Thousands protest Schwarzenegger in Sacramento and LA

http://www.kfwb.com/content.asp?STORY=/stories/C/CA_SCHWARZENEGGER_CAOL-&groupName=AP%20Top%20California%20Headlines&LINEUP=CALIFORNIAHEADS&table1tabCount=6&table1tabOn=1&table2tabCount=6&table2tabOn=4&tabParams=%26table1tabCount%3D6%26table1tabOn%3D1%26table2tabCount%3D6%26table2tabOn%3D4

"SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Thousands of teachers, nurses, firefighters and other unionized workers descended on the Capitol and downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday in vocal protests against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget priorities and plans for a special election.

The massive rallies were driven by discontent over a range of hot-button issues, from the governor's education spending plan to his call for a November election that unions view as an assault on their influence. Nurses have criticized Schwarzenegger for weeks in a dispute over staffing ratios.

<snip>

"On Monday, an independent state commission granted legislators a 12 percent pay increase, boosting their annual salaries for the first time since 1998. Beginning in December, lawmakers in both houses will see their salaries increase from $99,000 to $110,880 - the highest compensation in the country for state legislators.

The pay hike came amid forecasts that the state's 2006-2007 budget would carry a shortfall estimated to be at least $5 billion.

The increase cannot be overturned by legislators or the governor, but Schwarzenegger and his aides said lawmakers could turn it down or refuse to accept it. Schwarzenegger, a multimillionaire, does not accept his $175,000 annual salary."

...from a teacher who was unable to attend, but was there in spirit.

And I'm not even a teacher, nurse, or firefighter!

http://ArnoldWatch.org and sign up for their email notification thingy. I guarantee you won't be disappointed and this non-teacher, non-nurse non-firefighter would be happy.

Thanks for the link.

We live in Orange County. We drove up to Long Beach, parked and rode th Metro to Pershing Square. It was great!!! Here's a link: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/052505_nw_protests.html

Click on Mass Protest for the video.

does not accept their salary like me, that is the day I start
taking them serious. Otherwise they are eletists and demogauges.

shit cause he doesn't accept the Governor's salary..

Has so much money being overpaid for whatever he did up there on the silver screen.

either..how they could pay what they owe to Calif except arnie's conveniently hiding it. What's up with that?

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/utilities/nw/nw002172.php3

one half is a good smile, and the last half is
juggling the books.

Teachers, nurses, and firefighters are elitists?

Surely, I'm misinterpreting what, on its face, appears to be mindless dittohead drivel?!

Mindless dittohead drivel runs the world.
Misinterpret away but who would you rather have
in charge of everything, somebody that does their job
for free or people that are always asking for more?
Answer, yes or no, don't wait for the translation.

Sorry. See post #40. :hi:

With a strong sense of satire. ;)

My humor meter is a bit off after the "compromise" yesterday and the promise of more of the same on SS.

Maybe it's time to shut the puter down for the day. :)

than it does to cry.

because DUers are the best! :loveya:

and the dedicated nurse rhetorically asking, "Are you ready for your enema, Governor?"

He might bring in the big Maria..

Why the hell did the teachers' unions ever accept that deal in the first place? They cut Democratic legislators off at the knees--Dems were ready to keep resisting AS's budget, teachers went around them and made this sort of back-door deal with the devil.

Were they so star-struck that they believed he would actually follow through on his word?

Wondered that myself.

than Davis ever would?

This is what republicans do these days..

"Teachers are angered by what they claim is Schwarzenegger's reneging on a promise he made shortly after taking office in 2003. At the time, he and educators agreed to temporarily suspend provisions of Proposition 98, a voter-approved funding guarantee for public schools."



"Schools gave up half of a $4 billion increase in funding to help Schwarzenegger address the state's massive budget deficit. In return, the governor promised to return the money over time and protect education from any future suspension of Proposition 98."

Of course arnie won't listen to the teachers..oust his pompous ass!

"Vince Sollitto, deputy press secretary for Schwarzenegger, said the rallies will not influence the governor.

"Today's events were staged and organized by the defenders of the status quo," Sollitto said. "The unions and the special interests have conspired with the Legislature to spend billions of dollar more than the state has. They do not wish the state to live within its means."

was that the nazi was laying low. They wouldn't give out his location. He's yellow.

despicable goon, I still can't believe this great state elected this clown. Well, now they're learning, elections have consequences.

Vickie
Redondo Beach, CA

californians voted wilson, deukmejian and raygun in too. the stupidity is still here, just cyclical.

kudos to the aware californians who saw through the gropenfuhrer's bs during the "recall".

Doesn't that tell you something? If he were really trying to help CA's cash problems why do donors in other states care so much about us?

It really is a national republican play to destroy unions and redistrict the state so they can get control.

But Californians will again vote the way wing nut radio tells them to.

I think Ah-nuld is trying to tell us something, and I'm sensing that message is: "Screw you, Kahlifoania! Kneel before Zod!"

