6 months of Arnold

How is Arnold doing as our Governor ? When he became Governator, the state was in a big mess.
bq. After his 2002 reelection, Davis had announced that California was confronted with a deficit of $35 billion — caused in large part by a gargantuan spending increase of 36% during his years in office, and an explosion of hiring in the public sector, whose unions were among Davis’ most reliable supporters. Among the people of California, there was an increasing sense that perhaps the state’s problems were insurmountable and that the state itself, controlled by Davis and a wildly left-wing Legislature, had become simply ungovernable. [“Human Events”:http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=4022]
But after Arnold took over, California’s rating was upgraded by Moody’s for the first time in four years. One of the reasons was the state’s political climate had improved considerably under the new Governor.
To cover the deficits he put a proposition on the ballot and the state is now issuing a $15 Billion dollar bond. Also according to an opinion poll nearly two out of three voters “approve his job performance”:http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/election/polls/story/9441162p-10365310c.html. But now he will be forced to make “some tough decisions”:http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~2182240,00.html.
bq. The Assembly endorsed increasing the minimum wage to $7.75, a 15 percent increase. If the more liberal Senate concurs, as expected, the governor will have to choose between being a champion of low-wage workers or signing a bill that small businesses and the California Chamber of Commerce say will cost the state jobs.
bq. The Legislature is also poised to approve a handful of measures that would encourage individual Californians and state agencies to import prescription drugs from Canada, where they are cheaper. The notion is popular among elderly voters and could save the cash-strapped state millions. But approving those bills would put Schwarzenegger on a collision course with the pharmaceutical industry and the Republican administration in Washington, D.C.
bq. Schwarzenegger may have to choose between politically appealing measures and some of his bigger campaign supporters in other areas. Car dealers, for instance, will strongly urge him to veto a measure that would allow used car buyers to return a car within three days of sale. The bill passed the Assembly this week. Automotive interests have donated $824,335 to Schwarzenegger, according to ArnoldWatch.org, a consumer activist Website.
Even though he sometimes is known as “The Exaggerator”:http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/9480438p-10404413c.html, the public still trusts him to pull the state through.