by Rebecca Cole
In his Terminator movies, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's former character flew solo when he went after his enemies.
Now, however, faced with a skyrocketing unemployment rate of 10.5 percent and four decades of ignoring California's aging infrastructure, the Republican governor is taking a much more inclusive approach: Let's work together.
Schwarzenegger, along with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, met with President Barack Obama today in a closed meeting to discuss how to shore up federal spending on transit systems and renewable energy projects.
After the meeting, Schwarzenegger said the trio let the president know that "we are 100 percent behind him on this, to go out and to sell this to the American people.
" I think there is a tremendous demand out there for this,'' he said. "Not only does it help us make our economy function better, but also it helps us in creating jobs."
Unlike other governors -- most recently Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin, who turned down nearly half of the economic stimulus dollars slated for her state -- Schwarzenegger is keeping both hands out - way out.
. The state stands to receive about $85 billion from the economic recovery act, with about $7 billion earmarked for infrastructure programs. The governor's administration has outlined 57 transportation projects expected to create 11,000 jobs.
Every billion dollars spent on infrastructure can create up to 25,000 new jobs, Schwarzenegger said. But in order to get there, he said, Democrats and Republicans have to work together, no matter what the party line.
"The president gets it," Bloomberg said. "This is about the future of our country, whether it's about transportation or water, all the things we need to invest in so that our grandchildren will have a future."
The mayor said the group pledged to do everything they could to ensure the president gets the support he needs.
"This is a time to think boldly and to bring about the change that this country needs," Bloomberg said. "I think that we have a new president that has the enthusiasm, and the intellect and the drive to get this done."
Comments
Worthless RINO.
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspirator | March 20, 2009 6:12 PM
It's nice to see that Arnold is at least smart enough to understand that fixing our economic problems is more important than being an idiot ideologue like his fellow Republican governors Barbie Palin, Kenneth "the page" Jindal and Mark Sanford are doing in denying money to their constituents who have lost or are losing their jobs.
Apparently staying true to their outdated and flawed fundamental Republican principles is more important to them than actually governing for the good of their constituency
And one more thing, I've noticed that the Republican nut on here who used to call herself "Teresa" has been playing up the fake outrage over Pres Obama's unintentional joke last night while failing to mention that her hero Sarah Palin, who has a son with a learning disability, is turning down stimulus money for SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS IN ALASKA!
The biggest single chunk of money Palin is turning down is about $170 million for education, including money that would go for programs to help economically disadvantaged and special needs students.
When you hate yourself, hate your family, and hate your neighbors, congratulations! You've become a Republican
Posted by: PalinbotsACTIVATE | March 20, 2009 6:18 PM
Palin is rejecting money for "energy, schools and social services." How very Christian of her. Big construction projcts get built, but, in the state (Alaska) with the highest high-school drop-out rate in the nation (hello, Bristol and Levi!) and the lowest rate of kids going on to college (hello, Bristol, Levi and Track!), she opts to consider education disposable. That speaks volumes to me. What a piece of trash her and the 2009 Republican party are.
Posted by: Lacy Tyler | March 20, 2009 7:42 PM
Arnold may support massive government spending to stimulate economic activity, but he certainly doesn't support everything Obama is doing. For example, he most certainly does NOT support the Employee-Free Choice Act. In fact, a similar provision selling out California public employees' unionization voting rights was enacted only over his veto.
Posted by: Arnold's No Dummy | March 20, 2009 8:39 PM
Arnold said he'd take any of the other governor's (Palin, Sanford, Jindal) money if they didn't want it and we surely need it in here on CA.. Arnold could have done a lot better here if he hadn't had to deal with the idiots in his own party. That's the thing with Republicans, they blow smoke, propaganda and fake outrage when they're out of power but when they actually do get in power they sell us out to their private big business cronies with no-bid contracts and private kick backs (Haliburton, KBR, Blackwater).
If Republican governors like Palin, Sanford and Jindal don't want stim money because it offends their ideological purity then that money should be given to blue states. Red states are the biggest welfare states in the country anyway so screw them, let them fail.
Posted by: Kalifornia Kurt | March 20, 2009 9:42 PM
Be thankful Schwar is foreign born and can't be president. (But look for law makers to craft something to make him eligible).
Bloomberg better hope that the street guys don't abandon NY and flee to other states to avoid the incredible taxes coming their way. Those richy riches are stupid.
The people will not stand for restriction of personal freedoms and taxes that will effect generations to come. A lower standard of living for them.
Posted by: mad hatter tea | March 20, 2009 9:52 PM
CBO says Obama budget will produce annual $1 TRILLION deficits for at least 10 years. That is unsustainable and cannot happen. Period!
Posted by: John D | March 20, 2009 10:38 PM
Geographically Ignorant John D;
You and your kind had absolutely no problem as the Bush budgets pushed the federal deficit from $5 TRILLION to over $10.8 TRILLION in the past 8 years, so you have no foundation for your whining now!
Posted by: BC | March 21, 2009 1:42 PM
BC still on that geographic kick, are you? Still think Cuba doesn't border the Caribbean? Thanks for continually admitting that you are an Idiot for Life.
Also, BC, while Bush did run up deficits, Obama will surpass in less than four years what Bush did in eight years. In fact, the CBO says Obama's spending plans will mean TRILLION DOLLAR deficits for at least the next 10 years. But, as usual, facts and the difference between Obama deficits and Bush deficits are completely lost on you.
Posted by: John D | March 21, 2009 7:07 PM
It took Bush 8 years to run up his total....Obamie will do it within 2. GO TEAM GO!
Arnold spent money like it grew on a tree outside the Governor's mansion. A fiscal conservative he ain't. Who needs fiscal discipline when you can just raise taxes...or take the pork from DC.
And since some of these free funds from Washington have serious strings attached to them...with no future guarantee of funding from DC....it may make sense to actually say no. Would you want to sign up to pay the mortgage of a $2M home that you can never sell just because I cover the first few months for you...of course not.
Posted by: Scottie | March 22, 2009 1:29 PM
@Scottie:
"It took Bush 8 years to run up his total....Obamie will do it within 2"
One trillion times 2 = 5.8 trillion? Is our children learning?
Posted by: Broken | March 22, 2009 10:34 PM