"Governor" Schwarzenegger, Please Resign!

We had such high hopes for you. You were never a true conservative, I know, but you were talking the talk when it came to taxes and spending. Your campaign for Governor was full of promise... but what have you done to us? You have aided and abetted the State Legislature in spending us into oblivion and raising our taxes -- looks like mine will go up by over $1,000 - maybe YOU can afford that, but I cannot! YOU HAVE BROKEN YOUR PROMISES, you have been a WORSE governor than Gray Davis! You are a long way from being a super hero... what a disappointment you are. You are not worthy of the title of "Governor" That title is for someone who manages his stewardship wisely, you have not. You have been weak, you have given into every special interest, now leaving the truly needy (handicapped and children) with fewer resources because of your weakness. Shame on you.

TownHall.com laid out the case against you:

-- California’s state expenditures grew from $104 billion in 2003 to $145 billion in 2008.

-- California has the worst credit rating in the nation.

-- California has the fourth highest unemployment rate in the nation, 9.3 percent -- higher even than the car manufacturing state of Michigan.

-- California has the second highest home foreclosure rate.

-- California’s tax-paying middle class is leaving the state. California’s net loss last year in state-to-state migration exceeded every other state's. New York, another left-run state, was second.

-- Since 2000, California’s job growth rate -- which in the late 1970s was many times higher than the national average -- has lagged behind the national average by almost 20 percent.

-- California has lost 25 percent of its industrial work force since 2001.

California State Controller - Out of Touch

OK, most people don't even know who the CA State controller is, never mind what his job is. Well, let me tell you.

His name is John Chiang, a Democrat, elected to this office for a four year term. Mr. Chiang describes his duties on his official website as:

• Account for and control disbursement of all state funds.
• Determine legality and accuracy of every claim against the State.
• Issue warrants in payment of the State’s bills including lottery prizes.
• Administer the Uniform State Payroll System.
• Audit and process all personnel and payroll transactions for state civil service; exempt employees; state university and college system employees.
• Responsible for auditing various state and local government programs.
• Inform the public of the State’s financial condition.
• Administer the Unclaimed Property Law.
• Inform the public of financial transactions of city, county and district governments.
• Administer Property Tax Postponement Program.

So where you you Mr. Chiang when the State's finances were crashing? Did we see you on T.V. informing us? Have we seen you since rooting out excess spending? Have we heard you exposing waste? I certianly have not.

Now, to add insult to injury, during a time when taxpayers are NOT getting their refunds, he is spending millions to renovate his offices. Don't take my word for it, view the video below:

Pres. Obama: Give Money to Homeowners!

I vote for a Tax REFUND. Rather than give money to the banks, give the taxpayers a refund. Here is how it would work:

The IRS would issue a $100,000 voucher to every homeowner (one per household). The home owners can then contact their lender and in order for the lender to receive the money from the voucher, they must renegotiate their PRE-existing home loan to a new 5% 30 year fixed rate loan AT THE HOMEOWNER's option (don't want to force the homeowner to renegotiate into a worse loan).

Second, any amounts of this voucher NOT used by the homeowner for home loan (i.e. their total loan is LESS than $100,000) can be applied against Pre-existing consumer credit up to $35,000. Any amounts not used for that purpose will result in a refund check to the taxpayer of up to $10,000.

Third, if a Taxpayer is NOT a homeowner, The IRS would issue the IRS would issue a voucher for $35,000 be applied against Pre-existing consumer credit. Any amounts not used for that purpose will result in a refund check to the taxpayer of up to $10,000.

Finally, any Taxpayer who does not have consumer credit, will be eligible to receive a refund check to the taxpayer of up to $10,000.

Why should we wait to receive personal benefit from the TARP money? Give it to us NOW and help the banks in the process!

Why Did They Buy $1,000,000 In Vans?

Citizens Against Government Waste #5 - www.cagw.org

Perhaps the Ventura County Transportation Commission could call the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The BSA found that the CHP wasted $1 million to buy 51 vans, then used all but five sparingly over the course of two years.18 The audit found that 46 of the 51 vans sat almost entirely idle, and were parked outside on CHP property. These vans had been driven a cumulative total of 401 miles—an average of nine miles per van.

Why Not Use Inmates?

Citizens Against Government Waste #8 - www.cagw.org

Santa Clara County spends about $60,000/year to have a private company wash 1,700 county
vehicles. Costs total $6.50 per car, $8 per truck and $15.95 for oversized vehicles that can’t fit
through an automated wash.15 There is no justification for the expensive outsourcing, when the
tasks could be performed by inmates or those doing community service.

Buses That Cost 50 Times More!

Citizens Against Government Waste #9 - www.cagw.org

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has purchased three zero-emission hydrogen buses whose operating costs appear to be exceeding their effectiveness.13 In fact, the VTA has determined that these buses cost more than $51/mile to fuel and maintain, compared to $1.61/mile to operate a diesel bus. Despite taxpayers being on the hook for the hydrogen buses, the California Air Resources Board is poised to spend $36 million in 2009 to expand the program statewide. This is an effort to meet yet another costly mandate that large transportation agencies must have 15 percent of their fleets comprised of zero emission buses by 2012.