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Governator Says No Fed $ Until CA Balances it Books

Updated 9:06 PM PST, Tue, Dec 2, 2008

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Schwarzenegger, 61, has been asked during news conferences and television interviews whether he would consider a job in the next administration.

U.S. governors will ask that a federal stimulus plan for the states include as much as $100 billion in aid to help cover the swelling costs of social services.

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Gov. Schwarzenegger talks at the Annual governor's conference.

CA Gov Talks at Gov Conference

Forty-eight governors met with President-elect Barack Obama Tuesday to press their case for a federal package to help them weather the U.S. recession that began in December 2007.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who declared a fiscal emergency Monday in California, said the state won’t accept federal money until it balances out its books.

The governor has proposed $4.7 billion in increased taxes and fees and $4.5 billion in spending cuts to close a shortfall of $11 billion. He said he is hopeful lawmakers will approve his plan, and he won’t accept federal aid until the state balances its budget.

“I’m an optimist,” he said. “We cannot ask the federal government for help until we get our act together in California.”

First Published: Dec 2, 2008 7:34 PM PST

Comments (5)

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Kate Monday, Jan 5 at 6:22 PM FLAG COMMENT Governator Says No Fed $ Until CA Balances it Books When is Governor going to balance the budget. Orange County Social Services lost 210 jobs today. Social services employees are not happy about this. We are here helping our community. Preventing child abuse and giving aid to the people who need it. This totally sucks - for the lack of better word. Orange County CEO says he is going to lay off 415 more jobs if employ ... MORE >
bob2 Wednesday, Dec 3 at 6:52 AM FLAG COMMENT everytime I comment on illegals or Obama nbc deletes it why???
American 1776 Wednesday, Dec 3 at 6:38 AM FLAG COMMENT Why shouldn't this just be considered the Billions the Feds. should have been re-imbursing the State for a decade we've been carrying the burden of Illegal Aliens. Not bailout just re-imbursement. The taxpayer of this State can use some relief. It's our lives they're confiscating with the ever increasing taxes, and right now the Leg. is thinking of new ways to waste it. Seems as if their goal is to have us all homelessness as ... MORE >
Terry Tuesday, Dec 2 at 10:32 PM FLAG COMMENT It's about time someone took the bull by the horns and tried to put a stop to the wheeling and dealing in Sacramento. It's also time to stop draining the budget with programs for non-citizens. If you don't have a valid green card there should be no benefits available. No other country gives to non-citizens here illegally. We can't even take care of our own. It's also time to change our welfare system. It was institute ... MORE >
Jim Tuesday, Dec 2 at 9:42 PM FLAG COMMENT I'm glad the governator is finally doing something about our chronic budget problem. We wouldn't be here if past governors, both Democrat and Republican, had addressed the issues head-on instead of playing accounting games and temporary fixes.