to suggest that he has knowledge of forestry issues.” (San Diego Union-Tribune, July 18, 2005)

According to a spokesperson in the Governor’s Office, “The governor appoints the most qualified individuals to each position. In this case, he appointed [Nehring] because of his personal experience and unique perspective….As a recent fire victim, Mr. Nehring brings an interest and passion to fire protection and to forestry issues.” (San Diego Union-Tribune, July 18, 2005)

Huh? Nehring’s “personal experience” was NOT having his house burn down while his neighbors’ homes were reduced to cinders. (Unless you include his “singed tree”)

Based on the Governor’s criteria, he could have appointed someone with more “personal experience.” For instance, Nehring’s neighbor, whose house actually burnt down, (Letter from Ron Nerhing, Undated,) or any other victim of the 2003 Cedar blaze “that destroyed more than 2,200 homes in San Diego County.” (San Diego Union-Tribune, March 11, 2005)

These “recent fire victim[s]" would also bring “an interest and passion to fire protection and to forestry issues."

It’s clear this appointment was based purely on political considerations. This is an insult to the victims of the 2003 Cedar fire.

P.S. Need more proof the Governor is insulting fire victims? Look no further than his vetoes of legislation recommended by his own blue-ribbon commission to fight forest fires!

“State and local firefighters and chiefs who gathered [October 19, 2004] to discuss last year's wildfires blasted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, saying he has not done enough to provide the equipment and staffing needed to battle a fire disaster…. [M]any of the fire officials who spoke at the hearing complained that most of the 48 suggestions of a blue-ribbon commission appointed by Schwarzenegger had been not been implemented.… the governor vetoed five bills in the last year intended to implement some of the panel's key recommendations.” (Los Angeles Times, October 20, 2004)

Keep It In The House

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Last week Bill Mundell, chairman for the Californians for Fair Redistricting, sent out a press release challenging Attorney General Bill Lockyer to a public debate on the language discrepancies recently revealed in Proposition 77.

Mundell’s attempt to grandstand on the issue is ironic given the Sacramento Bee’s latest discovery on the measure. Over the weekend, the Bee reported that the Governor’s taxpayer-funded legal affairs secretary, Peter Siggins, and a campaign attorney for Prop. 77, Daniel Kolkey, “talked with each other” and knew about the measure’s legal problems, but hid them until after Secretary of State McPherson certified the measure.

Maybe Bill Mundell (did we mention that he wants to run for U.S. Senate?) should stop trying to burnish his statewide credentials and just come clean with voters.

Mundell and his cohorts, Ted Costa, Kolkey and the rest of the band that couldn’t shoot straight (otherwise known as the Citizens to Save California) should do the right thing and release all of the documents relating to the drafting of this initiative and the related cover-up.

Recipe For Disaster

Governor Schwarzenegger has whipped up quite the feast for any one who likes to pig out on pork, budget pork that is. From the state budget to his theatrical press conferences, Schwarzenegger loves adding the pork into the pot.

One of the governor’s meatiest ideas: the special election. The special election will waste over $80 million dollars of taxpayer funds that voters say they don’t want or need! And now legislators are calling on the governor to cancel the election to stop the wastefulness.

“Democrats stepped up calls for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to cancel the Nov. 8 special election Thursday…With a budget approved, it's time for Schwarzenegger to call off the election and work with the Legislature on bipartisan reforms rather than barreling forward with three initiatives, said Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.” (Contra Costa Times 7/8)

Seeing as how Schwarzenegger is such a fan of the “other white meat” we’ve attached a handy little guide for Californian’s so they can identify just what the governor’s budget pork looks like.

IN LATEST POLL, 41 PERCENT OF ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS DISAPPROVE OF GOVERNOR’S BUDGET

SACRAMENTO -- A sizable portion of elected Republicans disapprove of the budget Schwarzenegger and Republican Legislative leaders negotiated, according to the latest Assembly vote.

The survey of votes released Thursday by the California State Assembly’s Office of the Chief Clerk found a substantial number of Republicans, 41 percent, disapproved of the Governor’s budget, also known as Senate Bill 77.

Earlier this week, Assembly minority leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, was quoted asking "Why vote against this budget? There's no new taxes, no new borrowing, we cut down the deficit and we added money for transportation and schools." (Associated Press, July 6, 2005)

At the end of the vote tally, 13 elected Republicans, out of 32, voted against the Governor’s budget. McCarthy's office has not released an explanation.

“Why couldn’t McCarthy convince all of his caucus to vote for the budget?” asked Assembly vote watcher and California Channel fan Roger Salazar. “That 41 percent disapproval by elected Republicans mirrors the Governor’s overall disapproval rating found in the PPIC and Field Polls. This is the one time Republicans are in sync with Californians.”

The Assembly vote on Senate Bill 77, conducted on Tuesday, July 7, 2005, was drawn from Assembly members who were asked to vote “Aye” or “Nay” on the budget. The final vote tally was 64 “Ayes” and 13 “Nays.” The “Nays” were all from the Assembly Republican Caucus. The margin of error for this sample is +/- 0 percent.


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