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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, Liberal Morons, Politics, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Proposition 78, Special Election 2005
California Special Election Watch: New Television Ads = “The Big Lie”
The Alliance for a Better California has “No on Prop 74†Campaign Releases Two New Television Ads.
Today the “No on Prop 74†campaign released two new television commercials airing statewide to outline the Governor’s continued broken promises and how his initiative will devastate public schools and drive teachers out of the profession.
“It is essential that voters understand just how devastating Prop. 74 really is to our public schools,” said Barbara E. Kerr, president of the California Teachers Association. “At a time when our state will need 100,000 new teachers over the next 10 years, this Governor is working to blame teachers for the problems in our schools and drive both new and experienced teachers out of the profession.”
Watch the new No on 74 commercial “Record.”
Watch the new No on 74 commercial “Stop Playing.”
Let’s look at the “Big Lie (s)”
Commercial #1
Teacher: Governor, you’ve already broken your promises on education. Now you’re sponsoring Proposition 74, a ballot measure that allows one principal to fire a teacher without giving a reason – or even a hearing. While doing nothing to improve teacher training.
Parent: Parents like me are voting no on Prop 74 to send the Governor a message: Stop playing politics with our schools. And get to work on smaller class sizes, up-to-date textbooks, and restoring music and art classes—the things our kids really need.
Proposition 74 official title and summary is here.
• Increases length of time required before a teacher may become a permanent employee from two
complete consecutive school years to fi ve complete consecutive school years.
• Measure applies to teachers whose probationary period commenced during or after the 2003–2004
fiscal year.
• Modifies the process by which school boards can dismiss a permanent teaching employee who receives
two consecutive unsatisfactory performance evaluations.LIE: Proposition 74 does not allow one principal to fire a teacher without giving a reason – or even a hearing.
Current California law gives a school district the right to terminate a probationary teacher already. Proposition 74 will lengthen the probationary period from two to five years.
Commercial #2
NARRATOR:
Before taking Governor Schwarzenegger’s word that his Prop 74 is good for schools…… look at his record:
Schwarzenegger borrowed two billion from our schools and broke his promise to pay it back.
He wants to reduce school funding by another four billion and give himself the power to make more cuts without consulting anyone else.
Now his Prop 74 allows a principal to fire a teacher without giving a reason – or even a hearing.Prop 74. Another bad Schwarzenegger idea that hurts our schools.
LIE: Proposition 74 DOES NOT allow a principal to fire a teacher without giving a reason – or even a hearing. The principal can recommend the school board do that now to a probationary teacher.
LIE: Governor Schwarzenegger has actually budgeted increased funding for California Schools to the tune of $3 Billion.
Flap is looking forward to Governor Schwarzenegger’s reply.
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
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, California, Politics, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Special Election 2005
California Special Election Watch: New Poll Results
A new California Special Election Poll has been released by SurveyUSA.
Data Collected: 09/30/2005 – 10/02/2005
Release Date: 10/03/2005 12:25 PM ET
Sponsoring News Organizations: KABC-TV Los Angeles, KPIX-TV San FranciscoAnalysis: In an election today, 10/3/05, 36 days 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 532 likely voters. Proposition 74, on teacher tenure, passes today by 11 points, 55% to 44%. Propositions 73, 75, 76, and 77 all pass by at least 20 points. Republicans support all 5 Propositions by at least a 57-point margin. Democrats oppose all 5 Propositions by at least a 10-point margin. Support for all 5 measures is strongly tied to approval of Governor Schwarzenegger. Those who approve of the job the Governor is doing, vote overwhelming “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, perhaps significantly.
Summary:
59% Yes
39% No
2% Undecided55% Yes
44% No
2% Undecided60% Yes
37% No
3% Undecided58% Yes
36% No
6% Undecided59% Yes
36% No
5% UndecidedAn interesting result.
Contrast this poll with the latest PPIC poll.
Thirty days from election day…….let the media campaign begin.
