Governor Looks to the Future in State-of-the-State Address

In his highly anticipated third State-of-the-State address, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger laid out a sweeping vision for California that hearkened back to the future, recalling former governors of both parties who built the state: “In the face of massive and huge challenges, they built the foundation of California’s prosperity,” the Governor said, “They built the schools and universities that became the envy of the world. They built the bridges and aqueducts, the highways and hospitals that made California the economic powerhouse it is today.” And then he laid out his own plan.As pundits predicted, this year’s speech–as opposed to last year’s–was about building bridges, not burning them. The tone of his speech was unfailingly optimistic, even offering a mea culpa. “I have thought about last year and the mistakes that I have made,” he said, acknowledging that the people wanted action, not rhetoric, and cooperation, not conflict. To which he added, “To my fellow Californians, I say, ‘message received’.” So he concentrated on the future. Read the rest of this entry »