Believe it or not, today marks Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's sixth State of the State address.
It'll be earlier than ever this year at 10 a.m..
It was only a year ago that the speech was scheduled at 3:30 p.m. (also early), not to conflict with the early returns from the New Hampshire primary.
What a long year it's been...
Schwarzenegger's promises and predictions in past addresses have produced mixed results.
In 2008, he donned his "Professor Schwarzenegger" cap to lecture lawmakers about "the economics of our budget problem."
Our budget problem is not because California's economy is in trouble. In spite of a weakness in housing, other areas of our economy continue to thrive. We remain a powerhouse of technology, agriculture, advanced research, venture capital, international trade and innovation. And we continue to have job growth.
So, our revenues this coming year are not going to be lower than last year. They're simply going to hold steady.
He went on, "I said it back during the recall and I'll say it again, 'We do not have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem.'" (Read last year's full speech, as prepared.)
Ten months later, he had changed his tune. "It is now a revenue problem rather than a spending problem," he said in early November, as he called for tax hikes to close the budget gap.
The state faces an approximately $40 billion budget hole over the next 18 months.
Some highlights of other past speeches (as we reported last year):
• 2004 was the year of cutting the state bureaucracy. (That was the famous blow-up-the-boxes speech. The boxes, by most accounts, still remain.)
• 2005 was the year of "reform." (But voters rejected all four Schwarzenegger-sponsored measures in the fall's special election.)
• 2006 was the year of infrastructure. (The governor negotiated four bonds with legislative leaders, all of which were approved by voters in the November election, jump-starting $40 billion worth of construction.)
• 2007 was the year of health care. (Which ended after a negotiated deal passed the Assembly but died in the Senate.)*
• 2008 was the year of facing "our budget demons" (Which continue to haunt into 2009)
Keep an eye on Capitol Alert, where we'll be posting early excerpts of this year's speech, the full text and reactions from across the aisle and from interest groups.
*CORRECTION: The original version of this post has been updated to reflect the outcome of the health care package in 2008.
Photo: Former Speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Nunez, left, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and ex-Senate Pro Tem Don Perata laugh during the governor's State of the State Address on January 8, 2008. Credit: Sacramento Bee photo / Paul Kitagaki Jr.
@Nyx.CommentBody@