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.