TOTAL RECALL

TOTAL RECALL
by Timothy Rollins, Editor and Publisher

August 7, 2003

In what can only considered a delight to Californians tired of both record deficits and the Governor of 'perfect' hair, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (right) surprised everyone after much speculation to the contrary that he will indeed seek the governorship of California in the recall election scheduled for October 7th.

Suffice it to say, outgoing incumbent Governor Gray Davis, the whiny Democrat who took a healthy budget surplus from outgoing Republican Governor Pete Wilson (California governors are term-limited) and wasted no time creating a deficit and subsequently cooked the books long enough to get re-elected to a second term. Shortly thereafter, the truth came out that the so-called electricity crisis and the state's handling of it under Davis drove the deficit to a mind-boggling $38 billion. Yet Davis whines about the $67 million the recall election will cost. Had he managed the economy better, he wouldn't be facing the first-ever recall of a California governor.

Keep in mind that the state and both its leftist-leaning assembly and state senate have large Democratic majorities. However, California law requires spending bills have a supermajority in order to pass, and thus the Republicans in power there have sufficient numbers in their ranks to block bad legislation - at least most of the time.

Oh sure, gays get their preferential legislation through at the expense of good Christian people who get the shaft on a regular basis, but then again, this is California we're talking about, and this should come as a surprise to nobody. This is a land that caters to sex offenders, and it's hoped that if elected, Governor Schwarzenegger will have the courage to initiate some changes that will not only get the state's fiscal house in order, but also make the nation's most populous state a more desirable place to live in, rather than the one with the largest exodus.

With all the ongoing controversy that perpetually surrounds California, it's not only about time, but long overdue that a sitting Governor was recalled and nobody is more deserving of this distinction than Gray Davis. Davis' recklessness of handling the state's coffers, his ruthless shakedown of labor organizations at the expense of the common citizen who cast their ballot are more than sufficient cause to have him lead the list in this regard

Though Schwarzenegger has announced, others have announced as well, to former Republican Congressman Michael Huffington as well as his turncoat ex-wife, the opportunistic Arianna Huffington running as an "Independent" - (yeah, right, sure) and her fakey accent who, like Jesse Jackson, is always looking for a television camera to jump in front of. State Representative Darrell Issa, who headed the recall effort is also running as a Republican as some minor inconsequential players as well.

With Schwarzenegger in the race, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan is reportedly not going to enter the race; however, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), easily the state's most popular Democrat and their best chance for retaining the governorship has announced that she will not enter the race, much to the relief of the California AFL-CIO, which is but one more evidence of whose pocket Davis is really in.

California has really gone to hell in a handbasket over the years. I was born there and left as a baby. I lived there again for a few years after college. However from the time I lived there until I left almost three years later, my rent for a two-bedroom apartment went from $480 to almost $900, and this wasn't in the Bay Area but Orange County, which while pricey, was nowhere as expensive as Sunnyvale. This 87.5% increase in 32 months was enough to drive me away for good, and other than a visit three months later, I have not been back nor do I have plans to return anytime soon.

While I may not agree with a number of Schwarzenegger's views in that he supports gay adoptions, I do believe the time has come for a replacement in Sacramento in the Governor's Mansion and not just for California's sake. By removing Davis, he goes forever down in ignominy, plus governors and other elected officials nationwide get a warning shot fired across the bow reminding them that the ultimate accountability they have is not with the special interest groups that line their campaign war chests, but with the people who put them in office by punching the ballots on Election Day.

So when the recall election comes, remember if you don't vote, you have no room to gripe. ***

Photo of Timothy Rollins courtesy of staff files
Photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger courtesy of Orange County (California) Forum

Other Articles on Arnold Schwarzenegger and Political Run:

'Running Man' Schwarzenegger Poised to 'Terminate' Gray Davis (August 11, 2003 - Carol Devine-Molin)
Schwarzenegger Contemplates Political Run (July 2, 2003 - Carol Devine-Molin)