THE GOVERNOR HAS BATTED 5-FOR-6 ON THE BALLOT INITIATVES THAT
most impact California’s economic well-being.
Too bad Arnold’s one strikeout is such a doozy.
On the plus side, he’s sided with California employers on their two pet issues: supporting Proposition 64 to limit frivolous lawsuits and opposing Proposition 72 to stop an employer health insurance mandate.
He’s come out against special-interest tax hikes, too, opposing the mental health lobby’s Proposition 63 “tax the rich” ploy and opposing the hospital lobby’s Proposition 67 “tax the cell phone” ploy. And he opposes Proposition 61, a wonderful-sounding children’s hospitals construction program that would put California $750 million deeper into debt.
But then there’s the Proposition 71 stem-cell-research initiative, which would increase California’s debt load by $3 billion. Despite this, the governor has endorsed the initiative, burnishing his image as a bold and compassionate independent while further jeopardizing the state’s fiscal health.
Much has been made of Schwarzenegger defying fellow Republicans who want to restrict stem-cell research, but there’s a more fundamental issue here.
The problem with Proposition 71 is that it puts the state (taxpayers) too deeply into the venture capital business. California already is the academic and corporate leader in R & D;,that’s good and the funding spigots are turned on. But the massive and risky new investments envisioned by Proposition 71, to the extent they make sense, ought to be borne by the private sector. That’s why even many proponents of increased stem-cell research oppose this initiative.
The Governator’s positions on other initiatives enhance his pro-business and anti-tax credentials. But his stand on Proposition 71 adds to his image as a lousy budget balancer.
How would Gray Davis have batted on these six initiatives? I figure he would have gone 0-for-6, or at best 0-for-3 with some “did not bat.”
So there’s added evidence that the new governor has changed the direction of the state,but not in the critical area of spending.
For all of Arnold’s talk about reining in profligate legislators and blowing up bureaucratic boxes, his bottom line isn’t much different than Gray’s would have been.
Arnold borrows more than Gray, taxes less. Spending’s about the same.
,Rick Reiff
Sweet Dreams
GIVEN THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR’S RECENT COMMENTS ABOUT GETTING
conjugally terminated by his Kennedyesque wife, maybe I should be more understanding of his decision to endorse the $3 billion stem-cell-research bond.
If it means he no longer has to sleep on the couch, we’re all better off.
,Rick Reiff
