Laughed at when he first sought public office, Gov. Schwarzenegger is now respected by several on both sides of the aisle.
While having a conversation with several of my Democratic companions, the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, became a topic of discussion. I would state my opinions on the “Governator” and would simply be met with: “But Nick, he’s a Republican.” Ignoring for just one minute that it is comments such as these that are causing many of the problems we have today in America, I thought it would be appropriate to publicly state my support for the Austrian-born governor and explain why from nothing more than his record in public service.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a champion of bi-partisan politics and “getting things done”. On a recent interview with CBS 60 Minutes, Mr. Schwarzenegger declared,
“I am not a party servant; I am a public servant.”
Not even a week after the 2008 election came to a close, the Governor threw his support 100% behind President-Elect Barack Obama claiming it was what the country needed to do. During the campaign, he came out in support for the passage of Proposition 11, which prevents elected officials from drawing their own district boundaries. The move made several seats more
Arnold Schwarzenegger campaigned vigorusly for Proposition 11 to fight political corruption
competitive, as candidates would have a more diverse and random population to campaign for, as opposed to districts that were potentially gerrymandered to favor a particular party. When asked about the decision, Arnold replied:
“We only have to look at the current gridlock and the partisan bickering … to know that California desperately needs more government and political reform”
His resume does not stop with government reform. From the Office of the Governor’s website: “since he took office, Governor Schwarzenegger has worked to reform California’s fiscal policies, create a better business environment, reduce burdens on employment, boost exports and stimulate job growth. Through the end of 2007, California’s Gross State Product had grown by 29 percent since the governor took office in 2003” That is nearly a 30% rate of growth, even during the nation’s fiscal crisis. Although he is criticized for taking on debts that many question, he stands firm in his position that the borrowed money is going into public works projects that will pay the money back. He has begun several initiatives similar to those President-Elect Barack Obama that will invest heavily in California’s infrastructure as well as provide for “Green Jobs”
After proving that the military Humvee could be used as a civilian car with the introduction of the Hummer, the Gov. took his idea to the next level by creating a Humvee that runs on bio-fuel.
Perhaps his most notable battle is that of the environment. From the Office of the Governors Website: “Governor Schwarzenegger’s most notable accomplishments in his first five years in office include the nation-leading Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 – a bipartisan agreement to combat global warming by reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions – and overhauling the state’s workers’ compensation system – cutting costs by more than 35 percent.” During an interview with CNN, Mr. Schwarzenegger was asked what advice he would give to the President. He named Health Care and the Environment/Energy Efficiency as what should be his highest priorities. He has said:
We simply must do everything in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late. The science is clear. The global warming debate is over.
Further from the Office of the Governor’s Issue Section on his Website: “In September 2008, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB 1451by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), AB 2466 by Assemblyman John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and AB2267 by Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) to build on California’s commitment to increase renewable energy use. AB 1451 will build on the state’s solar power usage by continuing a property tax exclusion for projects that utilize solar panel energy and expanding the exclusion to builder-installed solar energy systems in new homes. AB 2267 builds on the state’s green economy by requiring the CPUC to grant incentives to eligible California-technology manufacturers. This bill also requires the Energy Commission to give priority to California-based companies when granting awards and will not only create jobs for hardworking Californians but will attract more clean-tech and green-tech companies to the state. AB 2466 will increase energy efficiency and help protect the environment by authorizing local governments to receive a utility bill credit for surplus renewable electricity generated at one site against the electricity consumption at other sites In January 2007, the Governor announced the world’s first Low Carbon Fuel Standard for transportation fuels that requires fuel providers to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels sold in California. This first-of-its kind standard firmly establishes sustainable demand for lower-carbon fuels
Gov. Schwarzenegger has been a proven protector of Mother Nature
without favoring one fuel over another. To start, the standard will reduce the carbon intensity of California’s passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020 and more thereafter. In September 2006, the Governor signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, California’s landmark bill that established a first-in-the-world comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gases. The law will reduce carbon emissions in California to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Governor Schwarzenegger has also called for the state to reduce carbon emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050.” He defended this saying:
Global warming is one of those things, not like an earthquake where there’s a big bang and you say, ‘Oh, my God, this is really, has hit us.’ It creeps up on you. Half a degree temperature difference from one year to the next, a little bit of rise of the ocean, a little bit of melting of the glaciers, and then all of a sudden it is too late to do something about it.
Perhaps the most admirable quality of the governor is that he demands and respects the will of the people. Mr. Schwarzenegger vetoed several bills passed in the California state legislature that would overturn rulings from previous referenda. He overturned these decisions because it went directly against what the people of his state voted for. After the landmark decision created from Propostion 8, which banned gay marriage, Arnold said in a CNN interview, “never ever give up.” to the proponents of gay rights. A supporter of marriage equality, Mr. Schwarzenegger has told the individuals fighting for equal marriage rights to push foward.
A protector of the enviornment, a shepard of the enconomy, a fighter for equality, a friend of the people, and a good-spirited leader: hopefully governors from all the states will look to this man for inspiration and advice. Governor Schwarzenegger has proven to me, to be a Republican for us Democrats too.
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