Has anyone done an analysis as to who will actually bother to go to the polls and vote?
Update #1
Dan Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee has his take on the poll, Poll shows gov’s measures ahead.
The Schwarzenegger camp is touting the first public poll to show the governor’s initiatives leading. You can find it here. It’s a SurveyUSA poll done for some California television stations. The firm’s polls have taken flak in the past because they use recorded voices to question voters. But they do have a decent track record. One thing unique about this particular poll is that it uses very short, simple (but accurate) questions on the ballot measures instead of the more legalistic ballot language preferred by the established California public polls, like Field and PPIC. The biggest difference between this poll’s results and earlier public polls is that this one shows independents siding with Schwarzenegger rather than against him.
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
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, California, Politics, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Proposition 78, Proposition 79, Proposition 80, Special Election 2005
California Special Election Watch: Latest Public Policy Institute of California Poll
The Public Plicy Institute of California has its latest poll, PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on Californians and the Initiative Process, September 2005.
The poll numbers are not favorable for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, the poll was conducted prior to the beginning Governor’s television campaign and did not poll on proposition 75, the Paycheck Protection Initiative.
Ok, here are the numbers:
* Proposition 74 (teacher tenure), 43% yes, 47% no
* Proposition 76 (spending and funding limits), 26% yes, 63% no
* Proposition 77 (redistricting), 33% yes, 50% no
* Proposition 78 (prescription drug discounts), 43% yes, 38% no
* Proposition 79 (prescription drug discounts), 34% yes, 40% no
The Governor’s personal poll numbers are unfavorable as well:
Currently, 33 percent of Californians approve and 58 percent disapprove of the way Governor Schwarzenegger is handling his job as governor. His ratings today are similar to those of the state legislature (32% approve, 53% disapprove). Fewer Californians today than one year ago say the governor is doing an excellent or good job working for their best interests (from 46% to 28%). Likely voters are slightly more supportive of the governor than are Californians generally: 38 percent approve of his performance in office, while 55 percent disapprove. His ratings were virtually
unchanged before and after he announced his reelection plans on September 16th.Flap believes the Governor can turn these numbers around with more media exposure – meaning television. The public employee unions have spent tens of millions of dollars and the Governor was late in raising and matching media dollars.
Time is fleeting for the Governor and the television spots need to be increased in frequency.
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Proposition 78, Proposition 79
Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, California, Election 2006, Politics, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Special Election 2005
California Special Election Watch: Why Schwarzenegger Has Already Won the Election II
Robert Sallady of the Los Angeles Times has Initiative Drive Puts ’06 Governor’s Race in Gear.
Schwarzenegger has called a special election for this November, not next year when he is up for reelection. That has added heat at a time when politicians traditionally would be trying in vain to get attention while also quietly filling their war chests.
The special election has allowed Schwarzenegger and his chief rivals to piggyback on the tens of millions of dollars being collected for the Nov. 8 initiative fight, promoting themselves along the way. It will allow Schwarzenegger to appear in more TV ads than he might otherwise.
“It allows him to kick-start his reform package but also his gubernatorial campaign — by being very present in the voters’ minds and constantly dominating the airwaves,” said Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause.
The MSM is finally GETTING IT. Maybe……..
Flap has been writing that the Governor has already WON the November Special Election for months.
Dan Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee agrees.
But, Sallady misses the point by dwelling on how November initiative losses will aid Democrat Governor hopefuls California State Treasurer Phil Angelides and California Controller Steve Westly.
The California public employee unions will be drained dry with the November special election media buys and they risk alienating more of their members with increasing dues assessments to fund more television. Whether these unions can spend enough to promote their gubernatorial candidates and defend against other elecion year initiatives is doubtful.
In the meantime, Arnold will be on the airwaves every day for the next six weeks promoting a REFORM agenda (Propositions 74, 75, 76, 77) and fulfilling his promises to the voters made during the recall election.
