Arnold delivered his "State of the State" address this evening from Sacramento, and I gotta tell you, he does not sound like a lame duck governor who just got re-elected. He is still embodying the idealism that got him elected in the first place and re-elected in November. He has an ambitious plan to "rebuild" California that includes some form of guaranteed health care for all children, even illegal immigrants, increasing water surface storage, reducing greenhouse emissions, reducing prison overcrowding, building new schools, fixing highways, reducing the state deficit, and redrawing the legislative districts to increase competition (joking, "There was more turnover in the Hapsburg monarchy than there is in the state legislature"...the legislators laughed, but they want no part of this issue that could jeopardize their job security).
He has big dreams of bipartisanship and cooperation, but just like his old self, he feels bonds are the only way to accomplish anything. If we pass more and more bonds, we can pay for all of this reconstruction without having to raise taxes (always a big selling point)....until the next governor comes along and actually has to repay the bonds and can't do it without cutting all of the things Arnold just into place, or by raising taxes; either way the Republicans will once again seize on this in attempt to re-ascend to prominence, and so goes the American political circle. In the words of Donny Hathaway in the classic soul song "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Hang on to the world as it spins around, just don't let the spin get you down, things are moving fast, hold on tight and you will last."
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