Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is running out of good things to say about California. As he prepares to give his annual State of the State address today, he faces a $40 billion budget deficit, rising unemployment, sinking approval ratings and demands from activists who want to protect their programs from budget cuts.
A RETROSPECTIVE
Schwarzenegger's State of the State speeches
In past years, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has praised everything from post-partisan cooperation to the high amounts of sunshine in the Golden State under his leadership. This year, he may be left with little more than the sunshine.
Here's a look at themes and memorable quotes from his first five State of the State speeches:
2004 | The Year of the Boxes
Theme: Reorganizing and streamlining state government to make it more efficient and accountable.
Memorable line: "Every governor proposes moving boxes around to reorganize government. I don't want to move boxes around; I want to blow them up."
Outcome: A huge task force came up with a lot of ideas, but most of them went nowhere.
2005 | The Year of Reform
Theme: Making "reforms" that included automatic spending cuts, tying teacher pay to performance, changing the state employees' pension system and revamping the redistricting process.
Memorable line: "If we here in this chamber don't work together to reform government, the people will rise up and reform it themselves. And I will join them."
Outcome: The governor sponsored four ballot initiatives. Voters rejected all of them.
2006 | The Year of Growth
Theme: Investing in California's infrastructure by selling construction bonds.
Memorable line: "We need more roads, more hospitals, more schools, more nurses, more teachers, more police, more fire, more water, more energy, more ports … more, more, more."
Outcome: Voters approved a $42.7 billion infrastructure bond package.
2007 | The Year of Health
Theme: Reforming the state's health insurance system to make it more affordable and more accessible.
Memorable line: "In the past, health care reform was always dead on arrival. But this year I can feel something different in the air. I can feel the energy, the momentum, the desire for action. You can feel that the time is right."
Outcome: After passing the Assembly, the governor's proposal was shot down by the Senate Health Committee.
2008 | The Year of Fixing the Budget
Theme: Making a change in the state constitution to force the state to set aside money in good years for use in bad ones.
Memorable line: "I have faith that by us working together like we have in the past, we can give California a budget system worthy of the people who rely on it."
Outcome: Voters will decide its fate sometime this year.
– Steve Wiegand, Bee Capitol Bureau