Remember Kevin Shelley? The former Sec of State that the neocons framed in some sort of financial dirty-deal, and ran him out of office while his mother was dying?

Well, Shelley had outlawed the Diebold vote stealing machines in California. And, we KNOW the neocons can't accept that!

So, they hounded Shelley out of office during a vulnerable time, and replaced him with one of their own goons, who, naturally, reinstated Diebold as the official vote stealer.

So, the gropernator doesn't give a fascist phuck WHAT Californians REALLY think...the votes will show otherwise.

Until these computerized, privatized, and secretly programmed vote counting machines are voted down by all state legislatures, we're stuck with republifascist rule in this country, and what WE, THE PEOPLE, want won't mean shit.

:kick::kick::kick:

told me, earlier this week that in 5 YEARS, Davis was out of the state 181 days - GAS hit that mark after fifteen MONTHS. He is selling off our state every time he leaves the state. This latest fundraiser tour, FL, IL & TX was $50,000/plate - now, just take a wild guess who can afford 2 pay that?

Now ya got it, Sparky!

Big turn out in Los Angeles. We took the subway from North Hollywood to Pershing Square.

When we arrived at 5:15 there were many people leaving already. It was just too crowded to get more people in the Square.

The place was truly a rally. So much enthusiam. Lots of union people and old hippies like myself. Most were teachers I think.

It made me cry to see and hear such passion.

I was there in Pershing Square and it was packed. We took the underground from Pasadena and all along the way more and more people got on and you could tell where they were going. It was like an instant bond with everyone. We were so far away we could barely hear the speakers. I saw several Impeach Bush signs too. Awesome.

A Capitol rally by teachers, nurses, other unions is among the largest in recent years.
The event drew busloads of teachers, nurses, firefighters, prison guards and other union members on a searing afternoon for a protest that ranked among the largest in recent years.
"We are here from every town in Northern California to say together 'no' to the governor and 'no' to the governor's special election," said Barbara Kerr, president of the California Teachers Association. "We represent the real people of California. We are a diverse coalition of everyday people that work and make this state run."
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/12956262p-13803679c.html

wall to wall angry voters at the capitol.
Police
Firemen
Nurses
Teachers
State Workers
Corrections officers
disabled
elderly
parents
i even saw about 50 people from the painters union

Arnold said today "well thats the unions, thats what they do"

I guess he forgot last month when he said last month when he was only mad at the Unions NOT the people.
He just cant grasp the connection between Unions and Union MEMBERS!! the are one in the same dipshit.
UNIONS ARE PEOPLE. PEOPLE WHO VOTE!!!!

They must have been smart enough not to have Tom Arnold headline the events.

Bye bye gropinator, you won't "be back!"

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744291

in was a huge crowd! They had the traffic copter guys do fly overs to show the size of the crowds and they all said the same thing-"Huge crowd but very peaceful and not causing problems for anyone except the governer."

this is exactly what we need to do.....to Bush in DC. People just can't believe the 2000 and 2004 elections were stolen and it is going to take some street action in many places to shake the cobwebs out of many Americans minds and get them to start thinking again.

He's speaking in two places here in the SF area. East Bay and San Jose.
Cahnnel 2 news this morning said his spokeperson will not reveal where he will speak.

Hmmm, its getting to him. Going in the back way must be tiring.

Sounds a lot like the bunker in Berlin. But of course I'm just a commie, liberal girlie man... or somet'ing like dat.

Is it Ah-nuld, perhaps?

edit: Mine eyes! Zee goggles, they do nothing!

I stopped off to buy some gas this morning (always fun) and caught sight of the San Francisco Chronicle's FRONT PAGE headline: "10,000 protest governor"

:evilgrin:

Had to buy it.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/26/MNGVOCUTOF1.DTL

talkin' about?

"Schwarzenegger says special interests in Sacramento, including unions, hold too much power and are blocking reforms."


Why doesn't he hold enron accountable in Calif to help with the budget problems?

Because arnie is accountable to the "special interests" of the bushreich?

Thanks for this link, ailsagirl.

having to do with the neocons running this country:

American treatment of prisoners assailed
by Marc Sandalow
Washington Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON - Amnesty International said Wednesday that the United States' treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib had emboldened abusive regimes and weakened human rights around the world.

(This I got directly from the SF Chronicle... I don't have a link, though I'm sure there is one)

Let's see. He's got the teachers, the firefighters, and the nurses angry at him -- in other words, many of the people who are the backbone of a civilized society.

I hope this will be a turning of the tide.

Arnold has installed hundreds of lieutenants in various high paying state leadership positions. Every state agency that doesn't have an elected director, has a 'Comrade' at the helm. Many state agencies have several 'Comrades' following his orders. Why not find out where these 'Comrades' live and picket their homes on Saturday mornings?

It's taken from the piece about Arnold and Warren Beatty. At the moment, it's right at the top. There's some overhead video of the crowds in Sacramento.

www.dembloggers.com

... damn, that was a lot of people protesting him. I hope their efforts bear fruit.