Californians Criticize Arnold for Not Reaching Budget Deal

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Robert Cruickshank

Wouldn't that make an excellent headline? Instead the SacBee offers Schwarzenegger criticizes lawmakers for not reaching budget deal - Arnold kicks it in his smoking tent, or idly speculating about a post in the Obama administration on national TV while the Legislature remains divided on the budget. Here are the damning paragraphs from the article:

“Schwarzenegger ramped up criticism of lawmakers this week, but he so far has refrained from using harsh tactics such as visiting lawmakers' districts and cajoling them, as he did during a late budget in 2004.

“The Republican governor has been meeting with leaders individually, though he said he "didn't really want to interfere with their process." The parties remain divided over whether the state should use tax increases to bridge the gap, as majority Democrats have proposed.”

In other words, Arnold is reluctant to himself exercise the leadership that he claims is lacking in the Legislature.

His statements on specific proposals have been vague to the point of uselessness:

“The governor attacked tax proposals in previous years, but he did not do so Wednesday. "I think this is their way of looking at it, and I'm sure they have their reasons," he said of Democratic tax proposals. "And I think this is what makes the world go around. People have different ideas for how to solve a problem."

The contrast with previous governors is stark. In 1991-92 Pete Wilson proposed tax increases and budget cuts himself and took a very active role in getting legislators on board with a plan to close the deficit without destroying state government. Whatever we think of Wilson's governorship overall, he did not hesitate from exercising leadership to solve a much worse budget crisis.

Instead Arnold continues the trend that has defined his failed terms as our governor: playing to the media while ignoring the basic work of government.