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McCain's VP Rejects
Who else was John McCain considering for vice president? SuperNews brings you exclusive footage of John McCain calling the rejects and giving them the bad news... Who else was John McCain considering for vice president? SuperNews brings you exclusive footage of John McCain calling the rejects and... more
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Lends Voice to "Terminator Salvation"?
Arnold Schwarzenegger will not appear on screen in "Terminator: Salvation," but the film's producer, Moritz Borman, hinted that the California Governor might instead lend his voice to the film.
Borman, who produced all three previous "Terminator" movies, told Wired: "Schwarzenegger is governing California. He will not be, as a person, in the film."
"Terminator Salvation" is headed into post-production as soon as director McG wraped shooting in New Mexico on August 22nd. The film is scheduled to appear in theaters on May 22nd, 2009. Arnold Schwarzenegger will not appear on screen in "Terminator: Salvation," but the film's producer, Moritz Borman, hin... more -
Flashback: Republican National Convention 2004
What techniques will the GOP use for the Republican National Convention in 2008?
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Arnold Confused, New 'Terminator' Does Not Compute
Who is the hero? Who is the villian? Where is the Governator?
It sounds like they showed him some rough footage, possibly a setpiece or two. I refuse to believe that McG's take on the franchise is too highbrow for Arnold, in fact I'm a little repulsed that I used "McG" and "highbrow" in the same sentence. Who is the hero? Who is the villian? Where is the Governator? ... more -
Schwarzenegger proposes California sales-tax hike
Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed during private negotiations over the weekend to close the state's $15.2-billion budget gap with a temporary but immediate one-cent hike in the state sales tax.
The proposal, floated in meetings with the Legislature's leaders and their staff, hinges on lawmakers agreeing to automatic spending restraints and new powers for governors to cut programs whenever the state falls into the red.
People involved in the negotiations said Schwarzenegger, who has repeatedly vowed never to raise taxes, would back away from the proposal in the absence of the spending controls.
Los Angeles County residents could face a separate half-cent-on-the-dollar sales-tax increase. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board has proposed such a measure for the November ballot, with the money to fund transportation projects. If both the MTA and the Schwarzenegger proposals were to be implemented, the sales tax in Los Angeles County would jump to 9.75%. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed during private negotiations over the weekend to close the state's $15.2-billion budget gap with a ... more -
The governator lays off 10,000 state workers
Order could reduce pay of 200,000 to federal minimum. Move marks effort to reduce $15bn state budget deficit.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, delivered on his threat to lay off thousands of state employees on Thursday when he signed an executive order in an attempt to solve the state's budget crisis.
The move, dismissed by critics as a gesture to force legislators to reach a compromise on how to resolve the state's $15bn budget deficit, left more than 10,000 part-time and temporary employees without work yesterday. The order also reduced the pay of up to 200,000 state employees to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour, below California's minimum.
"I have a responsibility to make sure that our state has enough money to pay its bills," the Republican governor said as he signed the order at a press conference in the state capital, Sacramento. "It is a terrible situation to be in. I don't think any governor wants to be in this situation ... But this is really the only way out at this point."
Critics, including the state controller John Chiang, a Democrat, disagree. Chiang, the state official who issues pay cheques, has said he will pay employees normally, arguing that Schwarzenegger does not have the legal authority to summarily reduce employees' pay.
Referring to the employees as "the innocent victims of a political struggle", Chiang declared: "The state of California, the elected leadership, cannot put the important public servants of California in harm's way. We put people first, we make sure we protect their interests, and that's why I have to tell the governor, with all due respect, I am not going to comply with this order."
Unions also declared their intention to challenge the order in court.
California, the nation's largest state and one of the world's largest economies, regularly fails to agree a budget by the annual July 1 deadline. Officials from the governor's office claimed the lay-offs could save the state up to $100m a month, while the pay cuts would save up to $1.2bn a month if applied to all 200,000 eligible workers. Order could reduce pay of 200,000 to federal minimum. Move marks effort to reduce $15bn state budget deficit. ... more -
Schwarzenegger signs pay-cut order
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today ordered his administration to lay off thousands of part-time state workers and to work with the state controller to temporarily slash the pay of most full-time employees to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour.
About 10,300 part-time employees will receive pink slips starting today, the governor's aides said.
Schwarzenegger says a 2003 State Supreme Court decision requires the pay cuts for most of the 200,000 full-time state employees in the absence of a budget. He wants the cuts to take effect immediately; they would show up in pay checks at the end of August.
HE MUST BE CRAZY
I HOPE HE DOES NOT WANT TO GET RE ELECTED!!!! Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today ordered his administration to lay off thousands of part-time state workers and to work with the state... more -
Schwarzenegger cuts 22,000 state jobs
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- With California's cash dwindling and legislators still debating a new budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated 22,000 part-time and temporary state positions Thursday and ordered that 200,000 state workers receive the federal minimum wage.
"Today I am exercising my executive authority to avoid a full-blown crisis and keep our state moving forward," Schwarzenegger said. "This is not an action I take lightly."
