California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks at a town hall-style meeting promoting his special election campaign, in the backyard of Jon and Lauri Irvine’s residence in Arcadia, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005.

The ASSociated Press has Schwarzenegger Vows to Rein in Spending.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warned Wednesday that legislators could push California into a nightmarish era of higher taxes and runaway spending unless voters endorse his proposal to place tighter controls on the state budget.

In a staged poolside appearance at a private home, the Republican governor told an invitation-only audience that Proposition 76 would give him the tools to fend off a Legislature eager to dig deeper into taxpayers’ pockets.

He also suggested that without greater budget discipline, the state might be unable to meet the mounting demands for everything from electric power to health care to highways.

“They have come to me with ideas like raising the property tax, raising the income tax, raising the taxes on the rich, raising the sales tax, and the tax on gasoline,” the governor said, referring to the Legislature’s Democratic leadership, which opposes the initiative.

Schwarzenegger said Democratic leaders “always want more because they are spending addicts — they cannot help themselves.”

Schwarzenegger is reintroducing and reinforcing the tax and spend themes of his first “recall” election. Proposition 76 limits growth in state spending so that it does not exceed recent growth in state revenues.

The latest poll shows it winning:

54% Yes
41% No
5% Undecided

But, the classless union bosses had their goons out in force to protest – even at this private home:

Protesting firefighters refuse to shake hands with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after he spoke at a town hall meeting promoting his special election campaign at a private residence in Arcadia, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005. The firefighters were protesting Schwarzenneger’s proposals to change state government.

This reminds Flap of those idiota and RUDE union leader firefighters from L.A. and Ventura County who a few weeks ago MOANED about being “ordered” to be present with the Governor when Schwarzenegger came to thank them for their service here in the Conejo Valley.

Stay tuned as the town halls continue and the Governor meets up with Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante for a quasi debate on Friday.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 76

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, talks with Marco Rodriquez, seated at right, during a break in the taping of a Spanish-language talk show at the Univision Television station held in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005. Schwarzenegger appeared on the policy and political debate program ‘Voz Y Voto’, where he discussed his ballot initiatives on the upcoming Nov. 8th special election and took a few questions from the audience. The show is to be broadcast Saturday.

The ASSociated Press and San Francisco Chronicle has Select Hispanic audience questions Schwarzenegger on immigration.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took his special election campaign before a hand-picked Hispanic audience that was more interested in asking him about amnesty and driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants than his “year of reform” ballot measures.

Schwarzenegger’s appearance Tuesday in the capital studio of Spanish-language television network Univision was another step in his attempt to connect with voters two weeks before they decide his proposals to change state government.

Schwarzenegger on the road………

Will his personal poll numbers improve?

The Governor is in a two minute drill towards the California special election.

But, the unions and their leftie lackies are already moaning about the event.

Critics immediately assailed the Univision session because it did not provide time for any of his opponents to speak. Univision’s chairman, Jerry Perenchio, is one of the governor’s largest campaign supporters, having donated more than $3 million to Schwarzenegger campaign committees since he took office two years ago.

“This amounts to a one-hour infomercial for the governor,” said Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the Alliance for a Better California, the coalition of labor groups opposing the governor’s ballot agenda. “It is nothing more than one of his biggest contributors providing him the opportunity to deliver his message on his terms.”

The question-and-answer session will be broadcast statewide Saturday on Univision stations. The company controls two broadcast networks and is the nation’s dominant Spanish-language media company.

Flap recommends a debate.

How about Schwarzenegger vs. Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante in Fresno this Friday?

How about it, Alliance for a Better California, and the California Teachers Association?

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger responds to questions during the Special Election Showdown, at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, Calif., Monday Oct. 24, 2005. Schwarzenegger and state Sen. Don Perata and others appeared at the forum to discuss issues in California’s upcoming election.

The ASSociated Press has Schwarzenegger: Special Election Crucial.

Defending his November special election before an audience of voters, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday the ballot initiatives are crucial to continue changes he launched two years ago.

He cast the Nov. 8 election as the next step of the 2003 recall election that propelled him to office. Voters, he said, sent him to Sacramento to rebuild the state’s economy and fix a moribund political system.

“We need reform. We have a broken system. That’s why you sent me to Sacramento — to fix the broken system,” he said. “Please give me the tools.”

He contended his policies have created 400,000 new jobs and billions in new revenue.

The 90-minute forum in the east San Francisco Bay area was the first time Schwarzenegger sat for an extended time to field unscripted questions from an audience not chosen by his staff.

Dan Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee was live-blogging the event.

Check out his coverage here.

My take

We’ll have to see if anybody’s watching this forum or will watch others if they are held. But if the governor is smart, he’ll barnstorm the state and do them in every city. Most voters haven’t seen Schwarzenegger since the campaign, other than in brief snips on the news. They’ve seen and heard him portrayed as an ogre, a bully, an idiot. But his command of the issues is far better than it was two years ago, and he can articulately make his case for his measures, even in the face of tough questions from voters who disagree with him. He relied on his stump speech material at times, but he wasn’t overly scripted. He mixed in humor. He used anecdotes to make his points. He wasn’t perfect. But he was close to it. His opponents weren’t terrible, but they were what they were: defenders of the status quo. If two-thirds of Californians think the state is going in the wrong direction, they’re not likely to be convinced by these folks that everything is just fine.

