www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/13/arnolds.year.ap/index.html
SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- It's been a year since Arnold Schwarzenegg er became California's 38th governor, and the Hollywood actor-turned-pol itician remains a phenomenon -- theatrical, unbridled and radiating raw confidence. He smokes giant cigars, calls state government "a mastodon frozen in time " and raises money like a mogul. He cheerfully mocks opponents in the state Legislature as "girlie men" -- and in this most politically correct of states, he gets away wit h it. Swept into office on a wave of enthusiasm for his reform platform, Schwar zenegger promised to do things differently. After capturing 48 percent of the vote in a field of 135 candidates to ou st Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in a recall election, the Republican embar ked on an aggressive agenda. He promised to improve California's busines s climate, end partisan gridlock, break the hold of special interests an d solve the state's fiscal crisis. Now he holds some of the highest approval ratings of any governor in Cali fornia history, and a majority of voters say they're optimistic again ab out California. Yet the 57-year-old governor is a tangle of contradictions. He calls hims elf the "people's governor," but tilts fiercely toward big business. He promised to "sweep out" special interests, yet accepts more of their mon ey than Davis did. And despite his popularity, 12 of the 16 candidates h e pushed for legislative seats on November 2 lost. As Schwarzenegger marks his first 12 months in office Wednesday, even his staff calls some of his campaign promises works in progress, including pledges to usher in a new era of openness at the statehouse. His administration has been characterized by tight control over informati on, and even as he talks about open government he frequently ducks repor ters. The research and drafting of his California Performance Review, a sweeping study on government reform, was conducted behind closed doors, and those who worked on it signed confidentiality agreements. His backers say Schwarzenegger has had only a year to fulfill his promise to upend a Sacramento culture where "contributions go in, the favors go out." The governor has "established a trust with Californians ... and he has be en open," said his spokeswoman, Margita Thompson. Two weeks ago, California voters passed Proposition 59, a constitutional amendment endorsed by Schwarzenegger that requires meetings of governmen t bodies and writings of public officials and agencies to be open to pub lic scrutiny. The governor's personal appointment calendar will be open possibly as early as this week, he told reporters Friday on a trade miss ion to Japan. While certainly much has changed in California since Schwarzenegger took office, some argue that in key policy areas of state government -- espec ially how tax money is spent -- voters are getting a bad sequel. "We have more debt than we did a year ago and several new forms of debt," said Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, a liberal-leaning nonprofit that evaluates the impact of state spending on low- and middle-income families. Schwarzenegger makes no apologies for his first budget, anchored by a $15 billion loan that refinanced much of the state's deficit. He says the b orrowing buys the state time to find longer-term solutions. All three of the nation's big rating agencies have upgraded California's credit from record lows. He's heartened conservatives by repealing a $4 billion car tax and holdin g the line against new taxes. He's encouraged liberals by proving himsel f friendly to the environment, stem cell research and rights of domestic partners. But as he begins to craft his second budget, the nonpartisan legislative analyst's office estimates that state income again will be about $8 bill ion short. "Schwarzenegger has succeeded in some areas -- restoring a sense of confi dence is probably the biggest thing," said Edmond Costantini, professor emeritus of political science at the University of California, Davis. "But when it comes to the budget, it's really a lot of smoke and mirrors. In some ways, when the history books are written, some will write that he really missed an opportunity to come to grips with our budget problem s" Schwarzenegger for president? Californians will soon see advertisements urging them to help give Schwar zenegger and other foreign-born citizens the chance to run for president . The cable television ads, set to being running Monday, are from a Silicon Valley-based group that wants to amend the US Constitution, which lim its the presidency to people born in the United States. Schwarzenegger w as born in Austria but became a US citizen in 1983. You can choose the land you lo ve," Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones says in the ads. She is a San Francisco Bay area mutual fund manager and major Schwarzeneg ger campaign donor who is helping pay for the ads and created a companio n Web site. Schwarzenegger, 57, has said he would consider running for president if t he Constitution allowed but has not pushed for a constitutional change. The TV ads mark the first significant attempt to build public support for an amendment. While polls show Schwarzenegger remains popular with vote rs, the idea of a constitutional change is not. Four proposed amendments are circulating in Congress, but none has advanc ed. Constitutional amendments require congressional approval and ratific ation by 38 states.
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