The Governor has WON.
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
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, California, Politics, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Special Election 2005
California Special Election Watch: Schwarzenegger’s Media Campaign Begins
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has begn his long-waited media advertising campaign. The television ads can be seen at the Governor’s Join Arnold website.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has launched his first salvo of television advertising in the November Special Election. The first spot, titled “Package,†features California voters fed up with Sacramento’s broken system. The second commercial, titled “Rebuild†features the Governor speaking to the people explaining his vision for California and the need to reform California this year so we can rebuild California next year.
“The big government union bosses have focused their millions of dollars tearing me down because they know they cannot defeat my ideas,†said Gov. Schwarzenegger. “Now is the time to fight for reform. We have the opportunity to put our reform agenda in front of the people so they can vote for change and against the status quo that has paralyzed and broken Sacramento.â€
Union bosses have raised more than $75 million this year in their fight to preserve the status quo and block the Governor’s reforms, spending tens of millions already on bogus attack ads against the Governor.
The two 30-second spots will hit the air in the next 24 hours.
FINALLY!
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
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, California, Politics, Proposition 77, Special Election 2005
California Special Election Watch: Proposition 77 Break With California Governor Schwarzenegger
The ASSociated Press has Redistricting proponents break with governor, form own campaign.
A key supporter of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s redistricting measure announced plans Tuesday to form an independent, nonpartisan campaign supporting Proposition 77 – largely over fears the measure will fail if tied directly to Schwarzenegger’s other Republican-backed ballot initiatives.
Bill Mundell, a Southern California businessman who donated more than $300,000 to help qualify the redistricting measure for the ballot, said his new group would operate separately from the governor’s California Recovery Team in support of the initiative.
Flap supposes Bill Mundell finally GOT it.
The move comes on the same day the California Recovery Team announced that Steve Poizner, a Silicon Valley billionaire and Republican candidate for Insurance Commissioner next year, will head up the Schwarzenegger-backed committee also pushing Proposition 77.
Flap supposes more money is talking here and, of course, MORE POLITICAL AMBITION.
Poizner has more of a chance to win in November 2006 against Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamonte for California Insurance Commissioner than Mundell has over incumbent U. S. Senator Dianne Feinstein.
The proposition, one of three “year of reform” initiatives that Schwarzenegger helped put on the ballot for a special election Nov. 8, would strip lawmakers of their power to draw Congressional and state legislative boundaries, handing the job to a panel of retired judges.
Mundell, a Republican likely to challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2006, said Prop. 77 will only succeed if voters believe it is a nonpartisan effort to restore fairness to the political system.
“We don’t want to be lumped into an overall opposition attack on the special election,” he said. “We feel Prop 77 is the most fundamental of all the reform initiatives, and our biggest fear is that it gets swept into a neat box of partisanship.”
But Pat Caddell, a longtime Democratic consultant who serves on the board of Californians for Fair Redistricting, was more blunt, saying Schwarzenegger’s largely Republican group of advisers had hijacked the measure and undercut its goals.
“I think Schwarzenegger does care about democracy, and there are Democrats who would support a legitimate redistricting initiative that would put the people first,” Caddell said. “But his people have undercut this thing from day one, and the way they are going, they will certainly sink it.”
Proposition 77 has a long way to go. It may be sunk in any case.
The latest Field Poll has it losing by 14 points.But, the good news for a fair redistricting and apportionment is that another initiative petition could be circulated for the November 2006 ballot..
This split does nothing to increase the measure’s passage and remember whether it wins or not in November the measure will be ultimately decided in the California Supreme Court due to the FLAP over flawed circulated initiative petitions.
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
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, California, Politics, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Proposition 78, Proposition 79, Proposition 80, Special Election 2005
California Special Election Watch: Alliance for a Better California Blog
The Alliance for a Better California has a Blog.