Lawmakers have yet to agree on a spending plan a month after the state's fiscal year began, leaving California without the ability to pay for contractors, the higher education system and legislative employees.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers remain divided over how to close a $15.2 billion deficit, with Democrats favoring $8.2 billion in new taxes on corporations and the state's wealthiest residents. Republicans want a spending cap and oppose tax increases.
As of June, more than 30 states faced deficits totaling a projected $40 billion, or more than triple the gap of the previous year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- With California's cash dwindling and legislators still debating a new budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegg... more -
Arnold hinted to be in Terminator Salvation
"Terminator Salvation" won't hit theaters until next summer, but thousands of fans got an early look at a portion of the film Saturday. Director McG presented never-before-seen footage during a Comic-Con panel and offered a few hints about what to expect from the highly anticipated fourth installment in the "Terminator" franchise. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger could be back.
"The T-800 model indeed is part of the mythology of Terminator," McG said coyly, referring to the machine model California's governor played in the first three films.
James Cameron, who directed the first two "Terminator" films, and special-effects master Stan Winston, who died in June, also each had a hand in the film, McG said, adding that Winston made a cameo appearance.
"He wrestles one of the hydrobots," the director said.
The movie, now shooting in New Mexico, could end up with an R rating rather than the rumored PG-13, McG revealed.
"We put the picture first at all times," he said. "If it's an R-rated picture, it's an R-rated picture and that's that."
He acknowledged that the studio is responsible for some of the online rumors.
"We release, like everyone else does, misinformation campaigns," McG said. "One of the joys of going to the movies is not knowing what's going to happen."
The brief clip shown Saturday was filled with explosions, tanks, gas masks, guns and crushed skulls. Set in 2018, the film is dark and apocalyptic, "exploring what the world is like after a nuclear holocaust," the director said. "We wanted everything to feel like giant Soviet tanks crushing all comers."
"Terminator Salvation," a Warner Bros. release, is set to hit theaters in May. "Terminator Salvation" won't hit theaters until next summer, but thousands of fans got an early look at a portion of th... more -
Hasta La Vista Trans Fat
California becomes first state to ban trans fat!!!
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made it official: California will be the first trans-fat free state in the nation.
All-natural palm, rice and soybean oils will soon be king, and life in the Golden State will be forever altered.
The California legislature pushed the bill through last week, and Schwarzenegger signed it into law Friday, July 25.
The ban will require food providers to begin phasing out trans fat oils by July 1, 2009. Thereafter, noncompliance with the ban will result in fines of up to $1,000. California becomes first state to ban trans fat!!! ... more -
Is the Governor of California Going Crazy?? What do you think?
-----What Arnie wants to do-----
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is threatening to pay thousands of state employees the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour until lawmakers reach a deal on California's overdue state budget.
Spokesman Aaron McLear said the Republican governor is contemplating signing an executive order next week that would pay about 200,000 state workers the federal minimum wage, which is $1.45 an hour less than California's minimum wage.
Employees would receive their full salary retroactively once a budget is signed.
"Because the Legislature has failed to produce a budget over a month past their deadline and because we don't have a rainy day fund, the governor is looking at a number of options to make sure the state does not run out of cash," McLear said.
-----THE OTHER SIDE-----
State Controller John Chiang, whose office pays state employees, criticized Schwarzenegger's threat as a political ploy that could end up costing the state even more in litigation fees.
"Forcing public servants to involuntarily loan the state cash by foregoing their hard-earned paychecks puts an untenable burden on our teachers, health care workers and those who provide critical public services," Chiang said in a statement.
"Cutting workers' salaries will do nothing meaningful to improve our cash position or help us make our priority payments."
-----MY TAKE-----
What do you guys think?
Personally, I work for my local government, and if something like this happened to me, I don't know how I would make ends meet. -----What Arnie wants to do----- ... more -
Governor plans to slash state workers' pay
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans next week to slash the pay of more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum of $6.55 per hour to help ease the state's budget crisis, according to a draft executive order obtained by The Chronicle on Wednesday.
The governor also will order an end to overtime pay for all but critical services, a freeze on state hiring and the immediate layoff of nearly 22,000 temporary, seasonal and student workers.
"As a result of the late state budget, there is a real and substantial risk that the state will have insufficient cash to pay for state expenditures," the executive order states.
Schwarzenegger's staff would neither confirm nor deny that the governor plans to issue the executive order, but sources said he could take action as early as Monday. The state, facing a projected $17.2 billion budget deficit for the fiscal year that began July 1, has not approved a budget.
"The governor is looking at a number of different options to ensure that the state does not run out of cash," said Aaron McLear, a spokesman for the governor.
But administration officials, who asked to remain anonymous, said that about 200,000 of the state's 245,000 workers, both hourly and salaried, will see their pay trimmed back to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour, saving the state up to $1.2 billion a month. Dropping the temporary and short-time workers will save an additional $28.5 million each month.
While the layoffs could be made immediately, the pay cuts might not be completed until mid- or late August.
