LABJ FORUM – Opening Night in Sacramento
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger presented his State of the State address last week in which he promised to “help California do great things” but also warned of significant spending cuts and a consolidation in state programs in an effort to stem the yawning budget deficit. “We do not have a budget crisis, we have a spending crisis,” he told lawmakers. Later in the week, the governor was to release his much-anticipated budget. So the Business Journal asks:
What did you think of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s State of the State address?
Martin M. Cooper
President
Cooper Communications Inc.
Chairman, Valley Industry and Commerce Association
I thought he did extremely well. He combined a little self-deprecation with forcefulness. He summed himself up well when he said, “I’m a salesman, and my new job is to sell the state of California.” It was a positive way of saying, I have skills that have nothing to do with being a movie star, and I have other skills here you should take advantage of. That’s the kind of rhetoric that sits well with the business community. He also made very clear that he sees business as the economic engine that drives this state, and unless we make it more business friendly, it will continue to sputter.
Pamela Jacobson
Executive Director
Hand in Hand Family & Child Development Center
His speech was very motivating but I’m very cautious because he wasn’t very specific. He said there will be cuts across the board, but didn’t say what they will be. We as an agency that receives funding from the state are very nervous. The thing that concerns me is caps on enrollment to programs like ours that would limit access to our services for children with disabilities when they need it the most, at a young age. The need for developmental services is increasing every day while state funds are diminishing. If we eliminated our services, if the developmental problems go untreated, it translates to increased services and higher costs in education through the child’s life.
Jos & #233; L. Huizar
President
Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education
I think he did very well. He was able to show confidence despite the very difficult fiscal situation, and showed he can make rational decisions, although he gave very little detail on his policies. He gave us a sense of being on a new road and gave people confidence. It’s very early. He stepped into a very difficult situation. Concerning education, I appreciate that he’s supportive of K-12 education. I also appreciated that he wants to give school districts more flexibility in governing ourselves and the use of our dollars.
Harvey Englander
Senior Vice President, General Manager MWW Group
It didn’t surprise me that he performed well. He showed in the election that he had bold leadership skills. He wants to reassure the business community that he wants to do things that will strengthen the backbone the California economy. There were lots of Democrats sitting down while everyone was giving him a standing ovation. But State Controller Steve Westly, who’s probably the most moderate of the Democrats, appeared to be generally supportive. I think obviously there’s going to be compromise needed to get anything through the Legislature, and he (Schwarzenegger) showed he’s willing to compromise.