Sacramento Bee Columnist Dan Walters and Proposition 77’s Steve Poizner, Photo Courtesy of Dan Weintraub

The Governor is performing well and although he has already won the special election, he may be initiating a new era in California governance.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page

President Bush and wife Laura at the dedication of an Air Force One exhibit at the Reagan Library.

The San Francisco Chronicle has Bush visit stirs election anxiety Governor skips event — his backers call trip ill-timed

President Bush sought to draw a link between himself and former President Ronald Reagan on Friday, comparing his war on terrorism to the Cold War — even as a political cold war continued between Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was a glaring no-show during the president’s two-day California trip.

Reagan “recognized that freedom was opposed by dangerous enemies,” Bush said at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library here. “And … America has always prevailed by standing firmly on principles and never backing down in the face of evil.”

But Bush’s visit, at a party fundraiser Thursday night and at the dedication Friday of an Air Force One exhibit at the library before an audience of high-profile state and national Republicans, was termed “ill-timed” by supporters of the governor, who is facing a difficult special election in just over two weeks.

So, what affect will this FLAP have on the California Special Election?

Well, at least the Governor did not have to witness the Bush/Arnold hybrid protesters.

“The governor’s got challenges, and it’s a very tense time for both of them,” said Ken Khachigian, a former Reagan speechwriter and longtime political adviser. “I think they’re both extremely focused on what they’re doing, and as a result, the challenges are higher and the emotions rise.

“… The president’s trip to California will have no effect on the outcome of the special election, and the governor’s not showing up here will have no effect on President Bush,” Khachigian said. “Staff people just got carried away on both sides.”

Agreed!

The President had a good event and the Governor had a few bad press pieces but the FLAP will all but be forgotten by Monday’s press cycle.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, George Bush, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Bear Flag League

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page

and

Cross Posted to the SoCal Law Blog

Previously on Flap, California Special Election Watch: New Poll Results

A new Survey USA Poll has been released.

In an election today, 10/18/05, 3 weeks to the 11/8/05 vote, California voters approve Proposition 73, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76 and Proposition 77, according to an exclusive SurveyUSA poll of 613 likely voters.

Support for all 5 measures is strongly tied to approval of Governor Schwarzenegger. Those who approve of the job the Governor is doing, vote overwhelmingly “Yes” on all 5 Propositions. Those who disapprove of the job the Governor is doing oppose all 5 Propositions. Interest in ballot measures intensifies as the election approaches and ad dollars are spent to influence voters. These numbers can and should be expected to fluctuate,

Proposition 73 requires that physicians notify the parent of a pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion. If the special election were today, and you were standing in the voting booth right now, would you vote Yes on Proposition 73? Or would you vote No?

60% Yes
38% No
2% Undecided

Proposition 74 extends the probationary period for new teachers from 2 years to 5 years, and makes it easier to dismiss teachers with unsatisfactory performance evaluations. If the special election were today, would you vote Yes on Proposition 74? Or would you vote No?

53% Yes
45% No
1% Undecided

Proposition 75 prohibits public employee unions from using union dues for political purposes without the written consent of union members. If the special election were today, would you vote Yes on Proposition 75? Or would you vote no?

56% Yes
42% No
2% Undecided

Proposition 76 limits growth in state spending so that it does not exceed recent growth in state revenues. If the special election were today, would you vote Yes on Proposition 76? Or would you vote no?

54% Yes
41% No
5% Undecided

Proposition 77 changes the way California draws boundaries for Congressional and legislative districts. District boundaries would be drawn by a panel of retired judges and approved by voters in a statewide election. If the special election were today, would you vote Yes on 77? Or would you vote no?

54% Yes
41% No
5% Undecided

This is continued good news for the Governor.

Absentee ballots have been mailed and requests for them are greater than Arnold’s last election in 2003.

Elections officials in Los Angeles County, which is home to nearly a quarter of California’s registered voters, already have sent out 445,784 absentee ballots. That’s up from 338,747 at the same point in the 2004 primary race and 350,747 in the recall.

“We’re actually running closer to the numbers we saw in the 2004 general election,” said Kristin Heffron, chief deputy registrar for Los Angeles County.

There’s a similar situation in Santa Clara County, where the 200,972 absentee ballots already mailed to voters are more than the 132,965 issued in the 2004 primary and not far behind the 232,231 mailed out for the November general election.

“I think there’s interest out there,” said Alma Rosas, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara Country registrar. “It’s not like a governor’s race, with a 50 percent turnout, or the 70 percent that turns out for a presidential race, but we’re looking at a 40 to 45 percent turnout, like for a primary.”

Stay Tuned.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page

Mobilizing America’s Youth (MAY) is an all-partisan network dedicated to educating, empowering, and energizing young people to increase our civic engagement and political participation.

