Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I guess you liberals have a short memory, yet again. When Arnold took over it was due to a special emergency election. Remember that? Governor Davis ring a bell? The state was bankrupt and it was an amazing feat the Arnold kept the government even running after he took office. It has been a huge battle ever since.
And let us not forget, the state is run by Democrats at over a 2-1 margin.
My God what a skewed rendering of history! And what was it that caused the governmental crisis for Davis? The Enron-induced sham electricity crisis, which was a product of REPUBLICAN anti-regulation of the interstate electricity grid! And you must think that Arnold is a great orthodox Repub as a governor! Guess again!
Schwarzenegger has proposed many big $$ items since becoming governor. Don't blame it on the Democrats that the state is in a fiscal crisis. We need to stop sending so much money to a corrupt federal government that lied our nation into a worthless war & now has created Great Depression II.
As you point out, the initiative system in California allows all citizens to vote on expensive programs that are nearly always approved by both Democrats & Republicans!
Which big$$ are you referring to specifically?
Do you recall the last ballot initiatives that Arnold proposed curbing government spending? How many of them were approved by voters? Republicans are out numbers by far and if a proposal smells of a Republican it will get shot down... You know as well as I do that this state is run by liberal ideologies and Democrats. California is the liberal mecca of the world and it shows in everything... educational systems (second lowest in the NATION), our far and wide problems with illegal immigration, unstable revenue sources (the rich pay over 80% of our state income tax revenue... national average... approx. 51%), hostile business environment (high corporate tax rate, unions, rent control - we even allow rent control for gang bangers).
California needs to come back to the middle of the political spectrum and stop blaming the Federal government for our problems and take a good, hard look at what/why we vote for idiots who can't balance a checkbook. It doesn't matter what the Federal government owes us. We have the 7th largest economy on the planet... we have no business being the worst at everything (except entertainment) and the deepest in debt out all the states in this country.
Do you recall the last ballot initiatives that Arnold proposed curbing government spending? How many of them were approved by voters? Republicans are out numbers by far and if a proposal smells of a Republican it will get shot down... You know as well as I do that this state is run by liberal ideologies and Democrats. California is the liberal mecca of the world and it shows in everything... educational systems (second lowest in the NATION), our far and wide problems with illegal immigration, unstable revenue sources (the rich pay over 80% of our state income tax revenue... national average... approx. 51%), hostile business environment (high corporate tax rate, unions, rent control - we even allow rent control for gang bangers).
California needs to come back to the middle of the political spectrum and stop blaming the Federal government for our problems and take a good, hard look at what/why we vote for idiots who can't balance a checkbook. It doesn't matter what the Federal government owes us. We have the 7th largest economy on the planet... we have no business being the worst at everything (except entertainment) and the deepest in debt out all the states in this country.
Good summary, mommabear \ are you a California Golden Bear?
Your recall of Schwarzenegger's terrible initiatives occurred in his first year in office. Given poor advice, Arnold decided to ask Californians to approve drastic measures involving state priorities\ employees. The governor had no idea how quickly the unions organized. Schwarzenegger was hounded by nurses protesting his every appearance. His address to the graduates at Santa Monica College\ where Arnold graduated & was greeted by boos\ people yelling & faculty turning their backs on the governor. Every initiative was voted down overwhelmingly. Within a week Schwarzenegger fired his consultants, replacing them with a Democratic party operative as his adviser.
These are the initiatives Schwarzenegger has proposed:
1. Universal health care [including undocumented
2. Stem cell technology
3. Infrastructure improvements [freeway repairs \ building new dikes in delta
4. Construct another reservoir [but Sierra Club may stop it]\ address serious water storage [esp if we don't get rain this winter & have to fight with Nevada & Arizona for the Colorado river
5. Strictly limit pollution [including all ships entering our ports in San Francisco\ Los Angeles-Long Beach\ San Diego [including military pollution. Schwarzenegger has already pledged California in association with other Green states on East Coast\ Canada to limit greenhouse gases
6. Education funding to vastly lower classroom ratios of students to teacher [at least one aid for 15 students in all grades]. School construction has been happening all over LA & assume it is the same for the rest of the state.
7. Rethink entire prison structure by vast improvement of medical care per federal order, BTW. This is where I think the prison union is too stubborn & getting too powerful - but providing rehabilitation is vital to getting a handle on crime. More halfway houses & decriminalizing drug use [to lower dangerous prison's overcrowding. Require parolees institutional community living until stable employment & progress in counseling.
8. Set aside additional Mojave desert sanctuaries.
As you can see Schwarzenegger has led the cause for improvements. Unfortunately we have a seriously declining tax base from falling housing prices & the general recession striking the nation.
I think the sentiment for California passes to every state. As a "R" I am with the unhappy group of our party but could never switch becuase the ideology is the only way. California has always been a product of the left and what happens when you legalize everything and let everyone in the state. We the citizens have to call and get our so called representatives kicked out of office and hit the ground screaming for a revolution. This is a real issue regardless of party. I am only talking to the normal level headed people of both parties and not the extreme wackooos on the left who just spew at the mouth and are hateful. I left Ca to Fl and am still looking for a place that has one city called the promised land. Go Palen for the first person on the ticket!
Call them what you will. The conservatives of the US voted them in, so they own the policies. I am so tired of hearing this. Liberals did not, I repeat, did not vote in George Bush. So if he is a disaster as a conservative, and is definetly not a liberal, the conservative, right wing base gets to own these eight years. If you had a better, real candidate, you should have promoted him. I remember the days of the right wing calling GWB as a gift from God to lead us through the troubled times. Do not think we have forgotten. Stand up and admit that Conservative Americans have brought us both GWB and Arnie.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
).
