"Post-Partisan" Reactions to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s State of the State Address

Senate President pro Tem Don Perata, a Democrat:

Last year, we accomplished something pretty remarkable for a bunch of politicians: We stopped telling everyone else how to do their jobs and instead we did ours. In November, voters approved our bipartisan plan to rebuild California -- a $37 billion investment to modernize and strengthen our economy.

You gave us a vote of confidence. We must honor that confidence by putting those dollars to work right away rebuilding California’s highways, schools and levees. But, Rebuilding California is about more than cement and steel – it’s about prosperity and safety. It’s about strengthening and expanding the middle class. It’s about better schools, affordable health care and clean air and water.

We look forward to working with the Governor again this year, but let’s be clear: We will not just pay lip service to achieving these goals. We won’t take breakfasts away from poor kids. We won’t let Wall Street traders control our fight against global warming.”
“Tonight’s about speeches – and the Governor set some lofty goals. But even the best speech won’t build a school for your kids, won’t help your family get medical care, won’t reduce global warming. It’s not what the Governor says in January that counts, it’s what he signs in September.

The work of government does not take place once a year under bright lights and cameras. Like your job, lawmakers must work day after day after day to get results. Last year, we showed what we can do working together for California. Together, Democrats are out to prove that last year’s progress wasn’t a fluke.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, an expert on state prisons:

This is the year in which we will finally enact comprehensive corrections reform in California,” said Senator Romero, chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee and the highest ranking woman in the California Legislature. “To ensure public safety we must do more than just build beds; we must build bridges back out of incarceration and into productive lives. This means addressing the whole continuum of public safety so that fewer people relapse and return to prison at taxpayer expense. I am committed to working with this Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature to enact real, comprehensive reform – in sentencing, construction, incarceration, rehabilitation, and parole.

California Democratic Party Spokesperson Roger Salazar:

The California Democratic Party believes California can only move forward when our leaders take action on the proposals they put forward. We believe, as do most Californians, that actions speak louder than words.

The governor tonight borrowed ideas on many of the issues California Democrats, for decades, have been fighting for, including health care, protecting our environment, and ensuring quality education for our children.

But, you’ll remember that this was a governor who boldly promised to protect education funding ‘over his dead body,’ yet wanted to eliminate minimum education funding guarantees in 2005 and that this governor boldly promised not to raise money from special interests, yet raised more money from special interests than any governor in history. This wouldn’t be the first time the governor has pulled the bait and switch on Californians, so until he delivers on his promises, you’ll forgive us if we don’t stand and applaud.

California Democrats are determined to support proposals that fix California’s most pressing problems, but we are not prepared to sacrifice our principles for measures that leave the most vulnerable out in the cold on health care, education, and the environment.

We applaud Speaker Nuñez and Senate President pro tem Perata for blazing the path on many of the issues the governor adopted in his speech tonight. And the California Democratic Party will be watching to make sure the governor’s screenplay matches the final release on the screen.

State Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman:

“I am encouraged by the governor’s optimism and outlook for California’s future. His recognition of the need for more fiscal restraint to bring an end to the structural deficit should be embraced by the legislature as a top priority. The longer we allow this problem to exist the more difficult it is to address other important priorities in California.

The governor also acknowledged the looming water supply crisis. This issue is too important for the legislature to wait any longer for a solution. Our economy, including food production and drinking water supplies, relies heavily on ample storage for both Southern and Northern California.

The governor is presenting an ambitious agenda for 2007. As we move forward, Republicans will remain committed to our core principles and do what is best for California.

Senator George Runner, Repupblican State Senate Caucus Chair:

We look forward to working with the Governor this year on his plans to invest in rebuilding California. I also applaud his continued commitment to improving public safety by building more prisons and jails so criminals are not released early into our neighborhoods.

Republican Senator Jim Battin:

I cannot support increasing taxes to provide healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants.

Republican Senator Jeff Denham:

I applaud the Governor for taking on such tough policy issues this next legislative session.. There are policy items in his agenda like water storage that I agree with passionately. However, I adamantly oppose parts of the Governor’s approach to prison reform. No matter what the reason, criminals should not be released early, before completing their full sentences. Any prison reform must protect law abiding citizens first over the comforts of criminals. Early release of prisoners only endangers our public.

Republican Senator Abel Maldonado:

Tonight’s State of the State address reminded me that the State of California needs to use its resources wisely. I applaud the Governor’s enthusiasm and optimistic vision for California’s future. However, the question that sticks in my mind is, ‘how are we going to pay for all these programs and who is going to pay?’ That’s the billion-dollar question.

Last year, the Legislature passed a budget that left the state over $5 billion in debt. This deficit has grown to $5.5 billion. So, we have yet to climb out of the fiscal hole we created from the last budget enacted. I hope that this year we address this critical issue, begin to pay down our debt and ensure that California lives within its means.