The proposed pay cut for hourly employees would take their wages well below the state minimum wage of $8 an hour. But a 2003 California Supreme Court decision allows the state to chop workers' pay to the federal minimum when a state budget has not been enacted.
"While we've had late budgets in the past, the critical difference this year is cash," an administration official said. "We have not had a situation in recent years that's the same as the cash-starved situation that we may face in September if we don't have a budget in place."
While California needs to have about $2.5 billion in cash on hand at any given moment to cover the state's ongoing expenses, the Golden State is projected to have just $1.8 billion at the end of September, the official said.
But the governor's plan could face an immediate challenge from Democratic state Controller John Chiang, who will continue to pay state workers their full salaries, even in the face of Schwarzenegger's executive order, said Hallye Jordan, a spokeswoman for the controller. The governor will have to take Chiang to court if he wants to stop him, she said.
"The controller hasn't seen any executive order, but he would urge the governor to rethink his proposal," she said. "This hasn't been addressed by the courts and if it's ruled illegal, it could cost the state a tremendous amount in damages."
Chiang said the state has enough cash to make all payments, including the regular payroll, through September.
"Cutting workers' salaries will do nothing meaningful to improve our cash position," he said in a statement. The executive order is "nothing more than a poorly devised strategy to put pressure on the Legislature to enact a budget."
The state has been without a budget for nearly a month.
Although Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature remain at odds over how to close the state's anticipated budget deficit, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, has called for a vote Tuesday on the Democrats' budget proposal.
**article continues, click link to read Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans next week to slash the pay of more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum of $6.55 per hou... more -
Terminator 4: Salvation
Today a teaser trailer was released for the new Terminator film starring Christian Bale.
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Schwarzenegger blasts Bush on global warming
"Governor Arnold Schwarzeneger spoke out against President Bush this morning attacking his administration for its failure to counter global warming emissions.
"This administration did not believe in global warming," Schwarzenegger told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview that will air Sunday on ABC's "This Week."
"They just didn't believe in it or they didn't believe that they should do anything about it, since China is not doing anything about it and since India is not willing to do the same thing, so why should we do the same thing?" Schwarzenegger said.
"We don't wait for other countries to do the same thing. That's what makes America number one... And I think we have a good opportunity to do the same thing, also, with fighting global warming," he said.
Schwarzenegger's comments came in reaction to the Environmental Protection Agency's recent decision not to take further action against global warming during the remainder of Bush's presidency. "Well, to be honest with you, if they would have done something this year, I would have thought it was bogus anyway," he said. When asked why, the California Governor said, "because you don't change global warming and you don't really have an effect by doing something six months before you leave office."
Schwarzenegger argued that any action taken by the administration at this point would not have been sincere.
"I think that the way they have done it is much better...This administration did not believe that [carbon dioxide] and greenhouse gases is a pollutant. They fought this in court and then finally the Supreme Court had to tell them, 'Yes, it is a pollutant,'" he said.
He also highlighted the strides taken by California to counter global warming.
"I'm very happy that California is in the forefront," he said. "We are very aggressive. We have made a commitment to roll back our greenhouse gas emissions to the 1990 level ... We didn't wait for Washington. I just felt that the administration and the federal government have been terrific partners in a lot of things for us and we have worked together very well, but environmental issues was not one of them."
From ABC News Mary Bruce "Governor Arnold Schwarzeneger spoke out against President Bush this morning attacking his administration for its failure to coun... more -
Cali On Fire
The fires in Northern California continue to burn, leaving many officials and citizens searching for answers. Hear Gov. Schwarzenegger's and Secretary Kempthorne's take on the situation in this pod. The fires in Northern California continue to burn, leaving many officials and citizens searching for answers. Hear Gov. Schwarzenegger... more
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Lightning Fires in CA
Lightning has been the catalyst for 800 or more fires have torched Northern Californias wildlife.
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Mr. FX 1946-2008
Stan Winston's work as a visual effects supervisor, make-up artist and film director won him four Academy Awards. He will be remembered most for his work in Jurassic Park, Aliens, and the Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He died at his home in Malibu at the age of 62. Stan Winston's work as a visual effects supervisor, make-up artist and film director won him four Academy Awards. He will be reme... more
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California drought: Schwarzenegger signs executive order to redirect water
ACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought after two years of below-average rainfall, low snowmelt runoff and a court-ordered restriction on water transfers.
Schwarzenegger warned that residents and water managers must immediately cut their water use or face the possibility of rationing next year if there is another dry winter.
"We must recognize the severity of the crisis that we face," the Republican governor said Wednesday at a news conference.
He signed an executive order directing the state's response to unusually dry conditions that are damaging crops, harming water quality and causing extreme fire danger across California. Many communities already require water conservation or rationing.
The statewide drought declaration is the first since 1991, when Gov. Pete Wilson acted in the fifth year of a drought that lasted into 1992. ACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought after two years of below-average rainfall, low snowmel... more -
Chrisrtian Bale to star in 3 Terminators
The producers would not reveal whether Arnold would reprise his role as the Terminator.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger
