That headline needs to be tattooed on the foreheads of every politician, journalist, and pundit in this state. The PPIC poll leaves no doubt about the public’s dislike for the governor and his insane, economically ruinous policies that cause direct harm to children, the sick, the disabled, and many others:
The PPIC Survey, which began before an agreement was announced on the state budget on July 20 and concluded just afterward, finds Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s approval rating at a record-low 28 percent. Approval of a California governor has not been this low since August 2003 (26% approve, 67% disapprove), when then-Governor Gray Davis was facing a recall and budget standoff with the legislature. The governor’s approval rating for handling environmental issues has also declined (35% approve, 43% disapprove) since last July (46% approve, 36% disapprove).
That’s George W. Bush territory. Schwarzenegger’s overall trajectory in office closely resembles the reviled former president: elected under dubious circumstances, he won Democratic support for stupid economic and fiscal policies that have produced a severe recession characterized by high unemployment. Of course, Bush had the power to run deficits to prevent spending cuts – Arnold doesn’t, and in his desire to destroy the services that made California prosperous and a pleasant place to live, he is alienating the public:
“A lot of the cuts being made were not popular, and he really took the lead and was out front on what he said was needed – staying firm on not raising taxes – so the entire deal has his fingerprints,” said Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at California State University-East Bay. “I hear from a lot of people who would have understood if some taxes were raised. Raising taxes on the wealthy sure would have been more palatable than cuts on students, elderly and children.”
The legislature’s approval ratings are low as well – 17% approve of their job, which is actually somewhat surprising given the frequent legislature-bashing that goes on in our media.
As Sacramento prepares for yet another special session, called this time to try and implement Arnold’s regressive tax policies, it is worth keeping in mind just how unpopular he is. Legislators should feel themselves under no pressure whatsoever to do anything this guy asks. Arnold will be gone from office in 18 months, and while the Legislature still needs to deal with him on the budget, there is no reason at all for them to deal with him on tax reform.
Democrats would do well to treat Arnold like Bush, and run out the clock on his failed governorship. With record unemployment, no prospects at all for economic recovery, and his desire to smash public services, Californians are going to continue to sour on their governor, and look forward to the day in January 2011 when we are no longer plagued with his corrosive presence in government.
Anybody want to make a projection of what California will look like in 18 months? Honduras comes to mind, or maybe Gaza. And what after Arnold? What has anyone heard that gives you hope that anything will change for the better? I don’t mean pie-in-the-sky nonsense. Let’s stick to reality.
One of our failures has been in not tying this mess to Arnold.
As chief executive of our state, he needs to take his share of the blame. We had him hurting in 2005, but our leadership at the time thought it would be better to cut deals with Arnold than press our advantage. And our leadership now should have beat the drum relentlessly on Arnold’s failure to lead and his irresponsible avoidance in dealing with our problems with anything more than bravado.
I wish people would get it through their heads that there is going to be another round of draconian cuts coming up in the next few months and that the only way to hold them off is to use the majority rule fee/tax swap tax increase. There needs to be a Democratic governor in place next July so that he/she will sign this. The only way to do this is to recall. At 28% Schwartz is at/below Gray Davis and when the cuts strike home everyone will want him out. Let’s get
him out in time to save a few lives. Recall–the petitions are already in place. Running out the clock means hundreds if not thousands more deaths in California not to mention untold other damage.
…why Gray Davis was replaced with the governator? I was only 14 when Davis was recalled, and I didn’t give a damn then. Did it have to do with the electricity crisis of 2000-01? And is our current governator better than Davis at governing?