The Alliance for a Better California represents nearly 2 million teachers, firefighters, nurses, health care workers and average, every day people who are devoting our careers to helping others. For some reason Governor Schwarzenegger has decided that we are the enemy. We are not. We want what’s best for Californians and we don’t understand why the Governor is blaming us for all the problems of our state.
Instead of dealing with the problems Californians care about, the Governor is still pursuing an agenda that will do nothing to fix schools, traffic or the state’s budget — and he’s still threatening to hold a special election costing taxpayers $70 million on ideas that aren’t ready for prime time.
Governor Schwarzenegger is out of touch with the people he claims to represent, and we won’t be fooled by his empty promises. If he insists on holding an unnecessary and expensive special election, we will put our own good ideas directly before the voters of California, and we will win.
The Alliance for a Better California includes:
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
* Association of California School Administrators (ACSA)
* California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA)
* California Faculty Association (CFA)
* California Federation of Teachers (CFT)
* California Labor Federation
* California Professional Firefighters (CPF)
* California School Employees Association (CSEA)
* California Teachers Association (CTA)
* Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC)
* Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
* SEIU Local 1000Flap notices that the supporters are all public employee unions……
Oh! What a surprise.
These folks are the new Southern Pacific Railroad of the 21st Century.
Keep up with all of the Lefties and the California Special Election – tune in here.
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Proposition 74, Proposition 80
Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page
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California Special Election: Schwarzenegger Will Consider Raising Taxes if Proposition 76 Fails – A FACT
UPDATE:
Dan Weintraub in today’s Sacramento Bee has If Proposition 76 fails, a tax hike could be next.
Read the whole piece here.
Schwarzenegger promised as a candidate in 2003 to balance the budget without raising taxes. He has reduced the gap between spending and revenues from about $10 billion when he took office to closer to $6 billion today. And he has proposed cuts that would have reduced the gap further had they not been rejected by lawmakers. Now he is telling voters he needs their help to finish the job. He needs the tools Proposition 76 provides if he is going to fulfill the pledge he made before he was elected.
By defeating Proposition 76, if that is what they do, the voters would be saying they don’t like his plans for balancing the budget and want him to move in a different direction. At that point, all of the options would have to be on the table, including a tax increase. That’s not a threat. It’s a fact.
Indeed.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visits residents at the Villages at Cabrillo in Long Beach, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, where he pressed for ballot initiatives set to go before voters in a Nov. 8 special election.
Sacramento Bee columnist and blogger, Dan Weintraub has Gov: Will consider taxes if 76 fails.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said today he would be forced to consider raising taxes if voters don’t pass his budget reform, Proposition 76, on the Nov. 8 ballo
Is this a surprise?
The California state budget has had structural deficits since Governor Gray Davis was elected and bankrupted the state.
Proposition 76 restores the authority that the Governor of California had between 1939 and 1983 to make mid-year spending cuts whenever spending outpaces revenue without having to return to the legislature.
Why is it trailing so badly in the polls?
I interviewed Schwarzenegger on KTKZ 1380 in Sacramento this morning and asked him if his reform proposal was his last shot at balancing the budget without raising taxes, as he pledged to do when he ran for governor in 2003. Schwarzenegger has said that Proposition 76 is a crucial piece of his plan to finish erasing the state’s structural budget gap, which has shrunk from about $10 billion to $6 billion since he was elected. But he’s never said what he would do if the voters decided they don’t want to give him the tools he says he needs. I asked him about that possible scenario.
Here is a transcript of the exchange:
Governor: “I think we have to understand, there’s only two ways to balance a budget. Theres only two ways to go. One is that we live within our means and that we only spend what we have, which is the way we should go, the responsible way. The other one is the way, the direction they are going right now, which is to spend more and more money and what they want to do is drive us into a corner so that they can raise taxes.”
