California Democratic Majority

Governor's Failure on Infrastructure Bonds

2006-03-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

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It appears the Governor and his new Bush-powered campaign team has thrown in the towel on his super-sized infrastructure debacle. Last night, he punted his infrastructure bond to the legislature in the Big 5, telling them since he didn't have the muscle to secure a single Republican vote in either the Assembly or Senate for his package, he'd leave it to them to put something on his desk.

Now there's leadership.

The Governor without values or vision has abandoned ship on yet another of his ill-conceived grandiose plans. This latest gubernatorial fumble follows in the footsteps of the collapse of his "blowing up the boxes" California Performance Review, and last year's $50 million special election fiasco.

The Governor's latest failure highlights new fault lines in his governorship as he once again leaves the capitol for weeks of fundraising across the nation instead of focusing on California's problems.

* A Governor Over His Head -- The last three weeks show the Governor continues to fail to grasp the complexities of running the state. Once again he returned embarrassingly empty handed from Washington, D.C. after pleading with the Bush Administration and Republican Congress for federal aid for levee repair -- then tripled his request for levee repairs by slipping a letter under the door of legislative leaders at night. He opted for heading to Ohio for a body-building contest instead of negotiating for his bond package. And he failed to anticipate and quell the intra-party struggle among Republicans on his proposals.

* A Major Disconnect with the Republican Base -- Conservative activists lobbied strongly against the Governor's package. In fact, the Governor failed to convince his own running mate, Tom McClintock, to vote for the package -- undermining the Republican campaign. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation and conservative bloggers railed against the Governor, erasing the faux goodwill at the Republican convention a few weeks ago.

* A Weakened Relationship with the Legislature -- The Governor's relationship is even worse among Democrats, with the Senate president pro tem saying he was "sucker punched" by the Administration. Strategic errors by the Governor's much vaunted new chief-of-staff in negotiations with Republicans (failing to engage them before their retreat where they became in entrenched in their pay-as-you-go philosophy) and in pushing a water storage plan that made no sense to either Republicans or Democrats helped torpedo the deal.

That odor you smell coming out of the first floor in the Capitol is lame duck…

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My Guv Likes to Party All The Time, Party All The Time…

2006-02-24T15:41:00.000-08:00

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Just a quick note to California Political Reporters, especially those of you attending the Republican Part-ay in San Jose:

Will the Governor get a nice reception in the hall? Of course he will. You’ve all seen Schwarzenegger stagecraft before. Remember the so-called town halls packed with Chamber officials and local GOP activists last year?

But, after the bad karaoke music stops at the GOP convention and all of the college kids hired to hold signs and cheer for the "bold leader with big ideas" go back to school, -- (Hey! What ever happened to blowing up those boxes?) -- will the Governor and his fresh faced army from the Rove school of compassionate politics have achieved all their goals?

Let’s see –

1) Repair his relationship with the base. After they bought off McClintock, one assumes that should be a piece of cake, no? They desperately want to check that one off.
2) Red meat to the crowd speech. Check. (Puuhleeze…they wrote that in the car on the way from the airport.)
3) Get those Republican votes for his bond package. Che… Oh wait…

So, before you all put pen to paper and write about how the Governor has regained his footing and brought in a disciplined army that can do rapid response in their sleep, just remember that the Governor has had a full two months of positive TV coverage with his face on every newscast for weeks talking about infrastructure and his numbers dropped like a Republican lawyer at a quail hunt.

And don’t hold your breath for a list of the Republican members who have signed on to vote for the Governor’s bond package…

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A familiar scenario: Right-wing makes noise, but little else, at convention

2006-02-24T14:32:00.000-08:00

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By Roger Salazar

(published in the Capitol Weekly - February 23rd, 2006)

It's party time ― again. It's time for all the good, little, right-wing boys and girls of the OC, Inland Empire, and Central Valley to strut their stuff at the California Republican Party convention ― again.

Seriously, how many of these things do these guys have every year?

Still, this one ought to be interesting.

The PPIC poll out today shows Schwarzenegger has failed to gain traction with the public, despite his infrastructure bond marketing tour. In fact, Arnold's approval rating has tumbled down to 35 percent among all adults, dropping five points since January.

Arnold was hemorrhaging support from the left and the middle after the special election debacle and now is bleeding profusely from the right because of his apparent leftward lurches on the bond package, minimum wage, and because he installed former Democratic Party operatives to work on his campaign and staff. Heck, even the new California Republican Party spokesman is a former Clinton-Gore operative.

The fact that the California Republican Assembly didn't have the votes to force the Party into rescinding its endorsement of Schwarzenegger doesn't change that fact that they are one ticked-off crew. The base of the party has been mollified with promises of a policy debate over the issues, but the wingers are not pleased with the governor's flip-flopping. They have seen his rhetoric (not his actions, mind you) jump from hardcore fiscal conservative to a big borrowing spend-o-crat. The Governator is going to have to work hard to keep the wingers on his side.

So what are we to expect from the gathering of elephants in San Jose this weekend? How will Arnold shore up his support from the right-wing activists so critical to his upcoming reelection effort? Two words ― Red Meat. When Arnold drops as low as 35 percent, it means he's having trouble with his base. When he has trouble with his base, he tends to pander. Will Arnold do that again in San Jose?

Perhaps Arnold will remind the GOP faithful about some of the right-wing things he's done for them while in office: stopping immigrants from getting driver's licenses (a policy he follows strictly himself); stopping gay marriage; and fighting the ability of unions to spend money on political issues? But if he does, how will all the pandering play back in Sacramento with both Republicans and Democrats?

Schwarzenegger often talks about paddling a little on the left, then a little on the right. But what we've actually got is a governor who is constantly getting carried away by the current. This weekend, we'll see just how far right the Republican base can push the Arnold canoe.

Another force that might push that canoe is the coverage by GOP bloggers.

Remember, this is a governor who was so concerned with the way conservative bloggers reacted to his appointment of Susan Kennedy that he invited Jon Fleischman into his office to give him a one-on-one briefing on his proposals. These folks will be commenting on Schwarzenegger and the happenings of the GOP convention in real time and we will see how much of an influence that has on the policy and political discussions.

Last November's ballot fight showed us the impact a demoralized Republican base has on the outcome of an election. Even with Schwarzenegger and his conservative sidekick Tom McClintock campaigning up and down the state, the voters still rejected their message. Arnold has been trying to make noise on the left ever since then, and he's paying dearly for it with the base. If we witness yet another flip-flop in San Jose and hear Red Meat rhetoric for a red state crowd, it will confirm what we already know this guy's troubles are far from over.

Roger Salazar is a principal with the Sacramento political consulting firm, AcostaSalazar LLC. He was a spokesman for former Vice President Al Gore, and served in former Gov. Gray Davis’ press office.

What a Long Strange Power Trip…

2006-02-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

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While John Howard and Patrick Dorinson well up over the sounds of “Morning in America” in the Capitol Weekly puffery surrounding Dorinson’s appointment as the head GOP flack and his clichéd “I didn’t leave the party, the party left me” storyline, there’s another side of Pat’s “personal odyssey” that goes unmentioned – his work for energy profiteer Mirant.

After working for the California Independent Systems Operator through 2001, Dorinson went to work as chief defender in the western states for energy giant Mirant, the same company that was sued by California’s Attorney General for fattening “their wallets at the expense of the California ratepayer.” http://www.ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/2004/04-086.htm

Dorinson’s company and the others sued by the AG didn’t “attempt to refute the allegation that they sometimes sold power they had bid into the state's reserve market. But they said they were merely playing by market rules designed by the Legislature and other state regulators who designed electricity deregulation… ‘Mirant has always operated under the rules California set up,’ said Patrick Dorinson, a spokesman for the Atlanta company.” (San Francisco Chronicle, March 12, 2002)

Not so fast. Just last year the Attorney General announced a $749.7 million proposed settlement with Mirant Corporation to resolve allegations of price gouging and other unlawful conduct during the California Energy Crisis of 2000-01. http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/2005/05-005.htm

So while he may try to spin this to the GOP base as a “coming home” story, the story we see is just another corporate shill working for the Governor.

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The Collectinator Has No Clothes

2005-11-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

Once again, the Collectinator has failed to deliver for California. Schwarzenegger talks a big game, but his follow-through has been atrocious.

As a reminder, “Schwarzenegger campaigned as a Republican who could work with the White House and pledged to make demands of the federal government. He vowed to recover ‘more than $50 billion’ from the federal government, saying the state pays more money to Washington than it gets back. ‘By the time I'm through with this whole thing, I will not be known as the Terminator — I will be known as the Collectinator,’ Schwarzenegger said while campaigning.” (Fox News, October 16, 2003)

In 2004 “Bush's budget, however, did little to help the state.” (CNN, February 22, 2004)

Now the LA Times reports that while Arnold jaunted off to China with his $10,000-a-head corporate buddies, the Governor did next to NOTHING as congressional Republicans were trying to force through some budget cuts in order to pay for the War in Iraq and their botched response to Hurricane Katrina response. “Republican-backed budget cuts moving through Congress threaten to hit California with billions of dollars in lost aid, putting some state social services in jeopardy and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at risk of yet another political setback.”

The proposed Republican cuts include, “provisions that, in California, would make it tougher to get child support from tens of thousands of deadbeat parents, would strip food stamps from legal immigrants, and would make less money available to doctors who treat low-income patients.” (LA Times, November 25, 2005)

Californians might have hoped that “The Collectinator” would use his Republican ties to put a stop to this – What bold move would the Guv employ to stop these cuts dead in their tracks? ONE LETTER.

Yes, Arnold did write a letter to the California Republican Reps urging them to vote no, and only after significant pressure from Democrats. Not a visit, or a phone call, or a press conference … a letter. Arnold’s letter turned out pretty much like his special election: this guy is zero for life. The same Times article reports that every single one of Schwarzenegger’s buddies in California Republican Delegation voted in favor of the cuts.

This turn of events, while upsetting, is not wholly surprising considering Arnold’s flimsy grasp on how one actually gets the President to send federal dollars our way. Earlier this year, while campaigning for Bush, our Governor said he wouldn’t be upset if his appearances didn’t translate into more money for California: "What I don't want to see is that I stopped at one stop that maybe we get an extra billion dollars -- and (New York Gov. George) Pataki stopped 15 stops for Bush and gets $15 billion more." (CNN, February 17, 2005)

After wasting millions of dollars in the special election, then losing billions more while off in China, how much longer will the people of California buy this guy’s empty promises?

Whew! Glad He Took Care of That

2005-11-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

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Governor Schwarzenegger Proclaims November 24, 2005 as Thanksgiving Day

"...In celebration of Thanksgiving, we recognize the Californians who came before us, those who triumphed over obstacles with courage and ingenuity. We proudly follow their trail to ensure that our state continues to be a land of freedom and opportunity for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim November 24, 2005, as 'Thanksgiving Day.'"

Thank you for handing down that decree, Governor Obvious. I kinda thought Abraham Lincoln took care of that one awhile back.

Our Turkey of the Year Award Goes To…

2005-11-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

Well, it will come as no surprise to you that we at the California Democratic Majority have selected Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the recipient of our first ever “Turkey of the Year” award.

Appearances by the Governator in California have been few and far between since his failed special election (and no, running off to Red China with your big business allies doesn’t count) With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, we thought we’d give you a few reminders of what makes this “Turkey” so special.

The Man Without a Plan – On Saturday, it was reported that the Schwarzenegger Administration “has failed to comply with a law requiring it to submit a five-year plan on the state's building needs… After taking office in November 2003, Schwarzenegger's office did not submit a plan for 2004, and it has not yet submitted one this year. The plan was supposed to be included with the governor's budget Jan. 10.” (San Jose Mercury News, November 19, 2005)

Anybody who has been paying attention knows that the SS Schwarzenegger is a rudderless ship. The Governor has no plan to deal with education; no plan to deal with healthcare; and the plan to deal with infrastructure consists of nothing more than trial balloons. In any event, the Administration’s continual flaunting of the law, as though it doesn’t apply to them, continues to amaze Capitol observers.

The Stone Wall – During the recall campaign, Governor Schwarzenegger pledged to make his the most open administration in history. Yet his attorneys continue to rebuff attempts from news organizations and others for the most basic of information.

“A free-speech group and two newspapers sued Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday to try to force him to reveal who was meeting with two of his top aides while he was considering the fate of hundreds of bills last year.” (Associated Press, November 21, 2005)

This suit should be unnecessary given the Governor’s campaign promises with respect to transparency. Another broken promise for the Governor equals another reason for Turkey of the Year.

The Blame Game – Last week, the Capitol Weekly reported the Governor’s chief campaign strategist recused himself and the Governor from any responsibility in the derailment of the “Reform” Express and instead placed the fault entirely on big business.

“Two days after the special election, the California Chamber of Commerce held its post-election powwow in the former Four Seasons hotel in Newport Beach. The talk of the two-day affair was the keynote speech from campaign strategist Mike Murphy, who told the room full of business leaders that they were to blame for the governor's defeat. Numerous sources in attendance said Murphy chided the business community for not matching the spending by labor unions during the election. And because of the governor's defeat, Murphy warned the room that they should prepare for some uncomfortable moments in the year ahead.” (Capitol Weekly, November 17, 2005)

Hmm… How much do you want to bet the folks at the Chamber feel like they’re the ones being stuffed this Thanksgiving?

A Democrat gives thanks--for all the Republican turkeys

2005-11-22T10:09:00.000-08:00

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Special to the Capitol Weekly
(published November 22nd, 2005)

Ahhh, the Thanksgiving commentary column. What a perfect opportunity to provide some insight on the events of the past year and set the stage for the political happenings of the next. Or maybe, if you're cheeky, you can take some gratuitous potshots at political opponents disguised as an essay reflecting on the year's many blessings.

There are so many things to be thankful for this year, such as the Governor's wonderful official/campaign advance staff, who never missed an opportunity to phony up even the most intimate of events, but why dwell on the past?

In the spirit of the season, let's try and Navigate away from the latter. (With one exception: Thank you President Bush for loaning the Citizens to Save California one of his top press aides. That Reed Dickens guy was great!)

Because Team Arnold decided to drag the entire political community down into the swamp in an effort to boost their boss's ego, it's safe to say no one feels like they had a great year. Sure we're grateful we beat back the governor's flawed initiatives, but it wasn't really an election anybody wanted. For the Democrats, however, there are still quite a few things to be thankful for this year.

We give thanks for new alliances. Gov. Schwarzenegger's decision to declare all-out war on teachers, nurses, police, firefighters and state employees brought together a formidable alliance that was unified as never before.

While Schwarzenegger attempted to use his ready access to the media to demonize the leaders of these groups as uncaring "bosses," these folks banded together and fought back to protect the people they serve: students, patients, victims - basically the general public.

Together, the Alliance successfully recast the special election as a fight between the governor's big business special interests versus regular people. If the Alliance remains intact, the governor and his Chamber of Commerce buddies will have a tough time implementing the anti-worker vision they laid out this past January.

The good news for Democrats is that they should have an easier time pushing for an increase in the minimum wage and other long overdue worker safeguards.

We give thanks to the voters for holding Schwarzenegger accountable for his promises. Earlier this year, the Governor reneged on his campaign promise not to mess with Proposition 98. We worked with the Education Coalition to remind people the governor had gone back on his word on this and other education commitments. The centerpiece of the Schwarzenegger "reform" agenda, Proposition 76, would have obliterated voter-approved education funding guarantees.

No matter how much air freshener the folks at the Senator Hotel sprayed around the so-called "Live Within Our Means" act, the voters smelled a rat from the very beginning. They crushed Prop. 76 and saved our schools from future raids by this or any future governor. Education funding was reinforced as a top priority and the governor ignores this voter mandate at his own peril.

Speaking of voters, we also give thanks for the increased clout of the Latino electorate. Latino voter participation has been steadily increasing in California. Fifteen percent of Latino voters turned out to vote in the 2002 California election and eighteen percent turned out nationally for the 2004 cycle. Sadly, we have seen no exit polling for the 2005 special election, but given the attention, paid and otherwise, from both sides I expect Latino turnout continued to improve.

Right now, this bodes well for Democrats because Latinos see Schwarzenegger as (lessee…how shall I put this?)...well, a backstabbing liar. As long as Democrats don't make the mistake of taking the Latino vote for granted, the strength of this voter bloc should bode well for us in 2006 and beyond.

Roger Salazar is a principal with the Sacramento political consulting firm, AcostaSalazar LLC. He was a spokesman for former Vice President Al Gore, and served in former Gov. Gray Davis’ press office.

From the Golden State Blog...

2005-11-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

Michael Hiltzik of the LA Times has a blog. The following appeared on Friday:

The Chamber Drops the Ball

One of the dirty little secrets of the recent special election campaign is the disastrous role played by the California Chamber of Commerce. To its tradition of being utterly useless to the average Californian, this organization has now added the distinction of becoming a dead weight around the neck of its chief spear-carrier, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Anthony York touches briefly on some of this background in his incisive post-mortem today in Capitol Weekly. To flesh it out, the calamitous "Live Within Our Means Act," otherwise known as Proposition 76, was drafted jointly by Chamber President Alan Zaremberg and Bill Hauck, president of the California Business Roundtable. Hauck is a public-spirited man who has served ably on a number of state panels over the years, some of which have made some very sensible recommendations for real reforms. The same can’t be said of Zaremberg, whose organization has had nothing but a noxious influence on the state.

The Chamber’s input is plainly what gave Prop 76 its coloration as an instrument of special interests. This is par for the course. The Chamber has consistently defined the interests of its membership in the narrowest possible terms, boiling them down to little more than lower taxes and less regulation. In so doing, it has come to represent the interests of a narrow spectrum of California businesses—chiefly department stores and fast food restaurants. When it labels a universal health care mandate a "job killer," it’s speaking up for McDonald’s franchisees, not for the responsible corporations that already provide health care for their employers and are losing out to lose out to freeloading competitors, like Wal-Mart, that let Medi-Cal and public hospitals treat their workers—at the expense of the rest of us.

The Chamber loves to attack minimum-wage increases and social spending. It has never offered the people of this state any comprehensive policy proposals on education reform, budget and revenue reform, or medical insurance reform. It just kicks back and says No.

I asked Zaremberg during the Chamber’s 2004 campaign against SB2, the health insurance mandate law, when his organization would propose a health insurance policy of its own. He promised me one would be forthcoming as soon as SB2 was killed. It was killed in the November 2004 election. I’m still waiting for him to make good on his pledge.

One other point mentioned by York bears examination. He notes that the Schwarzenegger campaign was barred by law from running the initiative campaigns, which were left to the likes of Zaremberg and Joel Fox of the sham Small Business Action Committee (among its "small" backers are Philip Morris USA and Pacific Gas & Electric) to manage, or, more accurately, mismanage. But Schwarzenegger had to keep hands off only if he wanted to have free rein to raise as much money as he could. If he were willing to stick to the $23,000 per donor contribution limits established by state law, he could have been chairman of the initiative committee, too. His decision to go all-out for cash simply reflects how corporate-friendly an enterprise the special election was.

If there’s any justice, the results of the special election should mark an end to the Chamber of Commerce’s single-minded and narrow-minded influence in Sacramento. Nothing’s wrong with business being at the table when policy is made at the statehouse; the business community has a lot to offer us in skills, knowledge, and vigor. But it needs to take a broader view of its own interests and a longer view of what it takes to rebuild California. That won’t happen until the Chamber leadership is run out of town on a rail.

Wilson Acknowledges his Political Twin

2005-11-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

Capitol Weekly recently caught up with former Governor Pete Wilson to get his thoughts on Arnold and the Special Election. The interview in today’s paper once-again proves what we have known all along – Arnold is a carbon copy of Pete Wilson – and this time the comparison comes straight from Wilson’s mouth.

When asked about why the sense of bipartisanship has declined over Schwarzenegger’s term, Wilson responds, “Well I don't know if it is all that different from my own experience to be honest with you. There may have been a greater expectation in his case that he would be more accommodating. I never had that. I think it was based to some extent on the fact that Maria is part of the Kennedy clan but Arnold is doing many of the things that I did or sought to do.”

Wilson goes on to say, “We undertook many of the things the governor is doing now. He has put on one ballot many of the things that I put on several.”

Arnold and his team can try all they want to deny that they are replicating the Wilson era, but they seem to be the only ones who don’t get it.

More evidence to the Wilson-Schwarzenegger union came in yesterday’s Sacramento Bee. In his column, Peter Schrag makes the argument that Schwarzenegger’s Agenda is just Pete Wilson Redux far more eloquently than we ever could. Here are some excerpts:

Arnold's agenda: The specter of a governor past

By Peter Schrag – Sacramento Bee Columnist
Wednesday, November 2, 2005

“Has the ghost of ex-Gov. Pete Wilson invested the bulked-up body of Arnold Schwarzenegger? Looking at the governor's past year and at his agenda for Tuesday's special election, what other conclusion can you come to? …

“…Schwarzenegger, in a stunning example of the triumph of hubris over political smarts, took them all on at once -cops and firefighters, nurses, teachers. His stab at a pension reform initiative may well have been overdue, but in the failure to draft it carefully the pension proposal left open the possibility that it would jeopardize the death and disability benefits of all public safety employees and their families. It was subsequently withdrawn, but not before it laid the basis for the unified campaign that could well kill most of what's left of Schwarzenegger's agenda.

“Given the composition of Schwarzenegger's political staff and his nebula of consultants and advisers, many of whom were also members of Wilson's staff -George Gorton, Don Sipple, Marty Wilson, Bob White -not to mention his close association with Wilson himself, it's not surprising that so much of Schwarzenegger's campaign is composed of the wreckage of Wilson campaigns past…” (Sacramento Bee, November 2, 2005)

Click here for the complete column.

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Praise the Lord and Pass the Indignation

2005-11-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

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Pardon us if we’re unmoved by the cries from Team Arnold and the GOP. “Ohhhh, the ignominy of it all! Oh, how low will those Democrats go?”

Today’s Los Angeles Times reports that Team Schwarzenegger was upset at a news conference held by religious leaders opposed to the Governor’s anti-worker, anti-education agenda.

“...the governor's aides denounced a small protest by religious leaders that took place across the street from Schwarzenegger's church in Santa Monica. Spokesman Todd Harris said the protest, coming on All Saints Day, was ‘not only tacky but an insult to all Californians of faith.’

“…Saint Monica's was full of worshipers attending Mass as the news conference progressed. The church declined to comment in detail, but Ned Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, said the group was concerned that the protest was ‘religious grandstanding.’” (Los Angeles Times, November 2, 2005)

Well, pardon us, but we don’t seem to remember any of the Governor’s team taking umbrage when the L.A. Times, in an article appropriately entitled “Praise the Lord and Pass the Initiatives,” reported that the GOP had hired Gary Marx to:

“…rally Christian conservatives behind an abortion measure on the November special election ballot in hopes that, once drawn to the polls, they will back the rest of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's fall agenda… the Republican church program is partly an attempt to replicate the Bush campaign's success in mobilizing swing-state evangelicals behind the president last year through extensive face-to-face conversations with fellow parishioners… (Los Angeles Times, October 13, 2005)

In fact, according to the Sacramento Bee, the Governor’s allies are working with church ministers to insert election propaganda and talking points into Sunday Sermons that reference Proposition 73 and the Governor’s initiatives…

“The California Catholic Conference prepared a series of homilies for priests to mark October as "Respect Life" month and to use as a countdown to the Nov. 8 special election. The sermons make references to Proposition 73, an initiative that would require parental notification before doctors can perform abortions on girls under 18…The talking point homilies are among numerous get-out-the-vote efforts in support of or against the parental notification initiative.

For example, “...the Traditional Values Coalition is printing 100,000 slate mailers for evangelical churches, declaring: ‘We must not let Planned Parenthood and their baby-killing allies dominate at the polls.’

“And Benjamin Lopez, a coalition lobbyist, said the slate mailers will also urge Christian conservatives to vote ‘yes’ on the governor's special election agenda, comprising Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 77.” (Sacramento Bee, October 30, 2005)

A press conference across the street from a church pales in comparison to what the GOP is doing, so please, spare us the false indignation.

Isn’t Halloween over?

2005-11-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

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Meanwhile, over at the “Sisyphus” Express, we noticed that the Governor’s employees, Tom Campbell and Margaret Fortune, are doing events with “two nurses, a teacher and a sheriff.”

If Campbell dresses like a sailor and Fortune shows up in her construction worker gear, they could have a “Village People Reunion.”

After seeing today's Field Poll numbers, though, Campbell and Fortune might want to keep their masks on. Instead they just keep pushing that Proposition 76 rock up the hill.

Wonder what they did to deserve that punishment?

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Micro-who?

2005-11-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

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Out on the “Magical Mystery Tour” the Governor is making pit stops at local GOP HQ – to rally what few troops he has – and he is calling his friends on right-wing Talk Radio. (Wow! One week away from the election and you’re still working on your base?)

With yet another poll showing his initiatives going down and (surprise!) the Governor’s participation actually dragging them down, it’s no mystery what he’s gonna be saying to the true blue Republicans out there today – HELP!

The LA Times highlights the master plan, although it really hasn’t been much of a secret: Call a Special Election, blame all of the problems on unions, target the conservative base and hope that an earthquake hits and separates the Bay Area from the rest of California.

The Governor’s office calls it “micro-targeting.” Wonder which micro-brain thought up that one?

Anyways, the subhead of today’s Times story reads, “With Schwarzenegger's initiatives lagging in polls, he hopes the state's Democratic majority and opponents in the GOP stay home.”

“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered next week's special election to take his agenda to 'the people,' but his campaign strategy relies on relatively few people showing up next Tuesday and large segments of voters staying home.

"The governor's plan — 'micro-targeting' voters, advertising in selected markets to reach them and conducting daily polls to augur the political mood — is guided by a single premise: If every Democrat and every Republican in California votes next week, Schwarzenegger's measures are likely to lose.”

The Times continues, “…most of his campaigning has been highly partisan, aimed at the core of the Republican Party. Recent public opinion surveys have shown that Schwarzenegger is having trouble persuading a sizable segment of Republicans to stand by him.” (Los Angeles Times, November 1, 2005)

This is no secret... Times columnist George Skelton said a couple weeks ago that the Governor’s consultants were hoping people would stay home: "That's fine with us," says a Schwarzenegger strategist, asking not to be identified as a gubernatorial aide who hopes certain people won't vote." (Los Angeles Times, October 10, 2005)

Funny thing is, not only is Schwarzenegger is having trouble with the general public, he’s also having a tough time getting Republican members of the Legislature to stand with him.

Guess they don’t fit into the “micro” turnout universe…

Another Murphy Campaign, Another Bus Tour…

2005-10-30T12:56:00.000-08:00

After months of tightly scripted campaign events that have done nothing to move his flawed agenda forward, it looks like a “softer” Team Arnold is rolling out on another bus tour next weekend.

Let's see, Schwarzenegger has spent the last year campaigning on "Ree-Form" and with less than ten days before the election, we see that the only ones they've managed to convince are members of the Chamber of Commerce and local GOP activists?

Now, facing an onslaught of public polls showing his initiatives going down, a new "I'm sorry, sooo sorry” Arnold is rolling out a last gasp attempt to turn his sinking campaign ship around. The big question is - will this bus tour consist of the same freak show that we saw during the recall?

“They hope to do part of it with a bus tour featuring a giant cavalcade of six buses and at least 220 reporters from a dozen countries. Each bus will be named for one of Schwarzenegger's movies, with the candidate riding on Running Man, the campaign staff on Total Recall, and the press on buses nicknamed Predator 1 through 3 and True Lies.” (Associated Press, October 1, 2003)

Whatever the Governor’s office wants to call this latest Mike Murphy manufactured PR maneuver, just don’t let them call this the “Straight Talk Express”. We vote for the “Magical Mystery Tour,” because it’s seems to be a mystery what the Governor will say or do next. Probably depends on the latest poll…

Storm’s A Brewin’

2005-10-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

WARNING - That isn’t Hurricane Beta blowing down L Street. That bluster is coming from the Governor’s political machine in full spin mode. With a new poll out showing his entire agenda going down in flames, the Governor’s team summoned the keeper of the polls to hold court.

In addition to the smell of B.S. emanating from the “Tower of Truth”, you can also smell a hint of desperation in the air. Since Californians have once again panned an onscreen performance by the Governor, forcing his team to replace his “trust me” ads with a new “mea culpa” spots, Team Schwarzenegger is now begging TV stations around the state to allow this “new and improved” Arnold to participate in another “town hall” style forum – but PLEASE, just don’t call these things debates.

Just like every campaign stunt the Governor’s office has unveiled this year, this attempt to reverse the downward spiral of the Gov’s initiatives comes with a list of demands:

1) He can’t lower himself to share the stage with the opposition, because as one of his many advisors states: "there's no one that has as much at stake. No one has as much to lose politically as the governor." (Sac Bee, October 26, 2005). That’s interesting. Just last week this election “wasn’t about the Governor” it was about making “sure the public understand how critical these four measures are in reforming California.”

2) No union members in the crowd. Why? Is he afraid to face questions from working Californians who are on the front lines?

3) Handpicking the journalists who can participate. They’ve been bullying media outlets over which journalists can and cannot serve as moderators…and no direct questions, please. So much for that good ol’ freedom of the press.

It only took the Governor’s team six months to realize that those stale town halls filled with cardboard cutouts of “real” people weren’t working. But we’re sure they’ll try to spin this as just part of their “Master Strategy.”

Didn’t You Get the Memo, Duh?

2005-10-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

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In honor of President Bush’s visit to California, GOP Chairman Sundheim sent out a flowery release mentioning that “We are pleased that he (President Bush) is visiting our great state” and “his presence here will benefit all Republicans.”

Well, there is one Republican who won’t be benefiting - Governor Schwarzenegger.

It appears that the CA Republican Party forgot to give the GOP Chairman a copy of the “Bush Visit Talking Points” so we thought we would take the opportunity to send him the latest draft that we found in a fifth floor copy machine over at the Capitol:

MEMO

To: Chairman Sundheim
Fr: Karen Hanretty
Dt: October 20, 2005
Re: Bush Visit Updated Talking Points (Please pin these to your coat)

1) President Bush is not bringing any federal aid to California. Remember – NO mention of that “Collectinator” line!
2) We are not pleased about this visit, it is “ill-timed”.
3) Bush is welcome back after Thanksgiving – preferably when Arnold is in China.
4) President Bush is taking needed money from California. (Face it, Duff. Without Arnold raking in the dough for us, the entire party apparatus would be whittled down to just you and me.)
5) We need money to pay for our multitude of consultants – (Duff you saw the bill, Murphy’s tower ain’t cheap).
6) Arnold owns California (remember Bush lost CA big in 2004).
7) We only like good Republicans preferably Mike Murphy clients (McCain Good – Bush Bad).
8) Arnold can’t be distracted by President and his big plane – Duff please stay focused on “reform”.
9) Arnold can’t meet with Bush – Duff please throw out that “the Governor had a long standing commitment” line. That seems to work.
10) Next time the press calls, just let Rob or I handle it.
###

CA GOP PARTY TO BUSH – NEXT TIME PLEASE CALL AHEAD…

2005-10-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

You know times are tough for President Bush when both Governor Schwarzenegger and his own Republican Party don't want anything to do with him.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that President Bush will be in California this week for a ribbon-cutting event and a fundraiser.

Q: Where will Governor Schwarzenegger be?
A: As far away as possible.

At a time when the Bush Administration is mired in Karl Rove-induced CIA controversy and the Iraq quagmire, other Republicans are standing tall with their President, but not Governor Schwarzenegger. He’s ducking for cover.

According to the Chron - A White House emissary, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governor is getting bad counsel from his advisers. It will appear, "at a time when the president needs the support of a Republican governor (that Schwarzenegger) is turning his back" on Bush, the GOP leader said. (San Francisco Chronicle, October 15, 2005)

Not to be outdone, the California Republican Party spokeswoman went so far as to suggest that the President should be doing more for the state.

"I don't expect Gov. Schwarzenegger to be hanging out with George Bush in California. We're facing some very serious issues in the state -- and unless the president of the United States is coming to town to hand over federal money to the governor to help us solve our problems, I don't see why the governor would allow himself to be distracted with the president's fundraising trip," she said.

Wasn't this the Governor who was going to be the "Collectinator" for federal aid for California? Now with the President's poll numbers in the toilet, the Governor can't be "distracted" by another Presidential visit. When the President visited the Central Valley back in 2003 things sounded great:

State Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno, one of the sponsors of the Wednesday fund-raiser in Fresno, said the Bush stop also capitalizes on the momentum generated by Schwarzenegger's victory in last week's recall election. "There's mutual advantages to that relationship that benefits the new governor, and benefits the president," he said. "There's so much enthusiasm as a result it has the feeling of a trend. That's positive." (San Francisco Chronicle, October 16, 2003)

We sure don’t feel that “positive” energy from the CA GOP today…

Can’t Make Correct Change

2005-10-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

As the recall election drew to a close, then candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger made considerable hay of the fact that he wanted to change how business was done in Sacramento. As time went on, it was clear that he was intent on changing some aspects of how things are done.

“Holding his broom aloft, Schwarzenegger proclaimed: "The people of this state do not trust this government. They feel it is corrupted by dirty money, closed doors and back-room deals ... Now, however … Schwarzenegger's administration is calling for major budgetary cuts … [to] the only institutional watchdog outside of the press, the Fair Political Practices Commission.” (Bill Bradley in the Sacramento Bee, 6/6/04)

Those changes (some may call them “major cuts in regulatory agencies”) are starting to play themselves out.

“California's political watchdog agency has closed 225 cases since May without finishing the investigations, a victim of a nagging backlog and budget crunch …”

“The agency's budget was $6.6 million in 2000-01 and reduced to $6.1 million in 2004-05. The governor had proposed a $1-million cut for this fiscal year that began July 1 …” (Los Angeles Times, 10/18/05)

Are Schwarzenegger’s “changes” – allowing more scofflaws to go free – the kind that the people of the state of California signed up for?

Schwarzenegger Hires a Right-Wing Spotter

2005-10-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hey, guess what? The Schwarzenegger camp has a problem with the right-wing conservatives. So what do they do? Hire a guy whose claim to fame was lobbying for an ultra-right wing organization and convincing conservatives that George Bush wasn’t too much of a centrist!

According to the L.A. Times, the CA Republican Party has hired religious right political consultant Gary Marx to head the charge on the Schwarzenegger-backed Prop 73.

Marx most recently worked to build evangelical support for President Bush as “a top liaison to social conservatives in [Bush’s] reelection campaign” (L.A. Times, October 13, 2005).

Now the Governor has hired Marx to build a similar support network for Prop. 73, hoping against hope that the anti-choice initiative will draw high numbers of conservative voters who will stick around at the polls long enough to support the rest of Schwarzenegger’s failed agenda.

After taking a look at Marx’s résumé, we’re not sure he will ever venture too far out of Orange County. For example, Marx was a lobbyist for the Virginia Family Foundation, a conservative group that fought stem cell research, supports school vouchers, and helped pass a law banning domestic partnerships. (http://www.familyfoundation.org/)

Perhaps the L.A. Times says it best: “The moves to align Schwarzenegger with religious conservatives are inherently awkward; he vaulted into the governor's office partly on the strength of his reputation as a social moderate who supports abortion rights.”

That was a long time ago. Now, as his campaign efforts become more desperate, Team Schwarzenegger continues to sail farther and farther to the right, blown off course by the hot air coming from Pete Wilson and his former staffers.

All this does is serve to remind California voters that Governor Schwarzenegger is just like so many of his recent movies: lots of hype and glamour, but you just don’t get what you paid for.

Sweeping it Under the Rug

2005-10-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Just a little over two years ago candidate Schwarzenegger held a press conference to unveil a “sweeping proposal for open government and political reform.” His proposals included a blackout period for fundraising, instant campaign disclosure and tougher penalties for certain campaign disclosure violations.

Looking at his time in office however, it appears that Governor Schwarzenegger misplaced that broom that was going to clean up Sacramento. But this week, the anemic Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) found it and used it to wrap him on the knuckles for violating the Political Reform Act – although it took them two years to get there.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that, “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has agreed to pay nearly $15,000 in fines for violations of campaign reporting requirements during the 2003 recall election.” (S.F. Chronicle, October 12, 2005)

How did the Governor’s political advisor respond to this latest embarrassment? The Chronicle quoted the Governor’s spokesman as saying, “compared to others in the recall campaign, we were like choir boys.” Huh?

What happened to that “get tough” language from Recall Candidate Schwarzenegger? This is what he said when he proposed his tougher penalties for certain campaign disclosure violations - “if someone violates campaign finance laws and corrupts our democracy with dirty money, it’s only a misdemeanor and the wrongdoer only pays a fine. Let’s get serious.” (Schwarzenegger press release, September 18, 2003)

So, when’s the Governor going to get serious? Remember just last week it was reported that the FPPC is dropping hundreds of investigations of potential campaign violations because of staffing shortages and budget deficiencies.

The Sacramento Bee reported on the woes of the FPPC:

“We're kind of saying 'uncle,' Chairwoman Liane Randolph told the audience at the FPPC's monthly meeting. We can't handle our caseload, and we have to close cases as a result of that.” (Sacramento Bee, October 13, 2005)

We’re guessing, like so many of the Governor’s empty promises, his campaign finance proposals and his tough campaign talk just got swept under the rug.

The Political Chameleon: Schwarzenegger Sees Poll Numbers and Flip-Flops

2005-10-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

After weeks of disparaging remarks directed toward the Legislature, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger engaged in election eve political opportunism today when he signed legislation banning dietary supplements and regulating video games.

In doing so, he has proved himself to be a political chameleon, changing his stripes on two key pieces of legislation with his special election just around the corner. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Governor has done an about-face on these two bills and would become just another opportunistic politician in light of the sagging poll numbers for his initiatives.

Despite today’s signings, ethical concerns continued to surround his involvement in these bills.

Robert Fellmeth, a law professor and founder of the University of San Diego’s Center for Public Interest Law, said “If I’m in his shoes, I would ask the attorney for an opinion as to whether or not he should turn this over to the lieutenant governor.” (Sacramento Bee, 8/9/05).

The Governor also has two FPPC complaints pending against him regarding his vetoes of nearly identical legislation last year to ban dietary supplements, “including one by the family of a 24-year-old man who committed suicide after using steroids.” (Sacramento Bee, 7/20/05).

The Governor also has yet to return the nearly $8 million from a deal with American Media Inc., publisher of “Flex” and “Muscle & Fitness” magazines.

The complaints are pending before the Fair Political Practices Commission, the state’s campaign finance watchdog agency.

Arizona Recovery Team

2005-10-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

___
Today, Team Arnold announced they were bringing in the U.S. Senator from Arizona, John McCain, to campaign for Arnold’s so-called “reform” agenda. It’s ironic that McCain would offer to “pump up” Arnold’s campaign considering he is a well-known activist against the kind of “obscene” and “vulgar” fundraising practiced by Team Schwarzenegger*.

In a COMPLETELY UNRELATED development, (yeah right) today the Phoenix Business Journal reports Schwarzenegger will be traveling to that city to raise money for his campaign and pump up the campaign for the other U.S. Senator from Arizona, John Kyl.

Schwarzenegger will once again flee the state and neglect his official duties as he attends a $10,000 per couple fundraiser Oct. 12 in Phoenix at the home of Robson Communities chief executive Edward Robson.

Maybe the folks over at the Senator Hotel should change the name of their operation to the Arizona Recovery Team.

*(For the newest example of Arnold’s shady campaign financing, keep an eye out on tomorrow's LA Times and see “Redistricting Committee Returns $1.7 Million”, Associated Press, 10/6/05 and Capitol Weekly 10/6/05)

###

Pants On Fire...

2005-10-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

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Today's Los Angeles Times column by Steve Lopez pulls back the curtain on another of Team Arnold's fake photo ops, this time from Arnie's visit with firefighters in Thousand Oaks last week.

Lopez says, "The whole thing also raises a question that goes beyond politics and straight to the heart of voters' concerns about Schwarzenegger. Does he ever get out of makeup, or is everything show business?":

"So how did Schwarzenegger find 20 firefighters eager to pose with him?

"He didn't, says Pat McOsker, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles, who went to the command center to check on the condition of colleagues who had been on the job for three days with little sleep. He says the men and women flanking the governor were acting under duress...

"McOsker said he began telling reporters at the news conference that the firefighters were ordered to stand up there with Schwarzenegger, and one scribe asked the governor about it.

"Rather than dispute the contention, Schwarzenegger said everybody is ordered to do things at one point or another. Someone was ordered to put up the podium, he said. Someone was ordered to bring in the microphone...

"'We were all in agreement amongst ourselves: Nobody wanted to do it,' said Capt. Wayne Ferber of the Ventura County Fire Department. 'We were directed by one of our chief officers that this was something we were to do. If you were watching
on the TV screen, I was to the right side of the governor, but I was sort of ducking so nobody would see me. I was doing my best to stay out of the picture.'" (Los Angeles Times, October 5, 2005)

So it seems that somebody on the governor's staff pulled firefighters away from their jobs, against their will, in order to pose as a backdrop for the Guvenator.

Hmmm, the governor wasting important resources for something that Californians don't want, against their will? Sounds familiar...

# # #

Team Arnold Touts Polling Company Banned from News Agencies

2005-10-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

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As fewer and fewer voters support Arnold Schwarzenegger’s special election, his political consultant Mike Murphy sent out a supportive poll from SurveyUSA.

The trouble is, SurveyUSA uses what highly respected University of Michigan survey expert Michael Traugott calls a computerized audience response poll – or as Roll Call called it “C.R.A.P.” (Roll Call, 8/1/02)

In San Francisco’s Mayor’s race in 2003, “the reliability of … [SurveyUSA’s] … poll of voter preferences in the San Francisco mayor and district attorney races … [was] questioned because respondents were queried by a computer rather than a person.” (San Francisco Chronicle, 11/18/03)

Also, the sample used for this current poll is not representative of current voter registration and trends – instead it has a virtual 50/50 Democrat/Republican split. The likely turnout for the special election would hardly resemble a similar split considering California currently has 43 percent Democratic registration and 35 percent Republican registration. (Secretary of State’s Office, 9/9/05)

Moreover, the SurveyUSA poll results indicate a turnout of 21 percent of 18 – 34 year old voters. That is about two times what the actual results would be for a special election.

It is important to note that the Associated Press, Roll Call and other reputable news outlets WILL NOT USE SurveyUSA poll results.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee executive director Jim Jordan summed it up best when he said “[SurveyUSA] offer[s] the ring of authenticity while in reality being cheap, uninformed, unreliable and meaningless.” (Roll Call, 8/1/02)

# # #

Gov's Vetoes Highlight Poor Planning, Spending Priorities for State's Fire Safety

2005-09-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

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With more than 3000 firefighters from around the state putting their lives on the line to battle the Topanga Fire, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger failed to sign several bills, recommended by his own blue-ribbon commission, to help these brave men and women do their jobs.

Last year, “State and local firefighters and chiefs who gathered [October 19, 2004] to discuss [2003’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 four bills in 2004 “intended to implement some of the panel's key recommendations.” (Los Angeles Times, October 20, 2004)

The bills the Governor should have signed were:

• SB 1611 (Denise Ducheny, D-San Diego) - Requires the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CDF) to maintain a four-person fire engine crew statewide during fire season and year-round in Southern California.

• SB 902 (John Burton, D-San Francisco and Nell Soto, D-Pomona) – Transfers federal funds to assist the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) in phasing-in the purchase of 150 additional fire engines. These additional engines will be added to the current OES fire engine fleet and will be assigned throughout California for use by CDF and local fire agencies to beef up their response not only to wildland fires, but also to potential acts of terrorism and other natural and human-caused emergencies.

• AB 1588 (Gloria Negrete-McLeod, D-Montclair and Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego) - Gives CDF the statutory authority it needs to buy and maintain additional firefighting aircraft or equipment, including firefighting helicopters using federal funds. Through cooperative agreements, acquired aircraft or equipment will be staged for use by local governments in urban areas with high fire risk.

• AB 2406 (Rudy Bermudez, D-Norwalk) – Expands the scope of information already required to be reported to the State Fire Marshal to by California fire agencies to include local response time and staffing statistics. The information, collected by the State Fire Marshal, would enable the state to annually compare how each fire department measures up to other fire departments and to national response time and staffing standards as well.

And this year, the Governor has vetoed:

• AB 3087 (Assembly Government Organization Committee) – This measure would require the Office of Emergency Services, California Highway Patrol, the Governor's Office of Home Security, and the California Department of Forestry to conduct a study to determine the effectiveness of the State Emergency Plan and the mutual aid system.

And, according to the Legislative Analysts Office, in the past 4 years, the state of California has received over $800 million in federal Homeland Security grant funds to spend on things like adding to and upgrading fleets of fire trucks and other vital public safety concerns.

However, because the Governor continues to veto legislation like SB 902 (Burton), less than a third of the money has been spent.

Click here to see the full report.

Rock Bottom - Part II

2005-09-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

______________________

After months of bashing the people’s elected representatives and defending their Governor’s weak polling with “well at least our approval rating is better than that of the Legislature,” Team Arnold no longer has that line to fall back on.

In addition to illustrating the lack of support for the special election and the voter’s intense dissatisfaction with the Schwarzenegger agenda, the new PPIC poll shows the Governor’s disapproval rating is five points higher (58 percent – 53 percent) than that of the Legislature for the first time ever.

The irony of all of Schwarzenegger’s legislature-bashing is that the biggest press bumps the Governor is getting these days comes from signing Democratic-sponsored legislation, including Speaker Nunez’s energy bill and Sen. Jack Scott’s vocational education bill.

So, Team Arnold has tried beating up on teachers, nurses, firefighters, cops and the legislature and none of it has worked to improve his standing with the voters. Who will he go after next?

Governor's 'Coalitions of the Willing' are Artificial, Contrived

2005-09-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

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By Roger Salazar
(published in the Capitol Weekly - September 29th, 2005)

The Bush Administration used the term "Coalition of the Willing" to describe multinational forces backing U.S. efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Bush description of the "Coalition" as evidence of widespread international consensus for the war in Iraq was criticized during the 2004 election because only 2 of the 49 countries identified in the "Coalition" contributed significant numbers of troops. (And no, I didn’t forget Poland.) Critics described the term "Coalition of the Willing" as nothing more than propaganda designed to mask the lack of worldwide support for U.S. policy. Gov. Schwarzenegger has adopted this same strategy in California – manufacturing artificial coalitions to create an illusion of support where none exists.

The first example followed the governor’s announcement in January that he planned to renege on his promise to fully fund education and shortchange schools by $2 billion. Not surprisingly, by March his support in the education community had evaporated and his poll numbers on education had plummeted.

The loss of support from the education community prompted Team Schwarzenegger to create Schwarzenegger’s Coalition for Education Reform, a phony group run out of one of his campaign consulting firms. While we know the governor has it out for teachers’ unions, his so-called "coalition" did not even include any of the management groups, like the school boards or administrators.

In fact, aside from members of his administration, this "coalition" merely included Republican party activists and beneficiaries of Schwarzenegger’s vocational education largesse.

The latest such "coalition" emerged last week with Schwarzenegger’s launch of the "Statewide Latino Coalition." This so-called coalition was conveniently conceived only after a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California revealed that the governor’s job-approval numbers had dropped to 17 percent–a record low among California Latino voters.

The "coalition" is chaired by Sen. Abel Maldonado (who needs Schwarzenegger’s fundraising support for his own run for state controller), and Rosario Marin, who is currently being paid more than $117,000 as a Schwarzenegger appointee on the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

There is no evidence that either of these so-called "coalitions" has any real grassroots support, a fact lending even further credence to the growing notion that Schwarzenegger’s official and political efforts lack substance and must rely on sleight of hand.

Californians are growing weary of his show. Actor Warren Beatty recently summed it up in a speech, saying, "Government’s not show business. Governing by show, by spin, by cosmetics and photo ops, fake events, fake issues and fake crowds and backdrops is a mistake."

Liberal Hollywood actors are not alone in this opinion. Even in the conservative central valley, the theatrics are wearing thin. Jim Boren, editorial page editor of the Fresno Bee, wrote: "Many, including Republican supporters, have been criticizing the governor’s ‘town hall’ meetings, which are actually tightly scripted meetings with people who will tell Schwarzenegger what he wants to hear. These events have become tiresome and counterproductive at a time when the governor should be confronting his critics with facts, not gimmicks."

When Schwarzenegger became governor, the voters knew that as a Hollywood megastar he wasn’t ever really going to be one of them. But they presumed, at least he would listen to what they had to say. After a year of phony events and phony coalitions, they now realize the unfortunate error in this presumption. Gov. Schwarzenegger may have the ability to manufacture his own "willing" coalitions, but he’s going to have a tough time manufacturing
"willing" voters.

Roger Salazar is a principal with the Sacramento political consulting firm, AcostaSalazar LLC. He was a spokesman for former Vice President Al Gore, and served in former Gov. Gray Davis’ press office.

Rock Bottom? Almost There...

2005-09-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought Arnold had hit rock bottom, today's Roundup referenced a new survey showing Schwarzenegger still has a couple more feet to fall:

It is said that elections are more than just popularity contests, and good thing, too. Otherwise, California would be near the bottom of a list of states when it comes to gubernatorial love. A new survey shows only two other governors are less popular than Gov. Schwarzenegger. Only Bob Taft of Ohio and Frank Murkowski of Alaska have lower approval ratings in their home states.

See what happens when you beat up on students, teachers, nurses, firefighters, cops, janitors, construction workers, hotel workers, restaurant employees, farmworkers, truck drivers, electricians, and factory workers? The only people you have left supporting you are wealthy CEO's.

Young Americans for Freedom In Love…Just Not With McCarthy

2005-09-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

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Once again, California Republicans are displaying their own unique brand of intra-party unity.

Instead of circling the wagons, young GOP vultures, in the form of the rightist California Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), are circling the Capitol calling for the ouster of Assembly Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in the wake of the Republicans lopsided loss in the 53^rd Assembly District.

The California political blog, “Hack N Flak,” reported the YAFers had launched a new website, www.calyaf.org, which posted as its top item:

Kern YAF Calls for McCarthy's "Scalp"

Following the debacle in AD53 and an atrocious budget, Kern County YAF called for Kevin McCarthy’s resignation as Assembly Minority Leader at the CRP’s Fall Convention in Anaheim.

I guess they weren’t buying McCarthy’s argument that he really “wasn’t playing” in the 53^rd AD.

The link leads to a pdf entitled “Great Hair, Thinning Leadership” which lists among McCarthy’s “leadership lineage”:

“Blows millions of dollars on Assembly candidates with more bankruptcies, lawsuits and name changes than McCarthy has hairstyling gel.”

Ouch. With friends like these…

How Do You Say 'Façade' In Spanish?

2005-09-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

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After getting drubbed like a rented burro in the press, the polls and by members of his own party for his complete and utter disregard for California’s Latino community, Gov. Schwarzenegger and his compadres today unveiled a laughable attempt to salvage what little support they have left.

I’m not sure rolling out the only two Latinos of stature (and I use that term loosely) in the Republican Party, throwing up a few Spanish pages on your website and calling that a “Latino Coalition” is going to do the trick, but I guess ya gotta start somewhere.

Unfortunately, Team Arnold’s problem isn’t that “Candidate” Schwarzenegger has been slighting Latinos, it’s that “Governor” Schwarzenegger has been slighting Latinos.

We already know that his awful record on key Latino appointments has been an issue. La Opinion, the nation’s largest Spanish-language newspaper, said in a recent editorial:

“From the beginning up to today, the Governor’s Administration seems to read like a script from an upcoming film, "A Day Without Latinos." The absence of Hispanics in his cabinet and other important posts reflects an absolute disinterestedness in nourishing his government with the experience and the point of view of a community that represents a third of the state population.” (La Opinion, September 19, 2005, translation mine)

But even as he unveils another fake coalition today, the Governor continues to demonstrate how out of touch he is with Latinos and the rest of Californians.

For example, today it was reported the Governor is sticking to his position in favor of the border vigilantes, the Minutemen:

“‘It's no different than if you have a neighborhood watch person there that's watching your children at the playground. I don't see it any different,’ he said. ‘Or, if I have my personal guards at the house, because I feel like the police (are) not going to be able to take care of the job because they are overwhelmed.” (San Francisco Chronicle, September 22, 2005)

Set aside the fact that the rest of us don’t have the experience of “personal guards” at our house as a reference point, a recent Field Poll (9/8/05) showed that 56 percent of Californians and 84 percent of California Latinos reject the idea of private citizen patrols on the border.

Unless Senator Maldonado and former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin (sounds better than failed senatorial candidate and Integrated Waste Management Board member Rosario Marin doesn’t it?) can get him to move on issues that really matter to Latinos, no amount of campaign hype is going to move California’s Latino voters toward the Governor.

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Some People Will Vote No on Anything

2005-09-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

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“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approved a package of legislation Wednesday intended to crack down on slave rings that force people — often poor and illegal immigrants — to perform menial and sometimes debasing work in sweatshops, construction and prostitution.“‘The practice of trafficking in human beings — modern-day slavery — is a horrific crime that our society cannot abide,’ Schwarzenegger said.” (Los Angeles Times, September 23, 2005)

Ten Assembly and Senate Republicans apparently disagree with that statement and voted against the anti-human trafficking legislation (AB 22, Lieber et al).

I guess they don’t find “modern-day slavery,” as the Governor described it, as horrific as he does.

“With no Democratic opposition, it passed by wide margins in the Legislature, where 10 of the 47 Republicans voted against it. A spokesman for the Senate GOP caucus said Wednesday that he did not know why the lawmakers objected.” (Los Angeles Times, September 23, 2005)

Maybe somebody should ask them.

Assemblymembers:
Ray Haynes (R-Murrietta)
Audra Strickland (R-Moorpark)
Dennis Mountjoy (R-Monrovia)

Senators:
Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley)
Dick Ackerman (R-Irvine)
Jim Battin (R-La Quinta)
John Campbell (R-Irvine)
Bob Dutton (R- Rancho Cucamonga)
Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta)
Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks)

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TIEMPO Is Not on Arnold’s Side

2005-09-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

___

In an article entitled "Arnold Will Be Back, But Will Hispanics?" today’s TIME magazine encapsulates the troubles Team Arnold is having with California's Latino community. (TIME, September 18, 2005) (See below)

The article describes the Governor’s plummeting poll numbers (17 percent approval rating) among Latino voters and actions that have alienated Hispanics, including the barring of a La Opinion reporter from a Schwarzenegger event last week.

The piece also mentions Arnold’s voicing of support for the Minutemen, a Pander strike orchestrated by senior Schwarzenegger Administration officials and campaign consultants in an effort to shore up the Guv’s right-wing base.

They may have overestimated the appeal of the vigilantes, though. Yesterday’s Los Angeles Times reports that “organizers called off their Minuteman-style patrol of the California-Mexico border this weekend after a minor scuffle with counter-demonstrators and a far lower turnout than expected.” (Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2005)

Latinos haven’t felt this much animosity towards their Governor since the Wilson/Prop 187 days.

Maybe Team Arnold can dust off the old Wilson “revolving door” ads and complete the circle.

_______________________

excerpt from TIME Magazine

...in what many perceived as a symbolic snubbing, a reporter from La Opinion, California's largest Spanish-language newspaper, was barred last week from a Schwarzenegger event to which two English-language journalists were admitted.

Perhaps most damaging, however, was the open letter some California Republicans issued last week denouncing the Governor's dismal record on placing Latinos in key posts and calling the state G.O.P. "morally wrong and politically stupid" for its shoddy treatment of Latino candidates.

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Money, Money, Money

2005-09-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

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Last night on Univision Channel 19, Senator Abel Maldonado (R-15) defended the Governor and his flailing campaign saying that "the opposition has spent millions of dollars bad mouthing this governor and up to this point he has not responded -- but at the end of the month, on the 1st of October, this governor will respond and he will talk about all the things he has done." (KUVS 19 -Univision, 9/15/05, translation mine)

First of all, the whole "we haven't responded" gambit conveniently forgets the fact that Team Arnold spent millions on television throughout the summer. Nonetheless, given the Special Election is 6 weeks away, why would Team Arnold wait two more weeks, until October 1, to get on the air?
Oh that's right, they don't have any money!

The Los Angeles Times, in a piece entitled "Timing of Gov.'s Bid a Sign of Deep Woes," takes a look at the finances (or lack thereof) of the campaign:

"But like other major problems that Schwarzenegger faces, his poor financial shape is at least partly a self-inflicted injury. His campaign committees reported spending nearly $26 million in the first six months of the year, leaving his political accounts all but depleted by the end of June. The $1.2 million in cash left was entirely offset, and then some, by $3.8 million in debts. (Los Angeles Times, 9/16/05)

And now, according to the Sacramento Bee's Gary Delsohn, it's gotten so bad the governor is being forced to donate his own personal funds under the guise that it reflects "his personal commitment" to the initiatives.

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's received a rash of criticism for trying to raise the $50 million he says he needs for his special election campaign, will soon contribute several million dollars of his own money to the cause. Schwarzenegger, who has told his aides that the personal contribution is a gesture to potential big donors that he's fully committed to his ballot initiatives, needs the cash so he can start a television ad blitz in the next week or two." (Sacramento Bee, 9/16/05)

The governor putting up his own money is a testament to just how bad things are for Team Arnold - nobody wants to pay the bills besides the governor and consultants who look at the initiatives as their lifeline.

Talk about "Living Within Our Means"...Looks like Team Arnold can manage money just about as well as they can manage their campaign.

###

On the Brownside, Looking In

2005-09-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

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Just in time for the kickoff of Latino Heritage month the Governor announced… drum roll please … absolutely nothing of substance for Latinos.

You see, Arnold’s a “follow-through” kind of guy. He’s been staying the course of not appointing any qualified Latinos to judgeships, his cabinet or his senior advisors.

It must have been difficult for Arnold to ignore all those capable Latinos while continuing to ask for their support, but somehow he found a way. And now we get to see the results of his steadfastness.

Today, the Los Angeles Times reports that “as he prepares to launch his reelection bid, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is facing attack from a group of fellow Republicans who condemn his record on Latino appointments and assail the state GOP as ‘morally wrong and politically stupid’ in its treatment of Latino candidates.” (“Latinos Souring on Gov. and His Party,” 9/15/05 )

In an unusual open letter drafted for release today, the Latino Republican activists offer a litany of political grievances and assert that “the California Republican Party and its key leaders are systematically excluding Latinos from any kind of meaningful role in the state party or state government.”

The letter noted that Schwarzenegger has no Latinos in his cabinet or in senior positions. It said that the governor and prominent state GOP leaders have endorsed non-Latino candidates over “qualified, credible and competitive” Latinos in statewide races in recent years, contrasting that approach with President Bush’s aggressive courtship of Latino voters. It also said that just one of Schwarzenegger’s first 56 judicial appointments was Latino - a claim that could not be independently verified because there is no precise record. [A Sacramento Bee story dated June 9, 2005, found only one Latino judge appointed by the Governor. A review of the Governor’s press releases since then found no new Latino judges]

“The California Republican Party’s exclusion of Latinos is morally wrong and politically stupid,” the letter states and urges “dramatic action to change course before it’s too late for our party and our state.”

Mark Baldassare, research director at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute, sums it up best by saying the Governor and Latino voters are “worlds apart” when it comes to fiscal issues and the size and responsibilities of state government.

When you don’t have any Latinos in your “world,” what do you expect?

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Gov’s Political Agenda Rejected in 53rd A.D.

2005-09-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

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The first bellwether for the November special election presented a gloomy outlook for Team Arnold and the Republican Party.

In the swing 53rd Assembly District, which the late Mike Gordon won by only 8 percent in 2004, Democrat Ted Lieu won an astounding 40 point victory yesterday. This is an ominous sign for the Schwarzenegger’s partisan agenda.

Lieu faced several Republican opponents, including one wealthy candidate handpicked by Republican leadership, but he ran a campaign on the issues that matter to the voters - putting partisanship aside and working to protect the environment, fighting to expand health care programs and working for cheaper prescription drugs.

During the Recall Election of 2003, 54 percent of the voters in the 53rd Assembly District supported Arnold Schwarzenegger as he promised to govern from the center and end partisan bickering. A majority of Californians agreed and Arnold was swept into office.

When the Governor was riding high in the polls, Democrat Mike Gordon defeated Republican Greg Hill by 8 percentage points in a district with 6 percent difference in Democrat/Republican registration.

That is why Ted Lieu’s astounding 40 point victory in a district with only 40 percent Democratic registration is an important harbinger of things to come. It is a blistering rejection in a swing district of the Governor's partisan style of ‘governing” and the GOP’s anti-worker, anti-education agenda.

The voters sent a clear message they are unhappy with the Governor's inability to get things done and the partisan culture he has adopted.

They are hungry for leadership on bread and butter issues that matter to them, not the empty rhetoric they’ve heard from the Governor, his surrogates and, as seen in AD 53, the GOP candidates.

###

Gubernador Shuts Door on Latino Reporter

2005-09-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

In their continued quest to show Californians that Gov. Schwarzenegger truly (really, honestly, no seriously) is a man of the people, his culturally sensitive campaign team decided not only to carefully select the props…err, I mean audience…for his latest “Town Hall” charade, they also kept out the reporter from California’s largest Spanish-language daily newspaper:

"In front of the K&N Engineering, an air filter company in Riverside where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a community meeting with approximately 50 people, there was a series of protests by opponents and another 50 individuals dismayed for being refused entry.

"Members of the Governor’s security team also closed the door to La Opinión, despite the reporter having presented the appropriate city and county press credentials as well as personal identification.

"While the incident took place, two English language media reporters were given access to the event..." (La Opinion, 9/13/05, translation mine)

La Opinion reaches 484,695 everyday and is the second most read newspaper in Los Angeles after the LA Times.

You would think the Team Arnold campaign machine would be pulling out all the stops to attract Latino support for his agenda considering the latest PPIC survey shows more than 73 percent of Latinos disapprove of the Governor’s performance.

But this kind of treatment is nothing new coming from the Governor and his allies on the conservative right:

“The California Republican Assembly that meets monthly in Riverside has not allowed this reporter access to previous meetings either.” (La Opinion, 9/13/05)

It looks like Schwarzenegger’s adviser/press secretary/acting communications director is going to have the Gubernador trot out the old standard “I love Mexico” line to make up for this comportamiento vergonzoso.

Moving on Up…Down…Out?

2005-09-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

______________________________
First, it was reported that Gov. Schwarzenegger’s official communications director Rob Stutzman and chief of staff Pat Clarey are leaving Arnold’s administration to go work on Arnold’s campaign.

Today comes word from the AP that the Guv’s Finance Director Tom Campbell is also jumping onto the campaign bandwagon.

If there were any lingering doubts as to whether the Governor’s office and the Governor’s campaign were one and the same, this should just about dispel it.

Who’s next? Will Legal Secretary Peter Siggins come on board as campaign counsel? Why not? He already has the experience with his inside-the-horseshoe work on Prop. 77. How about education adviser Margaret Fortune? She’s been out with Campbell on the campaign circuit on the taxpayer dime over the past month too.

The most comical aspect of this isn’t the fact that no one seems to be minding the store, it’s the fact that all these Administration officials are needed to shore up a campaign operation already loaded with some of the most expensive consultants money can buy.

Ahh, the life of a Schwarzenegger adviser…Mssrs. Murphy, Harris, Randall, Wilson, Hutton, Sipple, Gorton, and Claussen can take it easy and rake it in while the Horseshoe Home Office rides in to do the heavy lifting.

Here’s the deal… Arnold’s campaign doesn’t need to staff-up, it needs to shut-down and go home.

Californians aren’t interested in his so-called “reform” and no googol of high-priced staff is going to change their minds.

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'Governor' Garcia Takes a Trip to San Diego

2005-08-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

According to the Associated Press, President Bush and Governor Schwarzenegger are just too busy to meet during the President’s two day California swing in Rancho Cucamonga and San Diego.

Looks like those pesky fundraisers can get in the way of the Governor's official duties.

After seeing that the President discussed immigration and border relations at a press conference in Rancho Cucamonga, I can see why the President didn't want "Mr. Minuteman" at his side.

But have no fear. The state of California seems to be well represented today in San Diego by Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia (R-Cathedral City).

I’m sure "Governor" Garcia lobbied the President for those precious federal dollars and I hope she didn’t miss too many votes today.

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Who would oppose a bill to "Protect California's Seniors from Financial Abuse?"

2005-08-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

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Today, Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Democratic-sponsored Financial Elder Abuse Reporting Act of 2005 to help protect California's elderly and dependent adults from financial abuse.

According to the Governor's press release - "This legislation will both help protect our elderly citizens by keeping them out of the grasp of unscrupulous people, while also protecting our financial institutions from frivolous lawsuits."

According to the Attorney General’s Office, more than 225,000 elderly Californians are the subject of financial abuse. Seems like a good enough reason to enact legislation, right?

So...who in their right mind would oppose this new law sponsored by the California State Sheriffs' Association and supported by a host of groups including the American Association of Retired Persons California, the California District Attorneys Association and the CA Police Chiefs Association?

That would be the man who would like to be the next Republican Attorney General of California: "Tough on crime" Senator Chuck Poochigian.

Pooch, along with almost the entire Senate Republican Caucus and eighteen members of the Assembly Republican Caucus, bucked their Governor and said "NO" to protecting seniors from financial abuse.

We now know where the GOP priorities are…sticking to party lines, even if it means putting the elderly citizens of California on the sidelines.

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Lights Out on Leadership

2005-08-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

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According to the latest PPIC survey, Californians have been brutally critical about Governor Schwarzenegger’s lack of leadership. 54 percent disapprove of the job Schwarzenegger is doing as governor. (www.ppic.org)

Today's Associated Press reports that ROLLING BLACKOUTS have been imposed across Southern California won’t give Californians much reason to feel any different about their governor.

"High temperatures and the loss of a key transmission line Thursday forced power officials in Southern California to impose rolling blackouts, leaving as many as half a million people without power for an hour at a time, officials said." (Associated Press, August 25, 2005)

It’s no secret that Schwarzenegger’s energy policy has consisted of nothing more than cheap photo ops. The Governor’s energy policy seems to consist of nothing more than laughable bravado: "Trust me, everything will be under control - your lights will be on." (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sacramento Bee, December 15, 2004)

So where can we find Arnold during these latest rolling blackouts?

Fundraising, of course!

Tomorrow he is raising campaign cash in Monterey and Pebble Beach.

A real leader would cancel those self-serving campaign fundraisers and get back to work. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow how much Arnold really cares about California’s problems.

The lack of leadership isn’t limited to energy policy. Today’s Sacramento Bee editorial page asks the same question about Schwarzenegger water policy: “Who’s In Charge?”

“The issue at hand is water, but the underlying problem is leadership - or rather the lack of it in the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Who is the point person in the administration, clearly delegated to solve some of the state's thorny water problems? … Who is in charge of looking after the public interest in the interminable and internecine squabbles between various interest groups? Who, in short, is assigned to carry the water on water?” (Sacramento Bee, August 24, 2005)

Replace the word “water” with “energy”, “education”, “healthcare” or any other issue and you pretty much have the measure of this Administration.

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Arnoldo No Es Amigo De Mexico

2005-08-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

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In a missive entitled “Nunez Goes Good Will Hunting in Mexico,” the California Republican Party is arguing that the best way to determine whether you are having a positive impact on public policy is by counting the number of times your name pops up in the LA Times archive.

When you use that kind of metric, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that Team Schwarzenegger has been oblivious to their leader’s 40 point drop in the polls and his sliding support among Hispanics in California. (Governor Losing Hispanic Support, Orange County Register, July 25, 2005)

Here’s the bottom line, in addition to being California’s largest trading partner, Mexico shares a border with California. Gov. Schwarzenegger has failed to foster relations with Mexico for the last year and a half and now California-Mexico Border issues are coming to a boil.

While virtually ignoring Mexico, (his only visit has come in the form of a two-hour dinner) Schwarzenegger did find loads of extra time to visit Japan (which, last I checked, does not share a border with California).

Now, Governors Napolitano of Arizona and Richardson of New Mexico have “declared emergencies in their states to free up federal money and help combat smuggling and violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.” (Sacramento Bee, August 20, 2005)

Arnold applauded their move on KFMB radio in San Diego, but then his advisor on Mexico policy (and press secretary) Margita Thompson later said there was no need for an emergency.

I guess they weren’t getting that many hits on the LA Times archive. Here’s one I found:

“Positive and negative, Mexico matters to California….None of this seems to matter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the almost two years since he became governor, he has not traveled to Mexico and appears uninterested in establishing a relationship. He angered already cross Mexicans with his recent praise for the concept of Arizona's "Minuteman" border vigilantes. He suggested, in a later-modified statement, that California should "close the borders" with Mexico.” (LA Times Editorial July 14, 2005)

Here’s a better measure of Governor Schwarzenegger’s commitment to improving and fostering relations with Mexico. Type “Mexico” in the search bar of the Governor’s official website.

The result? : “No Search Result Returned: Total number of documents found: 0 in 0 seconds.”

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Bipartisanship fades, feuding resumes

2005-08-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

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Gov's support drops as lawmakers squabble.

(published in the revamped Capitol Weekly, The Newspaper of California Government and Politics, August 18th, 2005)

By Roger Salazar

In the 1972 film, "The Godfather," Vito Corleone meets with the heads of the Five Families in an effort to end a year-long feud. "How did things ever get so far?" he says. "I don't know. It was so -- unfortunate -- so unnecessary."

Most Capitol observers feel the same way about the feud launched by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Jan. 5, when he declared war on a variety of Democratic constituencies despite the fact that he is the governor of a vastly Democratic state.

So, how did we get here? What would drive a governor who was voted into office by a bipartisan coalition to turn his back on half his constituency? Was it an ideological change of heart, or was it a strategic mistake based on the hubris derived from booming approval ratings? My money's on the latter.

Schwarzenegger came into office with a bipartisan mandate. Republicans voted for him, but that's only half the story. He received strong support from independents and even support from Democrats. In a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California taken in February 2004, 44 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of independents approved of Schwarzenegger's job performance. That support has vanished.

Just as voters were angry with what they perceived as failures by Davis, they are even more furious with Schwarzenegger's deliberate and calculated moves away from the bipartisanship that was the hallmark of his candidacy.

Schwarzenegger campaigned on education, health care, and – most prominently – a promise to reform the way politicians do business in Sacramento.

On education, he negotiated agreements with the education community in his first year, only to renege on his promises to fully fund schools under Proposition 98 in his second year.

On healthcare, he pledged that his first actions as governor would be to make children's healthcare a priority. He has yet to fulfill his campaign promise to "immediately go out and promote" California's Healthy Families program, and "market it and get it out there so everybody knows about it and signs up." To date, he has yet to hold a single event promoting healthy families and enrollment in the program has declined.

On campaign reform, he promised to not take any money from special interests, ban fundraising during the budget process and forgo money from business with interests before the state. In the past year we've had a daily barrage of stories regarding Schwarzenegger's pay-for-play administration.

He campaigned with a broom to sweep out the Capitol. That broom has been replaced with a shovel to pick up his campaign contributions. He has raised more money for his campaign projects than any other governor in history and has obliterated the line between governance and campaigning. Schwarzenegger himself profits from his campaign cash machine by paying himself rent and travel expenses.

In short, Schwarzenegger has become the anti-thesis of everything he campaigned for and has nothing to show for it except a war no one but his corporate donors want.

As a result, Schwarzenegger's once-skyrocketing approval ratings have crashed and burned, and now he is hounded by questions about his secretive business dealings and his ethics.

In "The Godfather", the gangster Barzini sets a war in motion to effect a policy change opposed by the Corleone family. Like Barzini, Gov. Schwarzenegger started this war because he overestimated the strength of his own position and underestimated the resolve of his opponents.

They each exerted their muscle and capitol in an effort to dominate and wrest control of the agenda from the existing power structure. They each wanted to shift policies in an effort to improve the bottom line for themselves and their associates.

And just like in the movie, in the end you have a tragic conflict where nobody can really win and everybody ends up losing.

Roger Salazar is a principal with the Sacramento political consulting firm, AcostaSalazar LLC. He was a spokesman for former Vice President Al Gore, and served in former Gov. Gray Davis’ press office.

From Black-Out to Green-In

2005-08-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

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Despite his own calls for fundraising bans during the budget and bill signing periods, the Governor is putting his fundraising schedule on steroids to lift his total over the $50 million he says he needs.

The Los Angeles Times reports the first injection of funds will come from a "17-event fundraising tour from here to Boston, tapping donors who have a stake in bills soon to arrive at [the Governor’s] desk for signature or veto." (Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2005)

"Early in his tenure, Schwarzenegger had proposed a 'black-out' period barring fundraising when the Legislature was in session. He and other Republicans criticized his predecessor, Davis, for holding fundraisers at the end of legislative sessions when governors decide what bills should become law." (L.A. Times, August 17, 2005)

Now the Gov is less concerned about a "black-out" period than he is with his "green-in" period.

As of the last reporting period, the Governor reported raising $8.3 million of the "at least" $50 million he says he needs to "promote his agenda this year." (L.A. Times, February 9, 2005)

This means the Governor must raise $41.7 million before Election Day (from the end of the FPPC reporting period, June 30, till November 8 is only 131 days).

To reach his stated goal, Schwarzenegger must raise at least $318,321 daily, nearly eight times more than the $39,122 a day pace Gray Davis set during his first 18 months in office. (Sources: FPPC Reports, San Francisco Chronicle, August 1, 2000)

That’s nearly $10 million a month, close to 10 times the “$1 million a month” pace Governor Gray Davis raised at the same point in his tenure. (Associated Press, April 4, 2002)

Martin Wilson, the Governor’s chief fundraiser “said Schwarzenegger could gather $5 million from the 17 events.” (L.A. Times, August 17, 2005)

That means eight more trips like this one!

Looks like the governor just declared a "black-out" on governing.

How Do You Define “Involved”?

2005-08-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

_________________

The other chuckle we got was reading pro-Proposition 78 consultant Frank Schubert say that they are “not hiding the fact the pharmaceutical industry is involved in our campaign.” (Sacramento Bee, August 16, 2005)

Involved? What constitutes “involved?” Did they write a letter of support? Did they loan the campaign some office space? Did they kick down with some free printing?

Oh wait, he must be talking about the fact that Big Pharma initiated and bankrolled Prop 78 to the tune of $72 million.

Must be nice when folks get “involved” in the political process.

How Do You Define “Bipartisan Adviser”?

2005-08-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

________________________________________

We still get a kick out of reading the advisories that go out on behalf of Schwarzenegger’s California Recovery Team.

For example, they continue to bill Administration officials Tom Campbell and Maggie Fortune as a “bipartisan team of Schwarzenegger advisers.” (Capitol Morning Report, August 16, 2005)

These two taxpayer-funded government employees are campaigning up and down the state for Schwarzenegger’s initiatives (they are meeting with the Fresno Chamber of Commerce today to persuade them to support Chamber-endorsed initiatives. Wow. Hope they can convince them…) and while Ms. Fortune is technically registered as a Democrat, I’m sure the fact that these two owe their salary to the Governor has nothing to do with their coming together in this “bipartisan” cause.

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How Do You Define “Non-Partisan”?

2005-08-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

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When Bruce McPherson was appointed California Secretary of State by Governor Schwarzenegger, conventional wisdom held he would take a decidedly non-partisan approach to the office. Capitol pundits swooned over his impartiality.

Now, it seems, he has abandoned any pretense of non-partisanship and is quickly showing himself to be just another Schwarzenegger lapdog.

Let’s take a look at his shifting position on Schwarzenegger’s Proposition 77:
“It's a tough criterion, ‘but I think the lines could be in place for next year,’ he said during an informal news conference.

“It was an abrupt shift of direction for the former Santa Cruz legislator, who said several weeks ago that backers of the redistricting measure, who include Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, had no chance of having the new districts ready for next year's elections.

“‘There is no way we'd be able to do it by 2006,’ McPherson told the Sacramento Press Club in May. ‘Maybe 2008, but that's a question mark.’” (San Francisco Chronicle, August 16th, 2005.)

OK, so he shifted positions. It’s not like he’s trying to curry favor among Republicans for ambitions of his own, right?

“Secretary of State Bruce McPherson signaled Monday that he intends to run next year to retain the post he assumed…” after Kevin Shelley resigned in March.

“I think we're doing the job that the general public wants. …And if I feel this way after the special election, I'll be announcing my intention to run,” ("McPherson Might Run", Sacramento Bee, August 16th, 2005)

I guess Bruce learned it is best not to bite the partisan hand that feeds you.

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Coming to a Chamber of Commerce near you…

2005-08-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

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According to the Bakersfield Californian (August 4, 2005), the “Governor’s troops” are going to hit the road in a free media push to help prop up the Governor’s flailing political agenda.

Who are these “troops”?

a) Paid political operatives who work for one of the Governor’s various special interest campaign committees?

b) Governor Schwarzenegger’s Finance Director?

c) Representatives from the California Chamber of Commerce?

d) One of Governor Schwarzenegger’s senior education advisors?

If you answered (b) and (d), you are correct. It appears that if you want a member of the Governor’s official taxpayer-funded staff to come to your hometown, all you have to do is call Todd Harris who appears to be the booking agent for the Governor’s campaign organization.

Recent campaign reports filed with the Secretary of State showed that the governor's campaign committees had spent almost $23 million. One would think that the Governor’s political team could hire a speaker’s bureau to push their political agenda and not use government employees. But this mixing of campaigning and governing should not be surprising. This Administration has already demonstrated through their actions that they can’t tell the difference between one side of L Street or the other.

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What happened to good old fashioned “earned media”?

2005-08-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

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In an article in today’s Desert Sun (August 4, 2005) regarding legislative fundraising and expenditures there was a little gem about Senator Jim Battin.

It turns out that Senator Battin paid for plane tickets and hotel rooms for local radio talk show-hosts to travel to Sacramento for a Republican talk radio love-in called “Capitol Clearspeak Conference” that was held back in June. The conference was just another opportunity for the talk radio folks to spout Republican talking points and let the Governor praise the Minuteman Project.

With Republican Members like Senator Battin paying $1,200 for airfare and dropping $3,300 for rooms at the Hyatt, it’s no wonder that the Governor and the Republican Caucus get all that free love from the talk radio folks.

I’m sure that these unnamed local media types just misplaced their credit cards and are in the process of reimbursing the Senator’s campaign account…

For more information you can check on page 31 and page 35 of Taxfighters for Jim Battin’s latest campaign report (ID# 1259349)

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Arnold’s Next Role: Drunken Sailor?

2005-08-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

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The San Francisco Chronicle’s Matier and Ross report the Governor’s “campaign has already burned through $9 million this year…

Arnold is spending cash so fast, in fact, that finance reports due out Monday will show his California Recovery Team with a $1 million debt for the six-month reporting period ending June 30.”

“Even many Republican insiders in Sacramento said they've been taken aback to learn just how much cash the governor has shot through…” (Chronicle, July 31, 2005)

And this is after the Governor sued to raise money in unlimited amounts!

Not that it’s done him any good. The more he spends, the more Californians are turned off by his so-called reform.

Anyways, $9 million down and $1 million in the hole. So much for “Living Within His Means.”

# # #

Back to His Old Ways

2005-07-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

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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

2005-07-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

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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

2005-07-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

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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

2005-07-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

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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

2005-07-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

_____________________

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

2005-07-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

________________________

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

2005-07-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

___________

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

2005-07-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

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

2005-07-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

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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Top Ten Excuses/Reasons Republicans Aren't Supporting Governor's Budget*

2005-06-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

*"Republicans in the Legislature spoiled an effort by Democrats to meet [the June 15] constitutional deadline for passing a state budget, calling the plan too expensive -- although it differed little from the one proposed by the Republican governor a month ago." (Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2005)

10. Mad because they didn't get invited to the "Bewitched" showing at the Crest.
9. Elderly still getting assistance.
8. No special tax breaks for yacht-owners? Harrumph!
7. "The dog ate my homework," or as McCarthy says "Haven't even had a chance to read it"
6. Still trying to pitch school-lunch cuts as "Reducing Childhood Obesity" program.
5. Too busy preparing hearings on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences decision to reject a "Best Stunt Coordinator" award. (See Governor's press release on subject):
4. Ackerman's running for Congress (No. Wait...That's not right.)
3. No calculator function in iPods McCarthy gave to his caucus.
2. Doesn't do enough for the homeless. (The second-homeless and the vacation-homeless, that is.)
1. Waiting for Industrial Light and Magic to add more special effects.

GOP: It Ain’t About Reform, It’s All About Position

2005-06-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

California Republicans have left no doubt that their interests in this year’s special election lie in “positioning” for a power grab, not “reform”.

At Brooks Firestone’s annual GOP retreat a week or so ago, the speakers “concentrated on the special election, saying their party's future and Schwarzenegger's political prospects hinged on the outcome. ‘If we all come together, those initiatives will pass, and if those initiatives pass in November, we will have a lot of statewide officeholders the following November in the year 2006,’ said Republican state Sen. Abel Maldonado.” (Associated Press, June 13, 2005)

This after “Senate Republican leader Richard Ackerman on [May 18] said his caucus is less likely to acquiesce to Democrats' demands during budget talks this year because a long fight could benefit Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political position in a special election.” (Sacramento Bee, May 19, 2005)

This past weekend, at another Republican political event, Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said “he views the upcoming special election as one way to win back grassroots support… ‘We have not seen this type of excitement since the recall,’ he said. ‘The Republicans are in a very good position.’” (San Luis Obispo Tribune, June 27, 2005)

Well, maybe wasting $80 million of the taxpayers’ money on a power grab is what passes for “excitement” among hard-core GOP circles, but it’s hardly the word the rest of California would use.

According to the latest Field Poll, “More voters oppose (52%) than favor (37%) the Governor’s call for a November special election….” And, “when voters are informed of the special election’s estimated costs, voters reject the idea overwhelmingly [61% to 28%]”. (Field Poll, June 21, 2005)

Regardless of their collective tin ear, it’s refreshing to hear the truth from Republicans for once about the special election. For the Minority Leader and his crew it’s not about good policy, or helping the people they were elected to serve -- it’s all about “position.”

Fortunately, Californians see right through the GOP bait-and-switch. Voters are catching on to the fact that if the Chamber-driven, Republican-supported ballot initiatives pass, they could find themselves in another, less-flattering, position…

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Helpful Energy-Saving Tips for the Governor

2005-06-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

As the summer season kicks off, we have a few helpful energy saving tips for the Governor:

Please keep the lights off in your Capitol office when you are not using it, which is pretty much all the time.
Stop using your high-powered stage lights at your campaign events. We have tracked the state’s power usage and have seen a massive spike in energy usage on the days that the Governor does an event.
Stop blowing hot air. Clearly the voters have already rejected the hot air you have been blowing the past six months.

Speaking of energy, this has been a tough week for the Governor’s energy plan. After pledging to “blow up the boxes” and talking about massive energy reorganization, the Governor’s scaled back energy reorganization plan was finally dropped on the Legislature last month.

Today’s newspapers report that this plan is hitting a few more bumps in the road:

“Parts of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ambitious plan to create a Cabinet-level energy agency headed by a statewide energy czar are unconstitutional, the Legislature's legal counsel said in an opinion made public on the eve of a key hearing on the governor's proposal. Schwarzenegger's plan to consolidate the work of a number of state commissions and departments into a new California Department of Energy would unconstitutionally infringe on the authority of the state Public Utilities Commission to approve the siting of electricity transmission lines, natural gas pipelines and natural gas storage facilities, according to an opinion by Legislative Counsel Diane F. Boyer-Vine. Boyer-Vine issued the opinion at the request of state Senate President Don Perata (D-Oakland), an opponent of the Schwarzenegger plan. Late Wednesday, Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer submitted a similar legal opinion to the state Little Hoover Commission, a 13-member independent panel that promotes efficiency and effectiveness in state government programs.” (Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2005)

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Gov. Takes Plunge in Voter Approval Dunk Tank

2005-06-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, the Governor told the Sacramento Bee “"They know that my approval rating is in the 60s," he said…"The legislators' (are) in the 30s ... and you will see all those TV ads and those radio ads and those newspaper ads just to try to bring my poll numbers down. Those poor little guys. They're trying very hard...

"They may have a wonderful dream about that. But the reality is very sad for them. The reality is that they're not going to get my numbers down..." (Sacramento Bee, 2/12/05)

Four months later, the latest Field Poll numbers for the Governor are out and the San Francisco Chronicle (6/21/05) tells us “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suddenly ranks among the most unpopular governors in modern California history …”

Here’s a sampling of today’s headlines:

San Diego Union Tribune:
Governor Gets Chilling Numbers
'Self-inflicted' trouble sends approval rating tumbling in survey

San Francisco Chronicle:
Support for Governor Plunging Poll Finds Special Election, Budget Unpopular Among Californians

San Jose Mercury News:
Governor's Shrinking Popularity
New Poll Shows Support Dipping As He Stumps For His Initiatives

Riverside Press Enterprise:
Trouble for Governor
Approval-rating Just 37%; Fall Election Opposed

According to the Field Poll, only 31 percent of adult Californians approve of the Governor’s job performance.

Mark DiCamillo from the Field Poll says it best: “It's a very broad rejection of the governor across lots of different segments of the public.'' (Sacramento Bee, 6/21/05)

Underscoring this “broad rejection,” the survey also tells us the Governor’s approval rating with his own party plunged nearly 20 percentage points. (Field Poll, 6/20/05)

So, where do we go now? As the Governor is fond of saying, let’s ask the people: “Voters would back the Legislature over the governor in a confrontation over important issues.” (San Francisco Chronicle, 6/21/05)

Historically, Governors’ whose poll numbers tank don’t fare too well in California. One of the respondents of the Field Poll – John Geller from Oroville -- made this ominous statement: “Every time there's a decision to be made, he wants to go to the voters. If he does that, why do we need him?” (Sacramento Bee, 6/21/05)

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Happy Father’s Day Abel!

2005-06-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

State Senator Abel Maldonado had a little Father’s Day gift from the Editorial Board at his local paper, the Santa Maria Times.

Here are a few choice paragraphs from his hometown daily. Remember, these folks endorsed him for State Senate and they know his record:

“Now, only a few months after taking the oath of office for his first term in the Senate, Maldonado has announced his intention to run for state controller.

“It seems the young man with political goals has turned into just another ambitious politician, clamoring for whatever job he can get. You have to wonder what happened to the idealism and the promises he made while campaigning for those offices.

“We are surprised and disappointed that Maldonado would be looking to move on so soon after being elected to the Senate. We are strongly opposed to him bailing out of his commitment to Central Coast residents, just seven months after being elected.

“We would encourage him to reconsider his decision to run for controller, and we would urge residents of the Central Coast not to vote for him if he does run…

“We can all appreciate spunk and ambition in a political candidate, but more important is meeting commitments already made. Maldonado has had a singularly unspectacular career in public office, with far more smiles and handshakes than actual accomplishments with regard to creating good public policy.

(“What Happened to Commitment?”, Editorial, Santa Maria Times, June 19, 2005)

What Do You Gotta Do to Get a GOP Vote Around Here?

2005-06-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, the United States accused Saudi Arabia and 13 other nations of failing to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced laborers. The State Department said that these nations would be subject to sanctions if they do not crack down.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “Trafficking in human beings is nothing less than a modern form of slavery. The United States has a particular duty to fight this scourge because trafficking in persons is an affront to the principles of human dignity and liberty upon which this nation was founded.”

(Saturday, June 4, 2005. “US Accuses Nations on Human Trafficking.” Associated Press)

Who would be against upholding our nation’s principles of human dignity and liberty?

Twenty-two members of the California Republican Assembly Caucus.

When Assemblymember Sally Lieber tried to crack down on human trafficking, twenty-two members of the Assembly Republican Caucus opposed her new law.

Lieber’s bill (AB 22) would establish civil and criminal penalties for trafficking in human beings, allow for the forfeiture of assets derived from human trafficking, create an Anti-Trafficking Advisory Task Force and add human trafficking to the list of crimes that the Attorney General is to give priority.

What’s going on? Did the California Chamber of Commerce add this bill to their “job-killer” list?

NO VOTES (11):

Daucher, Emmerson, Harman, La Malfa, La Suer, Maze, Mountjoy, Nakanishi

Plescia, Strickland, Wyland

ABSENT, ABSTAINING, OR NOT VOTING (11):

Benoit, Cogdill, Haynes, Houston, Keene, McCarthy, Niello, Sharon Runner, Spitzer, Villines, Walters

Conference Me In

2005-06-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Are you wondering what Governor Schwarzenegger is up to today?

According the today’s Capitol Morning Report, Governor Schwarzenegger has no public events planned and is holding private meetings in Sacramento.

Private meetings? Is he meeting with Legislators to complete the budget? Think again. A Los Angeles Times story from last week reveals he’s holding a conference call today with his big money contributors to give an update on his “phenomenon of anger” tour.

“The governor participated in a call with donors two weeks ago and is expected to do so again June 16. Presumably, that will be after he signs an executive order scheduling the special election, so he can take to voters some of his proposals for changing state government.” (Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2005)

Let’s hope he’s not making those calls from his office.

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Kick off the Campaign the old fashioned way – scare the #*%@ out of them…

2005-06-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Governor Schwarzenegger announced his special election to “reform” our state and today he paid a visit to a home in San Diego to campaign against “tweaking” Proposition 13. Huh?

According to the Governor, recent talk in Sacramento prompted him to speak about the dangers of changing Proposition 13. Has the Governor been talking to his financial advisor Warren Buffet again?

“Citing the inequity of the property taxes he pays on his homes in Omaha, Neb., and Laguna Beach, Buffett said the California cap on property taxes imposed by Prop. 13 ‘makes no sense.’” (San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, August 16, 2003)

Or maybe he overheard Pete Wilson talking about his opposition to Prop 13 when it was on the ballot in 1978?

Whatever the case, the Governor decided to stop praising vigilantes on talk radio and instead decided to scare senior citizens. http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/06/15/mn_specialelection2744.jpg

Maybe if the Governor were in Sacramento (or the state for that matter) long enough to know what has going on in the Capitol, he would know that there is no plan to raise property taxes.

I guess if the Governor can’t get traction on his flawed initiative package he has to keep changing the subject…

From the “finger in the wind” file…

2005-06-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

Now that Steve Poizner, the $6 million failed Assembly candidate has moved into the race for insurance commissioner, state Senator Abel Maldonado has announced for State Controller, just six months after being elected to the state Senate in the 15^th District. This was after telling the San Luis Obispo Tribune in April that he was considering a bid for insurance commissioner.

In his announcement Maldonado told the San Luis Obispo Tribune (June 9, 2005) –

“‘I just think it's one of the most important jobs in state government -- to stop runaway spending -- and I think I've got a proven track record for that,’ he said Wednesday, two days after filing with the secretary of state.”

Let’s flashback to the good old days when the state was running a budget surplus and Mr. Runaway Spending was singing a different tune.

According to a Los Angeles Times article on budget pork (June 7, 2001):

“One submission left little question as to which lawmaker was behind it: $500,000 for the final phase of the Abel Maldonado Youth Center in Santa Maria. The item was among those being sought by Assemblyman Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria).”

Maybe we should head down to Santa Maria to get a photo of the youth center for the campaign brochure…

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You Be the Judge

2005-06-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

With the US Senate confirmation of Janice Rogers Brown to a federal judgeship yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger has the opportunity appoint her successor on the California Supreme Court. This also gives us an opportunity to take a closer look as his record on appointments.

“Based on a Mercury News review of Schwarzenegger's judicial appointments to date, he is lagging behind in selecting female and minority judges, a fact legal experts predict will add pressure to choosing a black person or a woman to fill Brown's post. Of his 57 new judge appointments, the governor has picked 13 women, or 23 percent, compared to 35 percent of the hundreds of Davis judges.” (San Jose Mercury News, June 9, 2005)

“According to Schwarzenegger's office, among the governor's 57 judicial appointees, African Americans are ‘1.75 percent’ of those who chose to identify themselves by race. In other words, one. She's Dorothy Reyes, a Democrat and former insurance defense lawyer named to the Superior Court in Los Angeles. The score is the same so far for Latinos. The sole Schwarzenegger judge is former public defender Alex Ricciardulli, also a Democrat now sitting on the Los Angeles trial bench.” (Sacramento Bee, June 9, 2005)

One Latino and one African-American…way to go.

“‘The numbers speak glaringly to the lack of women and minority appointments so far,’ said Chris Arriola, a San Jose prosecutor and chair of the judicial committee for La Raza Lawyers of California.” (San Jose Mercury News, June 9, 2005)

The Governor’s lack of outreach for qualified candidates is not limited to judicial appointments. If he has his way, his budget will cut $21.1 million for UC, $7 million for CSU from enrollment growth and outreach programs. (Source: Legislative Analyst’s Office, Analysis of the 2005-06 Budget Bill, February 2005)

It comes as no surprise that a member of the Governor’s own transition team, Carlos Olamendi, an Orange County businessman and Republican activist, lamented, “I think his advisers have shown a lack of experience and knowledge in the Latino community…That is very sad, No. 1, and also very dangerous politically." (Sacramento Bee, June 4, 2005)

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One Night In Paris…

2005-06-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Schwarzenegger money-grubbing operation knows no bounds.

The governor once campaigned against special interest fundraising but is now raising millions from corporations and others who have business before the State.

And now, it seems, he has absolutely no problem keeping money from characters of questionable reputation, including $10,000 in dirty money from a man under investigation for defrauding Ohio of $15 million and even a contribution from scandalous socialite Paris Hilton.

Saturday’s San Jose Mercury News reported that Schwarzenegger is refusing to return $10,000 from Tom Noe, a prominent Ohio coin dealer under investigation for possibly defrauding his state of millions. This despite the fact that President Bush, the Republican National Committee and Ohio politicians have returned more than $66,000 in questionable contributions.

White House spokesman Scottt McClellan said, ``I think that there are some serious allegations that have been raised against this individual. They have raised concerns with people in Ohio. They have raised concerns with the White House. And the president felt it was the right thing to return those contributions that came directly from him.” (San Jose Mercury News, 06-03-05)

Among the hundreds of thousands of dollars from Big Business interests in a Friday night massive dump of late contribution reports from Schwarzenegger’s California Recovery Team, was a $5,000 contribution from Club Paris LLC in Orlando, FL.

Club Paris is Paris Hilton’s nightclub, described as “THE place to party in Orlando. Featuring over 22,000 square feet of dance areas, state-of-the-art light and sound systems, and a decadent VIP section that includes a cozy boudoir area perfect for intimate encounters.” http://www.clubparis.net/vip/

Hmm? I wonder if the contribution comes with a free car wash? http://www.carlsjr.com/ontv

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The Sky is Falling…

2005-06-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

The Chamber of Commerce (err…I mean, the CA Recovery Team) has launched a new television ad that is loosely tied together by rubber bands, scotch tape and poll-driven catch phrases.

The ad features an announcer, playing the role of Chicken Little, highlighting a litany of warmed over Republican scare tactics about tax increases, including that old favorite – the dismantling of Proposition 13.

Coming to our rescue is the great “Reformer” Governor Schwarzenegger with a budget plan built on broken promises.

Let’s turn the tables for a moment and see what an ad highlighting the Republican’s grand budget plan might look like.

The script of the ad would go something like this:

Announcer: Republican Legislators under pressure from big business contributors and conservative think tanks have a new state budget plan. Their plan includes:
Gutting the state constitutional guarantee of minimum school funding…
Holding out for tax breaks for millionaire yacht owners and corporate tax loopholes…
and above all refusing to compromise, instead creating even more gridlock in Sacramento.
A better plan…stop the partisan bickering and call on Governor Schwarzenegger to end his out-of-state fundraising jaunts and work on a plan that includes real solutions – not poll-driven distractions.
Parent: What happened to the people’s Governor who was going to bring everyone together to rebuild California?

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Just Another Politician

2005-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

In the first of what are expected to be a string of reversals from newspapers that endorsed the Governor in the recall election, the Chico Enterprise Record today blasted the Governor, calling him “just another politician.”

In an editorial titled “Governor doesn't live up to promise,” the Record reconsiders its October 2003 endorsement of Schwarzenegger. The paper writes:

“The choices in the October 2003 recall election of Gov. Gray Davis were uninspiring. Our headline on the editorial page said it all: ‘Hold your nose and vote for Schwarzenegger.’

“He wasn't a politician. He vowed to eliminate government debt, attract jobs and reform a state government in need of drastic changes. He talked famously about ‘blowing up boxes’ and assured everyone he had the strength and courage to get it done.

“As Schwarzenegger hits the midway point of his term and considers whether to run again next year, this much is obvious - he has become just another politician. He seems more interested in raising money than keeping his promises, and more interested in hearing himself talk than worrying about the implications of his words.

“Indeed. The Governor has broken promise after promise.

“Whatever happened to reducing the number of commissions and commissioners, people who make six-figure salaries for attending a few meetings a year?... He picks fights, then backs down. One day he's angry at nurses, the next day it's teachers, the next day it's Indian casinos, the next day it's illegal immigrants. As soon as any of the groups fight back, he apologizes and tries to be chummy again.

“It should be no surprise that the actor-turned-politician doesn't have all things figured out. But he should at least be wise enough to keep his mouth shut until he does. To use the governor's words, we want ‘action, action, action.’ Instead, we've received too many misguided promises.” (Chico Enterprise Record, Editorial, June 1, 2005)

Not Worth the Paper It’s Printed on

2005-06-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Today, Governor Schwarzenegger issued an Executive Order to establish new greenhouse gas emission targets for California. This made-for-TV event will have the same impact on the environment as his call for a ban on campaign contributions during the budget cycle had on fundraising – none.

Instead of attempting to grab headlines and manufacturing an artificial “break” from the Bush Administration, why not really send a message by introducing legislation to implement real change?

If Schwarzenegger really wants to demonstrate his commitment to the environment, why not get behind AB 1365 (Ruskin), which would require inclusion in the state planning priorities the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 7 percent by 2010 and 10 percent by 2020 based on the 1990 greenhouse gas emission levels? Nah, better to just issue an executive order that is silent on how to reach its goals and enforce reductions.

The Governor’s budget for next year has no money or direction for environmental agencies to implement the plan. It’s not really leadership to issue an executive order that has no effect and will not take place for 10 to 40 years.

It’s a hard to take this administration’s “commitment to greenhouse gas emission reductions seriously. This governor has said that he cares about the environment, but has vetoed legislation that would have helped achieve the same goals he now claims to support.

Last year, for example, he vetoed SB 1478 which was strongly supported by environmental groups and which sought to increase the amount of renewable energy used in the state by 20% by the year 2020.

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ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS CHOOSE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OVER NATIONAL GUARD RESERVISTS

2005-05-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today Assembly Republicans rejected job protection for thousands of Californians military reservists, instead siding with the California Chamber of Commerce.

Republicans voted en masse against Assembly Bill 985 (Torrico, D-Newark) which would protect the jobs of military reservists who are called to active duty.

AB 985 is sponsored by the National Guard Association and opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce. It would make it illegal for an employer to fire or discriminate against workers who take time off to serve on active duty. It would also require six months compensation if the job of the returning reservist has been outsourced.

In the past several years, thousands of military reservists in California have been called to active duty and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.Thousands of California military reservists have left their homes, families and jobs to honorably serve on active duty. Many have been wounded or paid the ultimate sacrifice.

For the Republicans to celebrate our veterans at Memorial Day services on Monday and vote against the right of reservists to reclaim their jobs on Tuesday simply proves that the Republican Party will never buck their big business donors, no matter the issue.

AB 985 passed the Assembly on a party line vote with 26 Republicans casting “No” votes. The bill now goes on to the state Senate.

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ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS KILL LAW TO FIX CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING LOOPHOLE

2005-05-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

With the mighty rallying cry “stop the harassment of corporate America”, Assemblymember Ray Haynes rallied the Assembly Republican Caucus to kill a real election reform law (AB 938 Umberg, D-Santa Ana) that would close a fundraising loophole for ballot measures.

The law required a 2/3 vote of the Assembly and amended the Political Reform Act by requiring certain campaign committees to file an electronic report within 10 business days of making contributions or independent expenditures of $10,000 or more to support or oppose the qualification or passage of a single state ballot measure.

In the past few months we have seen the Small Business Action Committee exploit this campaign finance loophole to great effect by essentially skirting current election laws and accepting unlimited contributions from unknown sources and then transferring these contributions to the Coalition for Employee Rights – an initiative committee formed to quality a statewide initiative.

Mr. Haynes attacked this measure as an attack on the “power of the people” designed to quash the initiative process. Huh? How would shining some light on these shadow committees that launder contributions to help qualify statewide initiatives kill the initiative process? Maybe the citizens of California deserve to know who is really behind these initiatives while they are in circulation and not six months later.

Small Business Action Committee – PAC ID# 1270683

Contributions to Coalition for Employee Rights:

3/24/05 $ 75,000
4/06/05 $200,000 4/18/05 $ 35,000
4/29/05 $ 20,000
5/03/05 $225,000

TOTAL $555,000

# # #

Assembly Republicans Vote Against Fundraising Limits by Ballot Measure Committees

2005-05-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Assembly Republicans voted en masse today against a bill that would let voters decide on fundraising reforms for ballot measures. The bill to block candidates from fundraising for ballot measures nonetheless passed through the Assembly 44-30

The Republicans’ vote on Assembly Bill 709 by Assembly Member Lois Wolk, D-Davis, can only be construed as a vote in favor of big money from big business and for the governor’s Chamber of Commerce-driven agenda against the citizens of California.

Wolk’s bill, if approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, would place a measure before voters at the next statewide election that would limit fundraising for candidate-controlled ballot measures. AB 709 would impose the same maximum contribution limit of $5,600 from any single source on ballot measure committees controlled by a state elective candidate.

In essence, AB 709 would block candidates from using ballot measure committees to skirt the limits on fundraising mandated by Proposition 34 which was approved by voters.

The governor has raised more than $30 million from big business special interests since taking office. Millions of dollars have been spent by committees under the governor’s control to promote the governor and his misguided special election agenda.

The lock-step vote by Assembly Republicans allows the governor to continue to raise large sums of money from big businesses and wealthy individuals who also supported his ascension to the state’s highest office.

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GOVERNOR MULTI-TASKS AT CHICAGO FUNDRAISER

2005-05-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s press office issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate's reauthorization of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP).

"During my campaign, I promised to go to Washington and fight for more federal funding for California. Each time I have traveled to Washington, one of my highest priorities has been securing reimbursement for the costs of incarcerating criminal aliens. Even today I met with the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representative's, Dennis Hastert, and SCAAP was one of the issues we discussed.”

In response to this press release, we had a few questions:

1) Did anyone on the Governor’s staff inform the governor that Chicago isn’t in Washington?
2) Since when does attending a fundraiser in Chicago equal fighting for federal funds in Washington DC?
3) This “special” meeting with Hastert, did it consist of the Governor leaning across the table and asking about SCAAP after the Speaker introduced him at the Chicago fundraiser? Or was there a more formal sit-down is some sort of smoking balcony?
4) How many of the Governor’s taxpayer-funded staff joined him on his campaign fundraising trip to help him manage the SCAAP meeting? Do they get to bill the taxpayers for their time and travel as a result? Does issuing the Hastert press release provide cover for taxpayer-funded travel?

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Tis the season…

2005-05-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

With the campaign season fast approaching, it must be time for Republican statewide candidate Chuck Poochigian to burnish those environmental credentials. Believe me they need burnishing…

Poochigian, who represents parts of the Central Valley that are consistently given an “F” for air quality by the American Lung Association, will be holding a press conference to “encourage replacing nearly 1000 CA schools busses that do not meet federal safety standards or state air quality standards.”

Thanks for stepping up to the plate, Chuck. But, where have you been the last 5 years?

When Pooch’s constituents needed him to step up on important legislation to fight air pollution or clean up the environment, he has failed them miserably. In fact, according to the CA League of Conservation Voters Scorecard, from 2000 - 2004 Senator Poochigian has averaged one pro-environmental vote every other year.

CLCV Scores (according to www.ecovote.org):

Year Poochigian Score
2000 7%
2001 0%
2002 0%
2003 0%
2004 6%

Nice going. Does tomorrow’s event mean he gets to skip a year?

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Another “non-partisan” group?

2005-05-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

A spontaneous “grassroots” group sprang to life Thursday at the Sacramento Hyatt. According to the press release (found on the CA GOP website) the group formed because (dare we say it?) “they’re not going to take it anymore.”

“Angered by government employee unions and Democrats in the legislature who continue to push for tax increases, reform-minded taxpayers today launched Go For It Arnold, a grassroots mobilization effort to champion Governor Schwarzenegger’s common-sense reform agenda. The Go For It Arnold team includes taxpayers, parents, and community leaders who are fed up with the billions of dollars in tax increases being supported by government unions and the majority party in Sacramento. Today these citizens launch a campaign to blaze the way to fight for real reform led by State Co-Chairs are Jalene Forbis of Siskiyou County and Julie Vandermost of Orange County.”
(Go For It Arnold Press Release, May 19, 2005)

But wait there’s more - according to a report on the KCRA 3 website: “As it turns out, the California Republican Party paid for the rented hotel room, the signs, a Web site, which features talking points, and suggested form letters to send to local newspapers.”

Background on the Citizens Co-Chairs of this “grassroots” organization:

Julie Vandermost, a delegate to the Republican National Convention, is the president of the California Women's Leadership Association. This group is an Orange County-based Republican group whose mission is to “get more Republican women elected to office and to the policy tables and to appointments.” Orange County Register (August 29, 2004)

Jalene Forbis is the Secretary of the California Republican Party. According her bio on the CA GOP website Jalene is one of the youngest board members. Jalene holds the distinction of having been the youngest elected RCC Chairman in California. She has held two terms as RCCC Chairman of Siskiyou County and held an office on the Republican County Chairman's Association.

Sounds about as real as the Governor’s Kitchen Cabinet events…

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GOP BUDGET TACTICS

2005-05-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

According to Thursday’s Sacramento Bee, Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman has a new Republican budget strategy – hold out this year because a long fight could benefit Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political position in a special election.

When Republicans claimed Democrats were discussing a budget holdout – the exact same thing Ackerman is suggesting today – during the impasse in 2003, the GOPers had this to say:

"Their intention is to destroy the state of California and its financial base," said Assembly Minority Leader Dave Cox of Fair Oaks. "They intend to hold up the budget."

Assemblyman Tony Strickland, R-Moor Park (Ventura County), said the Democrats are putting "politics before people."
San Francisco Chronicle (July 22, 2003)

Assembly Budget Committee Vice Chairman John Campbell (R-Irvine) –
"It sounded like they were hoping to create a crisis at some point to further their political gains in other areas," he said. "I thought that was outrageous."
Los Angeles Times (July 22, 2003)

Do you think we will hear same outrage from Campbell and crew today? Don’t hold your breath…

WHO’S ON FIRST? WHAT’S ON SECOND? I DUNNO’S ON THIRD.

2005-05-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

Today’s Orange County Register reports on Gov. Schwarzenegger’s campaign visit yesterday in Santa Ana. Coming on the heels of the Sunday Register article, “Questionable Campaigning” that raised questions regarding the state’s taxpayers subsidizing of Arnold’s campaign events, you would have figured the Governor’s staff and campaign would’ve huddled up and practiced getting their stories straight.

“When asked on Monday who paid for the event at Behr Process Corp., Dickens first said, ‘I'll double-check, but I think this is the governor's event.’

“Dickens said that out of the $11 million spent by Citizens to Save California, ‘very little was on events.’ Yet after checking, Dickens said, ‘This is a CSC event.’

‘Anything that has to do with the ballot measures is a CSC event,’ he added.

“Yet behind Schwarzenegger – on a large television screen – a large logo read, ‘www.joinarnold.com.’ That site belongs to the California Recovery Team, which identifies itself as a legislative advocacy group that has the ability to "accept unlimited contributions from corporations and individuals" and is helping finance the governor's reform agenda. Its funding does not come from the state.

“The T-shirts, reading"goforitarnold" and passed out to Behr employees, are connected to a Web site paid for by the California Republican Party.

“Scott Richards, a senior vice president for marketing at Behr, said a friend of the company president called over the weekend saying he had been contacted by the governor's office seeking to stage a town-hall meeting at the company. According to a statement issued later by the company, its president, Jeff Filley, was also directly contacted by the governor's office.

“Schwarzenegger spokesman Rob Stutzman clarified that it was the California Recovery Team that contacted the company.

“In his remarks to employees, Schwarzenegger thanked Filley ‘for inviting us here today.’ (Orange County Register, May 10, 2005)

You’ve got to be kidding me. “This is their event. No it’s ours. Wait, are you a reporter?”

Look, if you’re the CSC and you’ve arranged an event, don’t you think your spokesman would know it without having to go check first?

These guys draw the line between the proper and improper use of taxpayer dollars about as well as they draw lines on legislative district maps. They aren’t very good liars either.

THE LAWS OF PERCEPTION

2005-05-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday’s Orange County Register included an article, “Questionable Campaigning” by Jim Hinch and Kimberly Kindy, that raises questions the state’s taxpayers deserve to have answered. For instance does Schwarzenegger’s staff really know the law regarding the use of state resources for campaign activity?

Schwarzenegger adviser Marty Wilson was quoted saying, “Number one, we know what the law is, and probably more important than the law is the public perception,”

Really, Marty? Perception is more important than the law?

In any event, the governor’s staff may want to consult the advance team’s cook book because according to the Register’s investigation they’ve been whipping up a “recipe for disaster,” as Mr. Wilson put it. Here are some highlights and a link to the article:

“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has used taxpayer- funded resources on numerous occasions to advance his own campaign agenda - promoting ballot initiatives and calling on voters to remove Democrats from office - despite several state laws intended to restrict such activities. Schwarzenegger's state staff has planned entire campaign events, scouted locations, overseen construction of elaborate backdrops, and taken and posted campaign photos on the governor's official Web site - often on the taxpayers' dime. State law forbids using ‘state resources for a campaign activity.’” (OC Register, 5/8/05)

But wait, there’s more:

“Rob Stutzman, Schwarzenegger's communications director, said the governor has broken no laws. However, Stutzman and administration lawyers gave conflicting explanations of why the governor's activities have been legal…

“Stutzman said that whenever state resources - such as the five-member advance team that readies sites for rallies and other events - are used for political purposes, they are reimbursed from one of Schwarzenegger's campaign bank accounts.

“But when pressed by the Register to provide proof of this claim, the administration's legal staff changed its reasoning to assert that because advance team members are ‘a complement to (the governor's) security detail,’ taxpayers can foot the bill for their work at fundraisers and other campaign-related events.

The distinction is significant because state law entitles a governor to 24-hour protection by Highway Patrol officers. But there is no provision exempting other staff from laws intended to separate state from political work. The cost to taxpayers of folding Schwarzenegger's advance team into his security detail: more than $1,700 per day. (Orange County Register, 5/8/05) http://www.ocregister.com

I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that the line between campaigning and governing is so blurry to the Governor’s staff, considering Schwarzenegger himself doesn’t seem to have a clue that governing happens INSIDE the Capitol not while driving around it in a Humvee.

But in any case, the Guv’s lawyers and staff need to sit down and have a little chat about how the law is what keeps policy, politics, and money separate, not public perception.

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Redistricting Mid-Decade

2005-05-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

It’s too bad the Governor’s staff was too busy re-reading Chapter One of their copy of “The Dummy’s Guide to Being Governor” on the way to Elk Grove today instead of finding the right location for the Governor’s redistricting photo-op.

According to KCRA-TV (Sacramento), the governor’s taxpayer-paid advance staff used a red tape down the middle of a street in a gated community (apparently afraid of running into more protesters) to show that legislative districts are sometimes divided by street. Republican Assembly Members Nakanishi and Houston, who apparently don’t know their own districts, also were on hand as props.

The problem is: both sides of the street are in the same district – the very competitive 15th District represented by Assembly Member Guy Houston. The actual district boundary is several blocks away!

On top of that, according to KTVU-TV in Oakland, the two homeowners the Governor’s staff goaded into participating in the event don’t even support the special election. They believe, like most Californians, that the special election is a waste of taxpayer money.

What’s more, according to the Governor’s own Department of Finance, Elk Grove has grown 68.5 percent from the April 1st 2000 census to January 1, 2005 and was cited as “one of the top six fastest growing cities.” From 2004-2005, its population soared from 109,983 to 121,609. (Elk Grove wasn’t even an incorporated city in 2000).

Under the Governor’s plan, that would leave thousands and thousands of citizens without proper representation.

Next time the Governor needs to find an address, maybe he should consult firefighters who need to find homes in a hurry -- or a school teacher who can teach him how to read a map.

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CALIFORNIA DEPT. OF SELF-PROMOTING POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS (SPPC)

2005-05-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

One would think that Governor’s political operation and its myriad of committees would be able organize and staff a campaign event without the continued assistance of taxpayer- funded state employees.

Let me guess, I’m sure that the Governor’s state-funded communications and press staff used their lunch breaks today to help carry in some bags of signatures at the Sacramento County Registrar’s office.

The Governor’s committees have raised millions of dollars to pay an army of consultant and flacks to run the propaganda machine for Schwarzenegger’s flawed initiative agenda.

If Citizens to Save California is paying campaign staffers, like spokesman Reed Dickens, $13,000 a month, (WOW! We thought that people made a killing off the Checchi campaign) then why do we continue to see political campaign events staffed with state PIO’s?

Last year’s Schwarzenegger issued a travel ban during his first months in office to save money for the budget. This year’s Schwarzenegger has no problem having the taxpayers of California footing the bill for campaign events designed to highlight his own political agenda?

Is it ignorance or is it the continued arrogance of the Schwarzenegger Administration?

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SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

2005-05-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

After listening to both the Governor and his bag-man Alan Zaremberg cry poor and moan about the unanswered attacks on the Gov’s flawed agenda, it’s time to set the record straight. On top of his non-stop free media exposure, the Governor and his allies have been running TV and radio ads as far back as December.

Nurses
Back on December 7, 2004 the LA Times reported that the CA Healthcare Association launched a 30 second “educational” spot thanking Governor Schwarzenegger, “on behalf of nurses, doctors and other caregivers who treat patients every day.” According to reports the ad would run for two weeks in the top media markets across the state.

Education Reform
In February, “the governor's campaign team has released the text and sound of a radio ad they have begun airing to counter the CTA's campaign.” (Sacramento Bee, Weintraub, 2/24/05) http://www.joinarnold.com/video/truth_telling_teachers.mp3 - Paid for by the California Recovery Team.

In mid-March the California Republican Party launched a multi-million dollar media buy to “set the record straight on school reform”. The ad prominently featured the Governor to camera making his pitch. (March 17, 2005 – CA Republican Party press release). This media campaign was statewide and followed with a radio spot highlighting the same message and paid for by the California Recovery Team
http://www.joinarnold.com/video/teachers.mov - Paid for by the CA Republican Party.

Petition Drive
In early March, “Citizens to Save California, a business group supporting Schwarzenegger's ‘reform’ agenda, launched a television ad urging people to sign petitions to qualify the group's -- and Schwarzenegger's -- favored initiatives.” (San Jose Mercury News, March 8, 2005) The ad also prominently featured Schwarzenegger. http://www.citizenstosaveca.org/video/better_place_06.wmv,
http://www.citizenstosaveca.org/video/harassment.mp3 - Paid for by Citizens to Save California

Pension Reform
In addition, as the Governor continued to get hammered for his flawed pension initiative the California Recovery Team launched a statewide radio ad in an attempt to defend his initiative. (LA Daily News, April 17, 2005) http://www.joinarnold.com/video/pensionreform.mp3

Budget Reform
Yesterday the Governor’s launched another “Statewide TV Ad Blitz” pitching his latest spot that is full of sound bites and short on details. According the California Recovery Team press release, “the spot, which features Schwarzenegger talking directly to voters, is set to begin running today in all major markets.” The ad is paid for and produced by the California Recovery Team. http://www.joinarnold.com/video/arnold_cafeteria.mov

The Governor and his allies have spent millions on statewide media campaigns pushing his agenda and what do they have to show for it? - Sinking poll numbers and an administration in disarray. Maybe it’s time the Governor’s political “gurus” admit that the Governor’s approval rating continues to slide because Californians aren’t buying the flawed initiatives and agenda he’s trying to sell them.
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ARNOLD FOLLOWS IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS FIRST HERO (NIXON)…

2005-04-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Look out! The Governor’s office has moved their security operation into the Nixonian proportions.

Remember what Schwarzenegger said at the Republican Convention (August 31, 2004):

“’Listening to Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air. I said to my friend, I said, ‘What party is he?’ My friend said, ‘He's a Republican.’ I said, ‘Then, I am a Republican.’"

Fast forward to this week. According to the San Bernardino County Sun, teachers who thought they were on the “guest list” to attend the Governor’s phony town hall were turned away because they were on a “list.” A list managed by Republican activists.

Is there a Chuck Colson running around the Governor’s office? (http://www.answers.com/topic/nixon-s-enemies-list)

From the San Bernardino County Sun (April 28, 2005):

“Numerous teachers said their names were on the guest list, but they were turned away after their affiliation with the teachers' union became known.

‘Boy, am I mad,’ Fontana teacher Kathleen Casas said, stomping along the dusty side of the road where protesters banged drums and chanted slogans.

‘I know my name was on the list because they went like this,’ Casas said, mimicking someone running their finger along a number of names. Her finger stopped mid-air.

‘They said, ‘Oh, Kathy Casas, here you are.’’

Casas, along with about 14 other teachers were not allowed into the event despite being on the invite list, Linda M. Young, president of the Fontana Teachers Association, said inside the steel company.

‘I saw the list. Their names were on it,' she said.

‘All I can say is that there were some people who were mistakenly put on the list,' said Adam Aleman, executive director of the San Bernardino County Republican Party.

Aleman was manning the entry gate along with two volunteers. He directed all other questions to Brad Mitzelfelt, chief of staff for Bill Postmus, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and chairman of the county Republican Party.”

We have a few questions:

Since when are teachers considered a threat to the Governor?

Why are Republican activists in charge of these gubernatorial events?

Who is in charge of these “enemies” lists?

Are these county and state employees using their vacation time to help organize these campaign-style events?

We are sure that that Chairman of the San Bernardino County Republican Party will be able to answer all of these questions:

Supervisor Bill Postmus - 1st District (Chairman)
Main OfficeCounty Government Center 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., 5th Fl. San Bernardino, CA 92415-0110 (909) 387-4830

Bill Postmus is a Bush Campaign “Maverick.” A “Maverick is an under-40 Bush supporter who raised $50,000 for the Bush campaign.

According to the Riverside Press Enterprise (June 4, 2004):

“Postmus is a Maverick. He said he received an e-mail about a meeting led by Bush campaign manager Ken Melman in Los Angeles for donors under 40. Postmus is 33. Postmus pulled out his telephone donor list and in about a month raised $ 58,000 for a March 3 fund-raiser at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. "It's a little more challenging," he said. "For my own campaign, we don't have contribution limits. We can raise unlimited amounts of money. It's a little more of a challenge to go out and look for more people.”

WE KNOW THE GOVERNOR NEVER LOOKS AT POLLS…

2005-04-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

As another poll shows the decline of the Governor’s approval rating, one has to wonder what happened to those muscled-up coattails of his?

A statewide survey from the right-leaning Rose Institute of State and Local Government notes that when asked if you approve or disapprove of the job Gov. Schwarzenegger is doing today – over 42% of respondents disapprove (including 64% of Democrats and 41% of Other voters). http://rose.claremontmckenna.edu/redistricting/redistricting.asp

Maybe this explains why we see more Republican legislators making the trek to Pomona to kiss the extreme right-wing of the Republican Party (http://www.ca-ra.org/), than we see walking three flights of stairs to attend that great “Thank the Governor for protecting Taxpayers” rally.

The list of legislators attending his events is getting pretty short. Besides his loyal Lieutenant, Senator Tom McClintock (by the way we liked the old, unplugged McClintock better, but I guess a few well-timed fundraising events with the Governor have muzzled him), where are those Republican Assembly members who were flocking to do photo-ops at the numerous campaign events the Governor had last election cycle?

Maybe the Governor’s advance team isn’t telling anyone because they are afraid that the nurses and teachers will dominate the event (by the way the Governor is doing another fake event in Fontana tomorrow according to today’s Riverside Press-Enterprise headline “Governor to Tout Plans to Friendly, Invited Audience”).

Or maybe it’s because every day when the Republican Caucus opens the clips, they see another story of the administration in retreat and disarray.

As described in this week’s Political Pulse, “In Year Two of the Schwarzenegger gubernatorial, many Republicans have fallen into a pre-recall funk. It is the forlorn resignation that comes from the familiar taste of defeat. Before their very eyes, the great Republican hope is disintegrating.” The article even mentions those two dreaded words – Jesse Ventura!

Maybe the Republican Caucus wants to see if the Governor’s ship can right itself before they run over and endorse what’s left of his initiative agenda. They don’t want to be left hanging out there like Assemblyman Keith Richman – holding the bag on an initiative that was so flawed that even the Governor dropped his support. Good luck on that run for Treasurer…

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Schwarzenegger’s Triple Lindy on Immigration

2005-04-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Governor’s office is in full retreat after his Wilsonian slip yesterday in response to a reporter’s question on immigration:

“It's a federal issue and the only thing I can say to add to this is: close the borders. Close the borders in California and all across -- within Mexico and the United States. Because I think it is just unfair to have all those people coming across and have the borders open the way it is -- to have this kind of a lax situation.”

Was this just another slip of the tongue or another attempt by the Governor to pander?

CNN’s Casey Wian today noted that it’s difficult to tell where Schwarzenegger really stands on immigration because “his positions have been all over the map.” In fact, the Governor’s positions on immigration resemble Rodney Dangerfield’s fictional dive, the Triple Lindy, from 1986’s “Back to School.” But unlike the movie, Schwarzenegger doesn’t need an extra springboard for his triple flips.

Consider that as a candidate Arnold had a different take on immigrants when he appeared at a candidate debate during the recall. In response to a question about the driver’s license bill Schwarzenegger stated that he opposed the bill, but went on to say: Let's get them visas. Let's get them temporary working permits… Let's get them permanent working permits. (Recall Debate, Cal. State U. at Sacramento Sep 24, 2003)

So which is it? “Let’s get them visas” or “close the borders” or “I meant securing?”

For a governor who has been conspicuously absent on the immigration debate during his time in office to now advocate “closing the borders” was a bit of a surprise. But his flip-flops are not. Remember that the day after dropping the flawed pension reform plan the Governor went on right-wing talk radio and declared it as a “victory,” said he wasn’t dropping it at all, just delaying, and pledged to keep fighting.

The next time we hear the Governor on talk radio will we hear him praising the Minuteman Projects as “patriots” or will we hear him praising Mexico for its vacation spots and trade potential?

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ASK ARNOLD AT HP IN ROSEVILLE

2005-04-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

It’s great to see Arnold attending another Chamber-directed made-for-TV campaign appearance. Instead of forcing his way into the home of a handpicked chamber of commerce representative in Fresno, the Governor has cut out the middleman and gone straight to the source (of campaign donations). Remember, major donor HP has donated over $280,000 to the Governor’s California Recovery Team and initiative coffers since 2003...

One question to “Ask Arnold” today is how many California jobs is HP going to outsource this year?

According to CNET News.com (April 22, 2005) Hewlett-Packard is working hard to catch up in the outsourcing game. They recently appointed Steve Smith to lead the HP Managed Services unit. According to the article Smith’s team is raring to go. The article highlights some recent victories:

“Last week, HP signed a multimillion-dollar outsourcing contract with the Bank of Baroda in India. HP will implement and manage the bank's service-oriented architecture, which includes core banking, phone banking, Internet banking, delivery channel integration, customer relationship management and data warehousing.

“‘It's a milestone customer win which follows the Bank of India deal,’ Smith said. ‘It's easily one of our largest wins.’ …

“‘In addition, 2005 presents new opportunities for HP on the outsourcing front as contracts signed 10 years ago with competitors will be up for renewal,’ he said.

“‘We're into second-generation outsourcing. In the next six to seven months, companies that decided to outsource eight to 10 years ago, will be looking at the next step, and many have determined that they know how to govern not just one supplier,’ Smith explained.”

I guess it really won't matter to the employees of HP if Arnold's anti-worker, anti-education agenda passes, since their jobs will probably be outsourced anyway.

See How They Run

2005-04-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

Don't be surprised to see the Assembly Republican Caucus on the side of a milk carton soon. When it comes to the supporting the Governor, they're running away faster than rats on a sinking ship. Given the lack of turnout, it was easy to spot the only Republican Assembly member on hand for last week's half-baked "Thank You, Governor" rally by the Citizens to Save California.

That was none other than Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia, who has corporate interests bankrolling an education proposal she didn't even bother to introduce as legislation

(Note to Bonnie: your tax-paying constituents sent you to Sacramento to introduce bills, not initiatives that will cost them $80 million).

Then again, maybe Assembly Republicans still aren't over the Governor's efforts from last year's legislative elections. Despite promising them the world, the Governor's endorsements of Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy's slate of unsurgents (yeah, I made that word up) left their status in the capitol unchanged.

So they're back to their traditional role: holding the broom behind the elephant in the room, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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The Leaky Wheel Gets a Seat on the Bench

2005-04-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Oakland Tribune today reported that Charles “Ben” Burch, “the federal prosecutor who has been quarterbacking the grand jury investigation into state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata was appointed a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.” (Oakland Tribune, April 14, 2005)

Yes, you heard right, Arnold Schwarzenegger has just rewarded the same “quarterback” whose office has been accused of selectively leaking information to the media just as Perata became the Pro Tem with a judgeship.

At the time, Perata attorney George O’Connell, in a letter to Burch’s boss, US Attorney Kevin Ryan asked “Is the illegal discussion of a grand jury proceeding by government law enforcement personnel being orchestrated for political purposes?”

At the time, one political observer noted that such might be the case: “‘I do believe that it was politically motivated,’ said Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics in Sacramento.” (Oakland Tribune, November 23, 2004)

With Schwarzenegger’s reward of Burch with a seat on the Superior Court, looks like we now have our answer.

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He Said It…

2005-04-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Columnist Debra Saunders sat down with Governor Schwarzenegger and asked him “How is the budget you presented for the next fiscal year different from what Gray Davis would have done? Schwarzenegger said he didn't want to compare himself with Davis, who, he said, wanted to make more budget cuts.”

In between swings of his Conan sword, Schwarzenegger lamented the fact that when it comes to State Government, we have to play by rules of Democracy:

“’We are very ambitious’, he noted, ‘but when you work with 120 legislators, everyone's hacking and chipping away and it slows down the process. The advantage that we have is democracy, but the disadvantage is it's not a dictatorship.’" (San Francisco Chronicle, April 14, 2005)

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I Know Yours Are Worthless, But What Are Mine?

2005-04-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Assemblymember Ray Haynes (R- Temecula) stood up on the Assembly floor and, during the debate of ACR 43 (Horton) regarding meal breaks, railed against “worthless resolutions”.

We guess they are only worthless when he doesn’t agree with them.

According to legislative records from the 2003-04 Legislative session, Assemblymember Haynes introduced the following “worthless resolutions”:

ACR 164 Ronald Reagan Day: This resolution recognizes February 6, 2004, and subsequent anniversaries thereafter as Ronald Reagan Day.

ACR 222 Small Business Month: This resolution proclaims the month of May 2004 as Small Business Month.

AJR 22 Judicial Nomination of Miguel Estrada: Resolution that urges the United States Senate to hold a vote on whether or not to confirm Miguel Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

AJR 23 Estate Taxes: Resolution that urges the President of the United States and the Congress to support legislation that would immediately and permanently repeal estate taxes.

AJR 24 President Bush’s 2002 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Plan: Resolution that urges Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress from the State of California to support and enact President Bush's 2002 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Plan.

AJR 25 Pension and Individual Retirement Accounts: Resolution that urges Representatives and Senators from the State of California in the United States Congress to enact legislation that would repeal the expiration date of the existing law related to the limitations imposed on the amount of tax-deductible contributions made by taxpayers to their individual retirement accounts.

AJR 26 Alternative Minimum Tax: Resolution that urges the President of the United States and the Congress to support legislation that would permanently repeal the alternative minimum tax.

###

Save Some Space on Mt. Rushmore

2005-04-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

According to an April 12th report run on KCRA Channel 3, the Governor has scrapped another reform. This time the administration is dropping a controversial program dealing with convict diversion.

In addition, the report highlighted other failures of the Governor’s Administration, including his dropping of the plan to eliminate dozens of state boards and commissions and his retreat on the pension fight.

Finally the report ended with some major league spin from one of the Governor’s biggest supporters (NO - it wasn’t Tom Arnold):

“But far from political defeats, the governor's supporters say the decisions are simply tactical, temporary retreats and the sign of a good leader.

“‘If you look at every great leader, you look at Roosevelt, you look at Lincoln, you look at Washington. Theirs wasn't a straight line,’ said Republican Party Chairman Duff Sundheim.” (KCRA-3 NBC, April 12, 2005)

What? No Jefferson?

We’re not sure breaking your word to parents and teachers and attacking nurses, firefighters and cops as “special interests” rises to the level of our national fathers up on Mount Rushmore, but we’ll leave it up to history to be the judge…

Suspension of Disbelief Quote of the Day

2005-04-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

“I don’t know what polls you’re reading because my polls that we have done, I’m at 60 percent.”
(Gov. Schwarzenegger on KNX and KFWB radio today, when asked about the SPRI poll showing his approval rating dropping to 43 percent – before adding that he never pays attention to polls.)

###

Potemkin Village, Oscar-Style

2005-04-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that surveys show public aversion to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s stagecraft and gimmickry, the Governor continued the “kitchen cabinet” charade in Santa Rosa yesterday.

Though they are described as simple meetings with average Californians, a Reuters report indicates the staging for the meetings is more Hollywood Blvd than Main Street.

“Schwarzenegger typically attends carefully staged events. On Thursday afternoon he attended his third "Citizens' Kitchen Cabinet," at which he meets a few Californians to talk about public policy issues.

“Anne Speake, who hosted one of the gatherings at her home in Fresno two weeks ago, described extensive preparations. ‘The people started coming out, the lighting people, and they brought out a big generator and cables through my garage,’ she said in an interview.

‘Evidently the people who do the lighting did, for example, Reagan's funeral and the Academy Awards.’” (Reuters, 4/7/05)

The Santa Rosa event was no different than the ones in Fresno and Long Beach. According to the Pool Report filed by the San Francisco Chronicle, the entire group was handpicked by the Chamber of Commerce and the Governor’s staff:

“Nancy Miller, 44, of Santa Rosa, a career pathway and community outreach coordinator for Santa Rosa city schools. She said she was contacted by the executive director of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce about her participation and is a member of the Chamber's Leadership Santa Rosa group…

*Teejay (CQ) Lowe, 29, of Santa Rosa, the director of community relations
for G&G Supermarkets. Lowe said he was contacted by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce president…

*Stacey Camara, 41, a Santa Rosa police officer, who was also contacted by
the Santa Rosa Chamber president…

*Julio Caceres, 31, assistant vice president of First Community Bank in
Santa Rosa, also contacted by the Chamber president…

*Peggy Mays, "50-something," of Sebastopol, administrator of the Santa
Rosa Spine Institute and the Santa Rosa Ambulatory Surgical Center. Mays
said she was chosen for the event after being contacted by her friend, an
attorney, whom she said was a gubernatorial appointee.” (Pool Report, 4/7/05)

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that “advance staffers visited Tuesday and again Wednesday...” and that they were “planning out camera angles and TV lighting in her living room.”

“The attendees said they were asked to keep details confidential before the meeting. They were given materials outlining Schwarzenegger's proposals in advance and background on how the meeting would work during a conference call Wednesday, but they were not restricted in what they could ask.” (Press-Democrat, 4/8/05)

I’m sure the fact that they were hand-picked by the Chamber, coached in advance and dropped into a big-budget production had no impact on types of question these “real” people asked Governor Schwarzenegger.

###

REAL PEOPLE PASS ON POLITICIAN ARNOLD’S AGENDA

2005-04-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times’ George Skelton today reports that a new poll shows “fewer than half of Californians now approve of the way the governor is handling his job, a sharp decline since January.” (http://www2.sjsu.edu/spri/05survey/politicalpressr1.pdf)

Hmmm, what happened in January? Oh yeah, that’s when Arnold the consensus builder became Arnold the partisan politician.

His Republican advisers are deluding themselves into thinking the governor’s slide in public and private polls is anything less than a rejection of the arrogant partisan politics being practiced in 2005 by Schwarzenegger and his surrogates.

Instead of being a Politician and embarking on the Permanent Campaign, the governor ought to return his focus to the job for which he was elected, governing.

One of his spokespeople declared to the Times that the governor’s “strength comes from being out there with the people.”

The People? What people? The Chamber of Commerce-picked “Kitchen Cabinet” participants? The Fat Cat corporate contributors at his recurrent nationwide fundraisers? The staff at his Idaho or Hawaii retreats?

The real people Schwarzenegger should be worried about are the millions of working Californians his bought-and-paid-for-by-the-Chamber-of-Commerce agenda is alienating.

Perhaps feeling some of this pressure, Governor Schwarzenegger today decided to drop his flawed pension “reform” initiative while, of course, still denying there was anything wrong with it.

In his remarks today, the governor threatened, “…our pension reform proposal will go to the ballot in June 2006, and we will win because that’s what the people demand.”

That’s unfortunate. The sooner the governor realizes the “people” he talks to at his fundraisers, staged campaign events and at Chamber meetings are not representative of average Californians, the sooner we can get to addressing the real problems facing our state: Education, Transportation, Healthcare and the Environment.

###

Anyone Joining Arnold’s Army (Besides the Paid Signature Gatherers)?

2005-04-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

While the Bush administration and Republican leaders in Congress are coordinating a month long campaign to overhaul Social Security, GOP elected leaders in California are unusually quiet about Governor’s Schwarzenegger’s “reform” agenda.

According to the latest issue of Roll Call (April 4, 2005):

“Republican spin doctors in Congress hope that all the planned events over the next month will complement the president’s own 60-day speaking tour. Bush reached his 30-day midpoint on Friday.” The article goes on to highlight the activities of the Republican National Committee which has “distributed a 38-page memo to all 50 state Republican parties before sending Members into town hall meetings during the recess. The memo offered polling data, talking points, sample op-eds and letters to the editor, and it contained advice on how state parties can help drive more sympathetic audiences — particularly college students — to GOP lawmakers’ town hall meetings. Republicans have also been encouraged to attend Democratic Social Security events and ask pointed, RNC-scripted questions.”

Meanwhile back in California things seem a little less organized. The Governor is hitting the road on a solo tour and the Republican elected leaders in the state seem to be on an extended Spring Break.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle (April 4, 2005):

“Other GOP insiders in Sacramento say privately that Schwarzenegger is losing the PR war. ‘If they don't get control in the next two weeks,’ one said, ‘(the story line) will be that Schwarzenegger is taking money away from widows and orphans.’

“‘He is suffering right now,’ says Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo, whose February survey showed Schwarzenegger's approval rating at 55 percent, having slipped 10 points in five months.

“‘It wouldn't surprise me if (his job approval ratings) were below 50 percent today,’ says DiCamillo, who notes the biggest decline has been among ‘a very powerful and positive group for him'' -- nearly 1 in 5 state voters who are nonpartisan or ‘decline to state.’”

“Independents Reassessing

“By a 3-1 margin, those independents held positive views of the governor, and now ‘they're starting to turn,’ DiCamillo says; that spells trouble because once those voters develop a negative impression and get turned off, ‘it's harder to win them back.’”

“The voter turnoff stems from the confusing Schwarzenegger agenda, DiCamillo says. ‘They're looking at his plans for a special election and ... they think he's not really fulfilling the job he was elected to do -- which was to govern and make laws.’”

In addition the San Jose Mercury News (April 4, 2005) reported that the Governor’s office is looking to deal.

“There are bills in the Legislature to accomplish the governor's goals. But Schwarzenegger is also pushing ballot initiatives for an anticipated November special election, in the event legislators fail to act.

“‘I think they should be looking at the exit strategy out of a fall campaign,’ Quinn said. ‘These proposals are not ready to go before the people.’

“A GOP operative, who requested anonymity for fear of offending the governor, said Schwarzenegger has lacked a message for months. ‘He has been out-worked and out-organized by the opposition. The governor’s office seems to be flailing away.’”

For a longer list of Republican elected leaders supporting the Governor’s Initiatives you can check the following two websites, but look hard…

http://www.goforitarnold.com/ http://www.citizenstosaveca.org

Assembly Republicans Spin Out of Control

2005-04-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

Admitting to reporters that, "I don't know how it works," didn't stop Republican Assembly Member John Benoit from bashing the Assembly Democrats transportation plan after a Capitol press conference today.

Despite not being armed with any facts, Benoit said it raises taxes by $8 billion (reality: it's revenue neutral, using numbers provided by the LAO, slashing the gas tax immediately by 11 cents); wasn't reviewed by the governor's office (reality: the Speaker met with the Governor's cabinet and legislative secretaries yesterday to discuss how the bill works); and increases borrowing (maybe, but his caucus has had no problem proposing this method to balance the state budget).

Benoit also went on to criticize the federal repeal of the estate tax -- a proposal pushed by President George W. Bush and the Republican Congress.

Meanwhile, the Assembly Republicans have no transportation proposal of their own. Maybe their solution is to ride on the "fairy wings" the Governor talked about in his State of the State address in January.

###

Hey, I’ve Seen This Before…

2005-03-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

With the Cesar Chavez holiday upon us, it looks like the Schwarzenegger Administration is continuing to stick a needle on the eyes of working Californians.

According to a Mercury News story earlier this week, “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's idea of a tribute to [Cesar] Chavez -- to work on Thursday -- is sending an uneasy message to those who worked hard to secure the holiday in the first place.”

When asked if the governor was going to do anything to commemorate the state holiday, a Schwarzenegger aide said, “Certainly there can be no better homage to Cesar Chavez than working.”

Others disagree. ``He doesn't see Cesar Chavez as worthy of having his own holiday,'' said Ray Baeza, chair of the Latino Caucus for the Service Employees International Union, Local 715, in San Jose. ``Perhaps he should go down to the fields and honor farm workers and the great work they do.'' (San Jose Mercury News, March 30, 2005)

In any event, the Schwarzenegger operation does seem to have taken a few shortcuts today. Witness the amazing similarities between today’s Chavez Day Proclamation issued by the Governor’s Office and the bio on the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation Website:

- Proclamation: “Cesar Estrada Chavez was a farm worker, civil rights leader, spiritual figure, environmentalist, consumer advocate and crusader for nonviolent change.”

- Foundation: “Cesar was a civil rights, Latino, farm worker, and labor leader; a religious and spiritual figure; a community servant and social entrepreneur; a crusader for nonviolent social change; and an environmentalist and consumer advocate.”

- Proclamation: “Cesar Chavez founded the first successful farm workers union in American history. His vision inspired an organization whose mission was to reclaim dignity, fair wages, medical coverage, benefits and humane living conditions, as well as many other fundamental rights for hundreds of thousands of people.”

- Foundation: “For more than three decades Cesar led the first successful farm workers union in American history, achieving dignity, respect, fair wages, medical coverage, pension benefits, and humane living conditions, as well as countless other rights and protections for hundreds of thousands of farm workers.”

While imitation can be considered the sincerest form of flattery, one would think the people Cesar Chavez championed deserve more than a cut-and-paste job to honor his memory.

Let’s hope the folks in the Horseshoe at least took some time for lunch today, something the Schwarzenegger Administration tried to deny workers via emergency regulations to change the rules concerning when workers can take meal breaks.

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PLEASE END THE PHONY KITCHEN CABINET TOUR

2005-03-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

Potemkin village \puh-TEM(P)-kin\ n.
Something that appears elaborate and impressive but in actual fact lacks substance:
[After Grigori Aleksandrovich POTEMKIN, who had elaborate fake villages constructed for Catherine the Great's tours of the Ukraine and the Crimea.]
____________________________________________________

Today in California, Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin, has been replaced by Alan Zaremberg, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce.

Playing the role of Catherine the Great is Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger riding a Hummer from village to village.

So far his carefully managed tour has reached such far flung villages as Fresno and Long Beach. Hiding behind the façade built by the Chamber of Commerce and called “reform,” the Governor has met with real people.

These commoners were handpicked by the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce (recently named the California Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Partner of the Year) and the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. The highlights include:

Clips from Long Beach (Long Beach Press Telegram, March 12, 2005):

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's motorcade rolled into one of Long Beach's historic neighborhoods Friday for his first Citizens' Kitchen Cabinet' meeting, giving seven local residents a chance to pitch their questions on redistricting, unions and government downsizing in an unusually intimate setting.

All were connected through the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the governor's visit.

At the end of the meeting, the governor handed out petitions to the group and enlisted their help in gathering the 600,000 signatures needed to get each of his reforms on the California ballot this fall. His top reforms cover redistricting, public employee pensions, and education.
After shaking hands and thanking his hosts, Schwarzenegger walked to his heavily guarded car and declared his first Kitchen Cabinet meeting a success.

"It was unbelievable," he told reporters. "I learned a lot from my new Kitchen Cabinet, and it was a wonderful thing. It's great to be out here with the people."

In Long Beach, the governor’s “kitchen cabinet” was hand picked by the Long Beach Chamber, which also put big money into the governor’s choice for Assembly, Steve Kuykendall. Their PAC contributed over $50,000.00 to Kuykendall. Here is a little background on some of the common folk:

* Janet Nguyen, billed as a newly elected member of the Garden Grove City Council, she also is the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Long Beach Chamber and the lead staffer for the Chamber’s PAC.
* Cheri Kinley, billed as a stay at home mom, she is married to a Board Member of the Long Beach Chamber who also chairs the Chamber’s Government Affairs Council and sits on the Chamber’s PAC committee.
* Kathleen Thurmond, the business owner who hosted the event, happens to be a donor to the Long Beach Chamber PAC.
* Doug Carpenter, owns Paragon Steel and donated money to the governor’s candidate in Long Beach and the recall election.
* Edward Wallace, owns a Landscaping company and donated money to the governor’s candidate in Long Beach.

Clips from Fresno (Fresno Bee, Thursday March 24, 2005):

His main focus was a series of proposals aimed at giving the governor more control over state spending, turning redistricting over to retired judges, changing the way public school teachers are paid and altering the state pension fund.

Schwarzenegger said he likes to visit "with ordinary citizens" to hear their concerns and ideas.

Garcia asked the governor to consider the financial outlook for hospitals, particularly those such as Community that treat large percentages of uninsured patients.

Schwarzenegger was sympathetic and said officials must work on getting health insurance to more people.

The common folk in Fresno included:

· Anne Speake, billed as president of Harbison International Inc., is also former President of the Fresno Chamber and its PAC.

· Barbara Farris, billed as homemaker, is a member of the Fresno County Republican Central Committee (District 5).

Hey Governor – end the phony Chamber of Commerce home tour and get back to work on the real issues facing this state. Maybe YOU can be one of those officials getting health insurance to more people (like that Healthy Families Program that you raved about during the recall campaign…)