Chamber of Commerce Bought Arnold

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

The governor is a corporatist. Leave the partisanship aside. When push comes to shove Arnold almost always backs big business. And they back him in the form of massive contributions. The proof, as they say is in the pudding. LAT:

Last weekend the rallies had ceased, the lobbying had ended and the governor worked into the night, signing or vetoing the final stack of this year's bills. In all, he signed 750 bills in 2007 and vetoed 214.

When the smoke cleared Monday, there were plenty of grins and grumbles. But no group in Sacramento was smiling wider than one of the governor's most predictable allies: big business and its Sacramento mouthpiece, the California Chamber of Commerce.

In recent years, the chamber has focused much of its lobbying firepower on an annual list of "job killer" bills. This year, Schwarzenegger complied with 12 out of 12 chamber requests for vetoes on those bills. In 2006, he vetoed nine of 11 bills that the chamber listed as job killers.

"The chamber has had more success than most in getting vetoes," said Steve Blackledge, legislative director for the California Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocate. "They draw a bright line in the sand and say, 'These bills have to be stopped.' They've got the governor as their backstop."

They paid their money and got what they wanted. Not exactly what Arnold promised when he was elected is it?

See also Brian at Calitics. For more details on the bills Arnold vetoed.