Weintraub: “You’ve put the solution out there, you’ve put your answer out there. If it is not adopted, won’t you then be into that very corner and forced to consider —
Governor: “Absolutely. Absolutely. Then we have to look at raising taxes. Because this is the only option we have in order to create the money. This is why I tell people, vote yes on Proposition 76, and make sure that we do everything we can to pass this proposition so that we force our legislators once and for all to live within their means and not to continue spending money and to keep making promises to people that they can’t keep.”
California voters will have a clear choice this November.
Reform or Tax Increases.
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 76
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, California, Politics, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Proposition 78, Proposition 80, Special Election 2005
California Special Election Watch: Latest Field Poll
The Sacramento Bee has Governor’s far behind on 2 issues, Spending limits and redistricting trail, while teacher tenure holds onto poll lead.
Two of the three initiatives Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed to fix California government are losing badly and a third is trending in the same direction – toward defeat, according to a new Field Poll.
A fourth initiative aimed at the financial heart of Schwarzenegger’s union-funded political opposition continues to hold a substantial lead, although a huge bankroll of labor-generated campaign cash poses a threat to the measure.
The Field Poll is here.
Proposition 75 (Public Employee Union Dues) Paycheck Protection:In its latest statewide survey, The Field Poll finds the Yes side on Prop. 75 maintaining a large
twenty-three point lead, unchanged from an earlier poll in June.This measure would prohibit public employee labor organizations from using dues or fees from its
members for political contributions unless the employee provides prior written consent. Currently, 55% of likely voters favor the measure, while 32% are on the No side. This division of sentiment is virtually the same as was found in June, when it was 57% Yes and 34% No. Democrats and non-partisans are only narrowly supporting Prop. 75, while Republicans are overwhelmingly in favor 71% to 22%. Men and women, as well as voters in Southern and Northern California, currently favor Prop. 75.Proposition 74 (Public School Teacher’s Tenure)
The Yes side on Prop. 74 continues to lead by nine points (46% to 37%), its preference margin is down from a twenty-nine point lead in June.
Prop. 74 is a measure called the “Public School Teachers: Waiting Period for Permanent Status;
Dismissal†initiative. It would increase the probationary period for public school teachers from
two to five years and modifies the process by which school boards can dismiss teaching employees who have received two consecutive unsatisfactory performance evaluations. The current poll shows that there has also been a big change in voter sentiment on this proposition. In June the Yes side had a large two-to-one lead – 61% to 32%. Now, Prop. 74 leads only narrowly, 46% Yes to 37% No.
While the Yes side maintains the lead overall, the poll shows that shifts in the opinion away from
Yes to No have among all voter sub-groups.Proposition 76 (State Spending and School Funding Limits)
The measure which is reportedly the linchpin of the government reform measures being backed by
Governor Schwarzenegger is Prop. 76, the “School Spending and State Spending†initiative. According to its official ballot summary, Prop. 76 would limit state spending to prior year levels
plus the average revenue growth of the three previous years. It would also change the minimum
school funding requirements under Prop. 98 and permits the Governor to reduce state budgets
under certain circumstances. After being read this summary, the likely voters interviewed in this survey were asked how they would vote if the election were being held today. Statewide, 65% say they would vote No, 19%would vote Yes and 16% are undecided. This represents a big increase in opposition to Prop. 76 from what was found in an earlier June Field Poll, when its lead was only seven points (42% to 35%). Remarkably, majorities or pluralities across all voter subgroups, Democrats, Republicans, nonpartisans, men, women, Southern and Northern California, say they are disposed to vote No on Prop. 76.Proposition 77 (Redistricting)
There has been no significant change in the voter preferences on Prop. 77 over the past two
months. The No side is leading 46% to 32%, about where it was in June.Prop. 77 amends the state constitution’s process for redistricting California’s Senate, Assembly,
Congressional and Board of Equalization districts. In both the June and late August surveys more voters were inclined to vote No than Yes by margins of eleven to fourteen points. Democrats and non-partisans are strongly opposed to Prop. 77, while Republicans are supporting it. Women are strongly opposed 47% to 23%, while men only slightly so (45% to 42%). Opposition to the initiative is somewhat less among voters who had some prior knowledge of the initiative prior to their being surveyed than among voters who had not heard of the measure.
