Schwarzenegger Calls For Spending Cuts

by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York

07 January 2005

Delivering his State of the State speech this week, Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger urged lawmakers to consider cutting spending rather than hiking tax in order to reduce the state's $8.1 billion deficit.

Ordering a special legislative session, which commenced yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger revealed that California legislators will focus on proposals to limit the cost of pensions paid to public employees, pay teachers on a merit basis, and redraw California's legislative and congressional districts.

Speaking with regard to the latter proposal, the Governor said that he had been concerned when he learned "how politicians changed the boundaries of a voting area to protect themselves".

In order to address this situation, he proposed giving the job of deciding district boundaries to a panel of retired judges, tasked with drawing "fair, honest district lines that make politicians of both parties accountable to the people".

However, according to reports, Governor Schwarzenegger did not state whether he wanted such changes to take place immediately, or whether he planned to wait until after the 2010 census takes place.

Recommended