Schwarzenegger Sinks to New LowPaul Hogarthbyline‚ Aug. 04‚ 2008Arnold’s executive order laying off 10,000 state employees – and slashing another 200,000 paychecks to the federal minimum wage – is not just insulting because he’s punishing people for the actions of others. It’s that the budget crisis we’re in is largely his fault, and the Governor refuses to take responsibility. Starting with Schwarzenegger’s first day in office when he repealed the Vehicle License Fee, Arnold has played one game of fiscal gymnastics after another – leaving us with today’s budget deficit of $17 billion. With right-wing Republicans in the state legislature still playing their usual game of obstructionism, Arnold has shown no leadership of reining them in – and now says that state workers have to suffer. When Newt Gingrich did this to federal employees in 1995, he paid a heavy political price for it. Will the press let Arnold off the hook again? |