Governor’s Agenda Rouses the People

Re “Governor Lays Out Ambitious Agenda Certain to Draw Fire,” Jan. 6: The Times and others have reported that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is stumping the media, challenging Democratic legislators to show political courage by supporting his budget cuts in the larger, nobler cause of restoring fiscal responsibility and integrity. But surely there is more than one way to achieve this worthy goal.

Why doesn’t the governor take up his own challenge and prove he is not a lackey of the moneyed interests by raising taxes by a small amount on the wealthiest of Californians? It would eliminate the huge deficit and show everyone that his so-called challenge is more than manipulative rhetoric from just another political coward.

K.V. Bapa Rao

Los Angeles

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Schwarzenegger has thrown down the gauntlet -- no more special interests in Sacramento, which will dry up what Jess Unruh called “the mother’s milk of politics” -- money. The governor wants to get rid of those who giveth the most. I served on the Little Hoover Commission for 10 years and, with all our reports and recommendations, we couldn’t stop the flow of “mother’s milk.” But that’s another story. If anyone can shake Sacramento into shape, my “money” is on Schwarzenegger.

Angie Papadakis

Rancho Palos Verdes

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What a powerful speech and just what Californians wanted to hear: reform, reform, reform. We will stand with the governor and be watching our legislators. Californians want and need this long overdue reform. We are anxious to see what all those special interests will try to do to stop his reform ideas. We did not fire Gray Davis without good reason, and our legislators better take more notice of what the people expect from them.

John and Karen Kennedy

San Mateo

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The governor says we have a spending problem. He’s right in one respect. We do have a problem when it comes to education: We do not spend nearly enough.

Ironically, the governor made his speech the day the respected journal, Education Week, released data showing that only seven states spent less per student than California.

More than 99% of California students are in school districts with funding below the national average. At the same time, California is well above the national average in ability to pay: We rank eighth in personal income and have more millionaires than any other state. The governor’s “bold new” ideas seem penny-wise and pound-foolish. California cannot have a first-rate economy with a third-rate education system. We cannot afford not to begin to pay for good public schools.

Gary Blasi

Los Angeles