Proposition 80 (Electric Service Providers Regulation)Prop. 80 subjects electric service providers to regulation by the California Public Utilities
Commission, restricts consumers’ ability to switch from private utilities to other providers, and
requires that all retail suppliers of electricity increase their renewal energy resource purchases by
2010.
Only a relatively small proportion (17%) of voters were aware of this initiative, which has not
been getting as much media attention as the other propositions.
Voter sentiment at this time divides almost evenly into three groups: 33% Yes, 35% No and 32% undecided.Good news for Proposition 75 in the polls and in that the special interest public employee unions are commiting some serious campaign cash to defeat it. Campaign money that will not be available next year, particularly since the national labor movement is in disarray and declining.
Flap has always thought Proposition 76 and 77 were dog of initiatives. The voters don’t understand and most folks do not care about such measures. This is inside Sacramento politics and voters are disinterested – no matter how much is spent on a media campaign.
When Proposition 76 goes down, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is free to raise taxes to balance the California state budget and raise he will….. with the consent of the electorate.
When Propositiion 77 fails, then the Governor can blame the gerrymandered Democrat legislature for spending the state bankrupt.
Flap recommends the Governor concentrate his resources on:
1. Proposition 75 (Paycheck Protection)
2. His re-election campaign fund
California business who will be affected by the coming state tax increases better get busy supporting the Governor because they know that an Angelides or Westly governorship will mean even HIGHER taxes and MORE regulation – all controlled by the public employee unions.
Oh, by the way, the Governor has already won the special election.
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Proposition 74, Proposition 80
Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bear Flag League, California, Politics, Proposition 77, Special Election 2005
California Special Election: Schwarzenegger Will Consider Raising Taxes if Proposition 76 Fails
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visits residents at the Villages at Cabrillo in Long Beach, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, where he pressed for ballot initiatives set to go before voters in a Nov. 8 special election.
Sacramento Bee columnist and blogger, Dan Weintraub has Gov: Will consider taxes if 76 fails.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said today he would be forced to consider raising taxes if voters don’t pass his budget reform, Proposition 76, on the Nov. 8 ballo
Is this a surprise?
The California state budget has had structural deficits since Governor Gray Davis was elected and bankrupted the state.
Proposition 76 restores the authority that the Governor of California had between 1939 and 1983 to make mid-year spending cuts whenever spending outpaces revenue without having to return to the legislature.
Why is it trailing so badly in the polls?
I interviewed Schwarzenegger on KTKZ 1380 in Sacramento this morning and asked him if his reform proposal was his last shot at balancing the budget without raising taxes, as he pledged to do when he ran for governor in 2003. Schwarzenegger has said that Proposition 76 is a crucial piece of his plan to finish erasing the state’s structural budget gap, which has shrunk from about $10 billion to $6 billion since he was elected. But he’s never said what he would do if the voters decided they don’t want to give him the tools he says he needs. I asked him about that possible scenario.
Here is a transcript of the exchange:
Governor: “I think we have to understand, there’s only two ways to balance a budget. Theres only two ways to go. One is that we live within our means and that we only spend what we have, which is the way we should go, the responsible way. The other one is the way, the direction they are going right now, which is to spend more and more money and what they want to do is drive us into a corner so that they can raise taxes.”
Weintraub: “You’ve put the solution out there, you’ve put your answer out there. If it is not adopted, won’t you then be into that very corner and forced to consider —
Governor: “Absolutely. Absolutely. Then we have to look at raising taxes. Because this is the only option we have in order to create the money. This is why I tell people, vote yes on Proposition 76, and make sure that we do everything we can to pass this proposition so that we force our legislators once and for all to live within their means and not to continue spending money and to keep making promises to people that they can’t keep.”
California voters will have a clear choice this November.
Reform or Tax Increases.
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