Where's Arnold?

So, California. The economy's in the toilet, the state budget is bleeding red, the drought's getting worse and we've got wildfires so fierce, one of our main exports right now is the pall of smoke that's settled as far away as Nevada.

But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is working hard to get things under control, his staff assured reporters at a briefing Tuesday. What they somehow forgot to mention is he'll be doing it all the way from Florida.

So where's Arnold?

Our own Evan Halper reports that Schwarzenegger slipped out of our state on his private jet Wednesday afternoon, headed for Miami. Why hang around just to see the legislature blow the July 1 deadline for enacting a budget when instead, you can be feted as an environmental hero at a climate-change conference 3,000 miles away?

And the response from Sacramento: 

"The Governor is clearly engaged on every issue facing the state around the clock, no matter where he is, and has demonstrated this in the past week by meeting with legislative leaders on the budget, declaring states of emergency in several counties affected by the fires, being briefed on the ground of three fire sites, mobilizing the National Guard to combat the fires, issuing an executive order to help people recover from the fires and signing anti-gang legislation, just to name a few examples."

Just try reading that out loud without taking a breath.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Photo: A sculpture is all that's left after a wildfire, one of hundreds in the state, raced through grassland near the Napa and Solano County line this week. Credit: Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Raul Garcia]

I grew up in Southern California, primarily the San Gabriel Valley, brush fires and mud slides has and continues to be the cycle of life in this region.

Preparation is the key to dealing with these matters.

What concerns me the most and has driven me to move to another state, is the complete lack of affordable housing, how did all of Los Angeles County become a giant Manhattan Island?

Even though property values are dropping, rent's are not and it's best for me at the tender age of 51, in the middle of a career change to move to a smaller market where the effectsof cheap immigration labor, just like a creaping vine has not yet moved up the job chain, and choked off the pay scale of skilled jobs.

It will be difficult saying good bye to my family and friends and I will miss Pat O'Brien and the Priests of Love, the Shore Line Village in Long Beach, and the relatively short drive to the San Gabriel Mountains, which will be soon replaced by my relatively short drive to Pikes Peak.

I will not miss the class driven politics of the Los Angeles area, nor will I miss the traffic, congestion, the insane housing and living costs.

All the best.

[Dali]

There is no substance to this article, if one were to call it an article. I am sure that the commitments of a governor are cemented on the calendar for a long time in the future, so cancelling a conference on such an important issue, like climate change, is not a reasonable demand.

Living in California, I want my governor to be leading the dialogue on climate change because we, as a state, have a great deal of influence on this issue. I am sure there are things that the governor could do better, but attacking him on issues such as attending climate change is not productive. Even if the conference happens during a rather tough period.

[Franchise]

You're joking, right?

[Robert Holmes Herzstein]

What is this? Is it news? Is it political analysis? Full of insinuation but no context or serious analysis, this little tidbit of news-lite is not worthy of any reputable news organization.

[mickey malone]

For the man who moved...where is Nervana?

[Kyle]

So he's not that much different from Gray Davis, is he?

[Jamie]

Veronique de Turenne, you are the worst writer ever. The only reason you wrote this trash is because Mayor Villaraigosa had been traveling around w/
a whole bunch of people on our dime and he wasn't doing anything about the trash in L.A. or anything about ANYTHING!; except, maybe flirting w/ the media people,........ oops, you're one, right? Don't throw opinions and irrational writing at us, just to rile people up..................L.A. Times..........c'mon!!!

[Radical Raul]

Nirvana is a place where you can rent a nice one bedroom apartment for less than $600 per month.

LOL

[Veronique]

Thank you, Jamie, for your opinion. We're running a series right now that examines Antonio Villaraigosa's complex ties to his fundraisers. You might enjoy it.

We appreciate your reading the blog.

Veronique

[Just Facts]

I've got news!

Either Republicans or Democrats, in other words, Politicians are NO DIFFERENT FROM ONE-ANOTHER!

Hello, this is reality?

[Ragnarok]

in the tune of Brother John:

Where is Arnold?
Where is Arnold?
Florida.
Florida.
California's burning.
California's burning.
Up in flames.
Up in flames.

[Ragnarok]

A brief ditty in the tune of Brother John...

Where is Arnold?
Where is Arnold?
Florida.
Florida.
California's burning.
California's burning.
Up in flames.
Up in flames.

I am cynical.
I am cynical.
As I choke.
As I choke.
California's burning.
California's burning.
Up in smoke
Up in smoke.

[Sebastian]

I have to hand it to Veronique to handling the article and the criticism with class.

In other words...Jamie, she just punk'd your ass, dude.

[Steve Bernard]

Arnold the Jack Ass. Beyond his old steroid inflated muscles (Sergio Oliva could kick his *ss, anyway), Arnold is an illusion. It's progressively harder and harder to take him seriously. He's in it for himself, by and large, and I feel sorry that Maria's been spun around and is at his beck and call. Maybe that's what a Kennedy is good for. Heck, they tend to get shot if they do meaningful work for our great nation.

[Marlene Munoz]

Arnold can't do anything about the Communists in our state Legislature, he presented his budget, now it is up to the elected Communits and Socialists to make sure working people get screwed and dead beats and illegal aliens get every tax dollar that the Communists and Socialists want them to have.

Did you want Arnold to blow out the fires - what the hell more can he do?

Report on Tony Villar and the trash fee hike that will go to pay for the illegal aliens in South Central who refuse to pay for trash service.