Schwarzenegger on high

Turns out the Governator's a commuter, just like the rest of us. But instead of putting in the standard 10 to 20 hours each week on the road, he's hitting the skies in a private jet.

After flirting briefly with buying a Sacramento abode for his family, then living alone for a while in a 2,000-square-foot hotel penthouse across from the Capitol, the governor has decided to stay nearly every night at his Brentwood mansion.

The commute costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, which aides say the governor pays for himself. Some environmentalists say the trips expand his carbon footprint enough to undermine his image as a crusader against global warming, despite the pollution credits he buys to offset the damage.

Yes, Schwarzenegger has a pied a terre in our fair capital, but he rarely uses it. Evan Halper and Michael Rothfeld track the living habits of governors past and present.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Comments

[Bill Jablonski]

What of our Govenors opinion of Robert Stillen appointed to fix the Dept. of Corrections health system? Robert was paid 775,000$ in 15 months,appointed cronies at jobs at 100,000$+ (11 of them). It was reported that there are 32 facilities and a 10 Billion $ budget. I am a correctional science student at Rio Hondo taking a leadership class of this subject.
The Govener does not accept pay for his job I read so thats it for the commute yet how aboat showing some real leadership of this Correctional fiasco,it hurts the Officers and inmates!

[James Leonard]

I hope Arnold has read about the success that Arizona is having with reducing the illegal immigrant population after they gave up on Geo B. Tighter laws with enforcement might help to reduce our budget problems in California
.
What ever happened to the broom Arnold was going to take with him to Sacramento?