I Cogitate

I just have never been able to warm up to or trust Arnold Schwarzenegger, the politician.

Part of the problem is due to the abuse of the California recall process that elevated Schwarzenegger into his present position. He should have gone mano-a-mano in a general election and not be, in his own words, a girly man.

While I was no fan of Gray Davis, the ultimate empty gray flannel suit, there was no legitimate reason to recall him. He had beaten Republican Bill Simon fair and square.

Ousting Davis was akin to a Britney Spears quickie marriage, but even swifter divorce. If California was so on the road to ruin, then why did the voters re-elect Davis?

So, how has Schwarzenegger, the politician, performed?

He has worked to change the state’s workers’ compensation system and business insurance rates are apparently coming down. That’s certainly a plus for California businesses, but have the changes benefited injured workers? No.

Schwarzenegger jumped into the morass of issues surrounding California prisons, the Youth Authority and correctional officers salaries. He deserves credit for doing so.

What is most positive about Schwarzenegger is his fairhandedness on environmental issues and appointments. He appears to be one of the very few Republicans who believe a clean environment and a healthy business climate are not oxymorons and acts on such.

Although Schwarzenegger usually gets past his media bluster and works with the opposition in Sacramento, he still remains a shoot-himself-in-the foot-verbal-body-slammer. That benefits nobody. His "girly men" comments chastising opponents are example one. And why he chose to lie in describing his life as a youth in Austria at the 2004 Republican National Convention is indefensible.

The most telling strike against Schwarzenegger is that he possessed the opportunity to utilize a third way in politics — that of forgoing corporate political campaign contributions and campaigning on his name recognition, media exposure and individual donations so as to not be politically beholden to anyone or any entity.

Sadly, he chose not to do so even though he has blustered about dirty money, closed doors and backroom dealing by stating " ... any of those kinds of real big, powerful special interests, if you take money from them, you owe them something."

If Schwarzenegger wants to be believed and seen as a politician with integrity, he has to stop the very practices he has so rightly condemned. He has to give back and then refuse further contributions from the agriculture conglomerates, the entertainment industry, financial institutions, high technology corporations, real estate developers, HMOs and medical insurance companies.

Plus, why has he chosen to forego his elected responsibilities and, in a time of transportation roadway and education al financial crises, gone after teacher tenure, legislative redistricting, the use of union dues and budget capping?

The only one of these subjects remotely contributing to the major problems facing this state is spending. The others are simply partisan attacks.

We in California face problems, but it will take bravery from all, not party loyalty, if we are to recover.

The June 19 Sentinel editorial basically concludes that what Schwarzenegger is proposing is better than nothing. What a ringing endorsement! Is that what we have come to?

By failing to establish his political independence and despite his camera-ready bravado, Schwarzenegger has been just another weak-kneed politician.

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