Friday, November 21, 2003

California Politics: The Governor's First Week

This news article in today's Los Angeles Times focuses in on what could turn out to be symptomatic features of the Schwarzenegger administration:

<< The governor even suggested [during his appearance at the Galpin Ford car dealership] that the public could register its opposition to tax hikes — and its support for Schwarzenegger — by purchasing automobiles as a demonstration of their support for his fee repeal.

<< "Go out there," Schwarzenegger implored. "Buy cars. Buy new cars. Buy used cars. Go out there and pay a reduced vehicle license fee. That's what we're celebrating here today." ...

<< After mostly staying out of sight during his transition into the governorship, Schwarzenegger seemed to relish a return to a more overtly political posture.

<< His North Hills rally closely mirrored events held during his gubernatorial campaign. ...


<< But the rally also showed how the governor's tune has changed — quite literally. His campaign anthem, Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It," was ditched in favor of a new theme, "Takin' Care of Business," by the Canadian classic rock group Bachman Turner Overdrive.

<< The song gave the event a double-edged cast. Car dealers gave Schwarzenegger and his recall committee more than $489,000 during the recall, plus at least another $20,000 to the committee that organized his swearing-in.

<< Bert Boeckmann, owner of Galpin Ford, and his wife Jane, a Gov. Gray Davis appointee to the California Arts Council, each had given Schwarzenegger the individual maximum of $21,200. ...


<< Boeckmann said he supported Schwarzenegger not based on any specific promise, but because he had known him personally for some time and that "he was the one who could win who, by and large, I could be in agreement with."

<< Schwarzenegger has kept his political team in place to run any initiative campaigns he supports next year, and there were hints at Thursday's rally that there could be several. Six petition gatherers worked the crowd, with initiatives on taxes, immigrants and mandatory employer-provided health insurance. >>

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