Is California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger commiting political suicide?

Question

California (Republican) governor is contemplating signing an executive order next week that would pay about 200,000 state workers the federal minimum wage ($6.55), which is $1.45 an hour less than California's minimum wage. The threat follows an overdue state budget, which the Republican and Democrats cannot agree to. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080724/D9245OE8A.html

The budget deadline is August 1, 2008. If the governor carries out his threat, is he commiting political suicide? And, if state workers lose their homes or default on other loans due to their forced pay cut, who will be there to bail them out? These working-class people live payday to payday and depend on their paychecks. What is Schwartzenegger thinking?

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

The Governator was supposedly committing "political suicide" prior to his re-election as well....

He has upset both parties for the same reason he got elected in the first place....CA voters were tired of "politics as usual" and wanted someone with practical business experience....

What people and the press routinely ignore is that, for every drastic cut in funding, Arnold has always added the condition "...Or come up with something substantive that will work...."

For example, the teacher's union has spent millions of lobbying dollars to run a "protect our children" campaign...but when Arnold said "OK, let's put a measure on the ballot and ask the voters how much extra they're willing to give.."  HE was the one accused of playing political games.

Arnold's cuts affect EVERYBODY, but only the ones with the biggest lobbying budgets have made the most noise.  To date, all the ususal suspects...politicians, unions and special interests have complained that THEY should not be the ones to be cut....but none has proposed an alternative.

It is this kind of "just protect mine" thinking that got the state so deeply in debt the first time....Arnold is a social liberal, but he is basically trying to teach a government and a population raised on "spend your future away"  the basic, hard realities of economics....

I wish more politicians were that suicidal...

Answer 2

The pressure is building to establish budget for the state. Nonetheless; with the huge housing foreclosures equate to lost revenues in taxes. Yes Governor Schwarzenegger is committing political suicide by reducing the salaries to minimum wage or less.

The elderly, poor, and children will suffer the most with special programs being either eliminated or greatly reduced in services. Sadly the affects will ripple across the state in schools, infrastructures programs, many other state related projects. However; the state's treasure is refusing to sign off on the Governor's plan. There still might be hope to sideline Schwarzenegger's measure.

Answer 3

He is playing a game with the legislators.

The California budget is way overdue, and Karen Bass has ordered vacations for the assembly, so Arnold is trying to raise awareness to the fact the budget is overdue and our legislators are on vacation.

No state worker is going to get a pay cut, even the state controller said he will not follow through on pay cuts.

Answer 4

I have all ways found him to be a excellent gov. he must know what he's doing I guess it's that or increase taxes either way the working person will pay!!!

Answer 5

Holy sh*t! I bet they all quit!

Do I hear a STRIKE coming on? I know I would!

Answer 6

He's playing games, meanwhile he's the top crime boss in the state...note he did not stop Parsky from privatizing the UC retirement fund of $80 billion, rather than pay 5 people $150,000 per year to manage it as in the past. Arnold Schwarzenegger and friends privatized the fund, which now makes less money, and pays 1% fees each year, 1% of 80 billion...a mere $800 million going to pals in the investment banking industry, who donated to his republican machine

Answer 7

Anybody making that little does not own a home, especially in CA.