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The fun is over for Arnold
The fun is over for Arnold
Dear Editor,
A while back you kindly published an opinion piece I sent you from the States. I am an engineer who survived 6 years working for the military-industrial complex in LA before packing it all in and now has returned to take refuge in Dunedin. I am much relieved to have escaped Bush's police state and I wanted to comment on Arnold's sudden rise to power.
As "The Terminator" beams his Hollywood smile in front of all the cameras in the finale of what is effectively another day in front of the camera I wonder if he is worrying about the $35 billion state deficit or will he only worry about that when he is sitting in the office in Sacramento?
Nobody else could have got away with running on such an empty, unfounded platform as his. He is promising the earth: Balancing the budget, without raising taxes or cutting education. Creating jobs by promoting California overseas, etc. How does he propose to do this? He never said, but I guess it doesn't matter when you are in the Governor's seat or at least that was what Davis thought. $35 billion is a big hole to be in and with the Capital Gains taxes from the "dot com" bubble gone, California is looking shaky. Currently only the federal Defense spending explosion is keeping some of the white collar jobs at places like Boeing Satellite Systems in Los Angeles, which used to make a living selling commercial communication satellites. Battle-space is the cry of the future from the Boeing warlords as they try and tap their contacts in Washington for the new put weapons in space contracts. Battle-space didn't save all of the 3000 jobs that where lost at BSS and where can they go?
It is pretty tough out there in the real California these days, which brings me to my next question: Does Arnie know what the real world is anymore? He has been living the multi-million dollar life for quite a number of years now and yet he claims to be a people's leader. A former colleague of mine argued that the celebs that "criticized" the war in Iraq at the Oscar's this year were out of touch with reality, but Arnie is good because he hasn't been in politics...how does that add up? We will see how in touch he is with those at the bottom of the heap, who usually bear the brunt of the Republican agenda.
It must have been a funny sight watching all those conservative Republicans suck in their pride to vote for a former woman molester after having tried to get Clinton for having an affair. But again a lot of those conservatives used to dabble in the risque, before they reformed themselves and claim that what ever happened 20 years ago isn't important anymore. A former colleague admitted to me that he falls into the same "I used to snort cocaine, but I turned out OK" camp as the President. I call that hypocrisy, but that is another long story for another day.
Well, all the best to the "The Terminator" as he is up against a massive foe of a $35 billion deficit this time and this time he doesn't get to do the scene again if he messes up.
Jared Ball –
Dunedin – Formerly of a US Military Base In Cali
Scoop
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