Now, it’s not clear that the Governor has the power to close the state government, but Arnold is threatening it.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed Wednesday to let California government come to a “grinding halt” rather than agree to a high-interest loan to keep the state afloat if he and the Legislature do not close the yawning budget gap in coming weeks.
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State finance officials say California coffers will be empty in late July unless the projected $24-billion budget shortfall is resolved quickly. Schwarzenegger said that emergency borrowing would be too expensive and that his threat to block it was necessary to prod lawmakers into swift action.A loan would only “give them another reason why we don’t have to do it now,” the governor said. “What we need to do is just to basically cut off all the funding and just let them have a taste of what it is like when the state comes to a shutdown — grinding halt.”(LAT 6/11/09)
Of course, the Governor is “challenging” the Democrats to make the cuts. Does he challenge the Republicans to be reasonable and take Tom Campbell’s idea of increasing the gas tax to raise $6 Billion? Or allow counties to raise their own vehicle license fees? Or to charge oil companies for the oil they take out of the ground? Why of course not, he’s too busy trying to shock doctrine the state.
And, oh, by the way, apparently everything Arnold has ever learned, it’s come from sports. He points to the Lakers, and their teamwork. For my part, I’ll point to a bodybuilder in the late ’70s, who didn’t mind cheating by using steroids. An “athlete” that defended the use of said drugs. Yes, this man is our Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He had no principles then, and he has none now.
For once i agree with the governor – this cut would hurt everyone. SHut it down.
As for a gas tax, as a moderate I am for it because I can afford a hybrid. On a progressive blog, i find it odd to see support for such a regressive tax – the working poor drive clunkers that get less than 20 mph. add another 30 cents to the price of gas and you balance the budget on their backs. Seems like it is more fair to withold funds from the prisons or the poor who can work. Also, the UCs are much too cheap, why burden the working lower middle class with a regressive tax.
Shut down the whole state and tell everyone to go on vacation somewhere else for six weeks this summer… ;^)
I love how Arnie continues to keep talking and pisses off everyone — does wonders for the Republican party. Keep talking, Arnie!
Do prisoners get released? Police officers/firefighters
laid off? My understanding is the money that is available goes to bondholders then education.
I must say, as a libertarian on social and economic issues, i find myself in sheer delight at the current california mess.
First, gay marriage will be implemented by the will of the voter in the next statewide election, when certain liberals who harbor anti-gay views have less of a reason to vote than they did when Obama was elected. That in itself is fun to watch as values voters create logical arguments against gay marriage that run so against any logic at all.
Next, California will undergo some form of restructuring. There is no doubt there will be less government after all this. This time it is the progressives who will have to admit defeat as the logic of the welfare state for all with taxation for only the middle class goes down the bin.
As a libertarian who dislikes value voters and big government types, this is fun.
Arnold would be in prison right now. (So would Obama, for that matter.)