The element that sets MAY apart from many similar organizations across the country is that we aim to EMPOWER youth to advocate on behalf of their passions and to become the change they would like to see in their communities. This element of political involvement goes one step beyond just registering and voting, but it gives youth a reason to vote and a sense of why it is important to be involved. By learning about how issues affecting their lives can be influenced by public policy, then getting out there and voicing their opinions, America’s youth will be increasingly engaged for years to come.

On Monday, October 24, MAY and Mobilize.org are launching their “What Are YOUR Boundaries?” RV Tour in support of Proposition 77, the California Redistricting Initiative.

The Mobilize.org RV Tour has one major purpose and one major goal. The purpose is to educate, empower, and energize young people throughout the state for the upcoming special election, and our goal is to pass the Voter Empowerment Act – Proposition 77. The RV tour is historic and the first of its kind as no other independent organization has hosted such an event exclusively devoted to a single proposition.

Mobilize.org believes that redistricting is the best way to end the political deadlock in California. We have built a strong coalition of support to help us get that message to America’s youth.

Mobilize.org’s blog is located here.

The official kick-off will consist of an editorial board conference call with college newspapers throughout the state on Monday, September 24th at 3 PM.

Stay tuned for more about this youth/college oriented RV tour in support of Proposition 77.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 77

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page

The Hoover Institution has Poll: Race Too Close to Call for Two Schwarzenegger Propositions.

A Stanford University-Hoover Institution-Knowledge Networks (S-H-KN) online survey shows two of the statewide ballot propositions backed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in a statistical dead heat.

Prop. 74 (Teacher Tenure) and Prop. 77 (Redistricting) both split likely California voters right down the middle.

Another Schwarzenegger initiative, Prop. 76 (State Spending and School Funding Limits), is trailing by a wide margin, with 70% of likely California voters saying they will vote against it.

Prop. 75 (Public Employee Union Dues), endorsed by the Governor, currently has a commanding majority, with 70% of likely voters saying they will vote in favor.

This poll has a different methodology than the traditional telephone poll but looks promising for the Governor.

Flap senses that Proposition 75, Paycheck Protection Initiative is poised to win decisively.

Pressure will be on the Join Arnold folks to win 74 and 77, although 77 will be challenged by the Democrats in the courts (remember there is a stayed lawsuit about initiative circulation issues).

While the current numbers are generally consistent with other recent surveys conducted by the Field Poll and the Public Policy Institute of California, the S-H-KN survey indicates that support for both Proposition 74 and Proposition 77 is higher than previously reported. In the S-H-KN poll respondents view a facsimile of the actual ballot on their computer screens and make yes or no vote decisions just as they will do in the upcoming special election. No undecided option is offered, although survey respondents can choose not to vote on a proposition just as voters can in the election. Consistent with S-H-KN polling in the 2003 recall election (see www.knowledgenetworks.com/ganp for all materials related to this press release), this methodology resulted in far fewer undecided responses than telephone surveying.

The survey also tracked how the other four initiatives on the November ballot are faring.

The S-H-KN poll has the following for the other propositions:

Prop. 73 (Parental Notification) is currently leading by a margin of 54% to 46%, but this margin is within sampling error of the survey.

Prop. 78 is leading 59% to 41%

Prop. 79 is leading 58% to 42%

Since these are competing initiatives whichever receives the most positive votes wins.

Prop. 80 the final statewide initiative to appear on the November ballot (Electric Service Providers Regulation), currently trails by a wide margin. The poll finds that only 37% of likely voters are currently in favor, with 63% opposed.

The media campaigns are in full swing and Flap has noticed a reduced frequency in the Los Angeles market for big unions’ ads.

Are they out of money?

Will the California Teachers Association mortgage their future and/or be headed toward bankruptcy due to unwise media spending?

Stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Proposition 73, Proposition 78, Proposition 79, Proposition 80, Hoover Institution, Proposition 73

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page

and

Cross Posted to the SoCal Law Blog

The New York Times has Schwarzenegger Enters Debate Over Redistricting in Ohio.

Separate ballot measures in California and Ohio to remove lawmakers from the drawing of legislative districts have been dogged by accusations that they are essentially partisan power grabs.

Now Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, hopes to counter those claims by throwing his weight behind the Ohio measure, even though no prominent Republican elected official in that state has done so and many Republican lawmakers there are raising money to defeat it.

A campaign aide to Mr. Schwarzenegger, Darrel Ng, said Monday that the governor endorsed the Ohio measure, known on the Nov. 8 ballot as Issue 4, though he has not said so publicly. A top supporter of the measures in both states said Mr. Schwarzenegger would participate in a series of public events this week to signal his stance.

“He has agreed to do it,” said the supporter, Chellie Pingree, president of Common Cause, a watchdog group that is pushing for redistricting changes in more than a dozen states, including California and Ohio.

A calculated risk for the Governor that will undoubtedly rankle the House Republican leadership.

However, he, like John McCain can be viewed as a maverick who does what he thinks is RIGHT- without regard to Republican Party advantage.

Flap handicaps this to be a slight plus in California with independent voters who are now completing absentee ballots.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 77, Issue 4

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page