Jon Fleishman, former California State Republican Party Executive Director:

I found that when the speech was over, it seemed like perhaps it should have been Republican Leaders Dick Ackerman and Mike Villines giving the traditonal response to the speech, because so much of what the Governor proposed -- big, large SPENDING proposals -- are the stuff that Democrats enjoy. There were some positive things tucked into the speech -- but the meat of the proposals made by the Governor simply do not appeal to someone who feels that current state spending is out of control. Consequently, the response from Perata and Nunez, predictably, were echo-chambers that bragged about achievements attained with one Republican - Arnold Schwarzenegger. You know the chorus -- raising the wage mandate on employers, placing price controls on drug companies, and the draconian greenhouse emissions bill.

Jim Hard, President of SEIU Local 1000, the largest union of California state employees:

The governor’s State of the State address glosses over the faulty funding mechanisms by behind his programs, mechanisms which could undermine the services which Californian’s rely upon and deserve.

The governor’s proposals are a hidden tax on future generations.

A few examples:

• The governor spoke of debt reduction as a critical goal, yet he proposes an $11 billion prison construction program funded by lease revenue bonds paid for out of the state General Fund at the expense of critical services Californians need. Lease revenue bonds do not require a public vote—that’s not debt reduction, that’s a Trojan horse, without public scrutiny or transparency.

• The governor proposes a massive prison reform program to alleviate the current overcrowding crisis. If we just keep building more prison capacity, with no real commitment to doing what it takes to keep people out of prison, we will be facing the same overcrowding crisis in only a few years. For $1 spent on rehabilitation, the Governor’s proposal would spend $2,700 on bricks and mortar. We need a real analysis of how increased education and rehabilitation programs will reduce the inmate population and thereby the demand for space.

• The governor is to be lauded for opening the debate on expanding health insurance coverage. But for all his talk about “getting it done” for health care, the governor is also proposing to weaken the current health care infrastructure by weakening the safety net for public hospitals to the tune of $30 million.

We applaud the governor’s optimistic vision and his call to getting it done for the people of California. He should not expect the people of California to “come together” around a program that threatens existing services, and does nothing to sustain the current infrastructure and encourage sound budgeting.

Dan Schnur, Republican Co-Chair of the bipartisan coalition--The Commonwealth Club’s Voices of Reform Project--which is working on redistricting reform:

We applaud the governor for using his State of the State address to remind Californians why the current system of redistricting must be reformed. We urge the Legislature to act on the governor's request and establish an independent citizen’s commission to draw legislative districts in the future.

Former Assemblymember Fred Keeley, Democratic Co Chair of the Commonwealth Club's Voices of Reform:

The issue of redistricting reform is not going away; the longer it takes the Legislature to put a measure on the ballot, the longer it is in front of voters, and the more they understand how indefensible the current system is.” The latest example of this is a recent “California Majority Report” readership poll on support for redistricting reform that showed the site’s readers strongly favoring redistricting reform as a recommended priority for Democratic legislators this year. It was second only to health care reform and ranked significantly above job creation, education, and environment.

The non-partisan State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Jack O'Connell, a Democrat:

In his State of the State address tonight Governor Schwarzenegger outlined proposals to help better prepare students for future success. I appreciate the Governor's call to increase our investment in career technical education, improve access to school improvement data, and pass new education bonds in California.

With our world-class content standards for career technical education, students can benefit from a rigorous academic experience at the same time they are gaining relevant experience that will prepare them for success in the increasingly competitive global economy. This investment will pay dividends in the success of our future workforce.

I also support the Governor's plan to improve communication with parents about how our schools are doing. School accountability depends on openness about school progress. I have been focused for the past year on making that data more readily available and user friendly, and I am committed to work with the Governor this year to accomplish this.

The Governor's proposal to pass new education bonds is the right thing to do so we can build more new and modern schools. We have made great progress in the construction of new schools that are safe, clean, and up to date. But we must do more to keep up with our growing population and to meet the needs of students in the 21st century.

In addition, I am glad to see the Governor's focus on recruiting new teachers to our classrooms. As our teacher population ages and retires, our school systems desperately need new teachers to inspire our students and help them meet their full potential.

The Governor also deserves credit for his leadership on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to preserve our environment, and I support his plan to expand healthcare to all Californians. Access to healthcare for all Californians will help us ensure that all students in California can come to school healthy and ready to learn.

Finally, I applaud the Governor's commitment to fiscal discipline that will allow us to close the state's structural deficit. California citizens of every income level manage to live within their means - our government should hold itself to the same standard. However, I continue to believe that we need to further invest in public education in California if we are to truly meet the needs of the more than seven million students in our public schools who will have to compete in the global economy of the 21st Century.