Have the days gone? Summer is nearly upon us, the days are longer, and here on the Platinum Coast we are begininng to see our typical June weather pattern, with foggy, moist mornings and sun splashed afternoons.
Due to the raging battle between our celebrity Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and public employee unions over a range of issues, I have been up to my eyebrows in politics. Yesterday I was in Pershing Square in Los Angeles with over a thousand of my union brothers and sisters, participating in Action Day. We bussed in from all over the Southland, determined to make the voices of working Californians heard. Did we succeed? Only time will tell the tale. Arnie's poll numbers are falling and most Californians agree that the state is barking up the wrong palm tree.
Now we wait and see if the Governor calls a special election for November -- an election estimated to cost around $80 million. My gut tells me that Arnold will call it -- he's too much of an egomaniac to back away from the threat he's been making since January. I can hear the wheels in his mind turning from here: "If I don't call the special election the people will think I am weak, and I must prevent that at all costs!"
Instead of staying in California and working with the Legislature to craft a budget that protects education, public safety, and the poorest among us from the high cost of prescription drugs, Arnold has been on a fund-raising tour, holding out his hand to well-heeled Republicans in Texas and Florida.
I suspect that Arnold dislikes the nitty-gritty, mundane details of everyday politics and is far more comfortable in the spotlight in carefully controlled locations in front of friendly crowds. When he swept into office, Arnold had it all going his way. A lot of people loved his style and energy, his celebrity aura and swagger.
That bubble has burst and it's unlikely to come back.
Anyway, the Balcony will be screaming again soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment