ARNOLD MIGHT BE BACK

...Besides the four propositions that Arnold was supporting, the Novemberballot included four others supported by Democratic interests...

...For instance, shortly after taking office, he oversaw a $4 billion refund to taxpayers via the car-tax rollback, a 40 percent cut in workers' compensation insurance costs, and the creation of more than 575,000 new jobs...

...36 THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR JUNE 2OO6 You deserve a factual look a t . . . 99 I s r a e l and the United States I s I s r a e l an asset or a burden t o our country...

...Rather than going into his re-election as the Terminator, he must go in as an effective incumbent who is ready to fight for his priorities...

...It is the only country that makes itself available to the United States in any contingency...

...The United States is without question Israel's most important ally...

...Pension reform could also help to ease the laden budget, which is currently supporting government pensions to the tune of $2.6 billion annually-money that could be used to build new highways, schools, and levees...

...The four ballot propositions included: a "teacher tenure" proposition to grant teachers tenure after five years instead of the existing two, a "paycheck protection" proposition that would have required annual consent of public sector union employees before their dues could be used for political purposes, a "live within our means" proposition that attempted to limit state spending, and a redistricting proposition that would have allowed a panel of retired judges to draw district lines, as opposed to incumbent legislators--all reasonable reforms...

...Israel is indeed a major recipient of U.S...

...34 THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR JUNE 2006 Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, did not react to these ads for several months, except occasionally to mock his adversaries in speeches or other public appearances...

...A patriotic-named foundation urges, in fullpage ads in national newspapers (very expensive - who pays for it...

...also showed that the governor's propositions would be better served if they were postponed until the regularly scheduled primary (being held this month...

...What are the facts...

...In order to ensure electoral victory, these interests outspent the Schwarzenegger campaign by more than five to one, with spending estimates around $320 million...

...Now he needs to show voters, in a fashion that is recognizable to Republicans, that he will fight to keep that dream alive...

...His love for California and the dream it represents is obvious and contagious...

...So, while the road to November might not be the smoothest, Arnold can indeed roll over the bumps and pull through if he focuses on a few key areas...

...a businessman, philanthropist, and former federal prosecutor, was the 2002 Republican candidate for governor of California...

...Your tax-deductible contributions are welcome...

...Other recent California governors hit polling slumps or were defeated in special ballot initiatives during their first terms, yet they still won big election victories...

...The "Israel lobby...

...It is now the bulwark against the aggressive intentions of Iran...

...The governor's plan to overhaul the state's infrastructure, including new roads, levees, and schools, is commendable for bringing some much needed attention to the problem of California's failing system...

...Now he is being forced to govern the old-fashioned way, by taking his ideas to a legislature that certainly is not going to do him any favors...

...Angelides has proved to be a classic pro-union, anti-business Democrat who has already thrown his support behind a number of new taxes...

...Box 590359 a San Francisco, CA 94159 Gerardo Joffe, President FLAME is a tax-exempt, non-profit educational 501 (c)(3) organization...

...He also stated that the yearly $1.8 billion that Israel received in military assistance was worth $50 to $60 billion in intelligence, R&D savings, and Soviet weapons systems captured and transferred to the Pentagon...

...The enemies of reform were able to avoid a debate on the merits of the initiatives and focused all of their resources on a well-orchestrated assault on the governor...

...Schwarzenegger's strategy was simply to present the propositions as an extension of the recall that had solidly elected him...

...Polling by B i l l Simon, Jr...

...Schwarzenegger became governor in November 2003 determined to act swiftly to reform Sacramento's ills...

...And not only was he a two-term governor, but Californians also went on to help elect him president in both 1980 and 1984...

...Furthermore, even though Arnold's proposal has failed to produce legislation thus far, he continues to work towards a bill to put before voters while the Democrats have failed to put a solid plan together...

...Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger has taken a few steps backwards since last November...

...While it might have been easy to convince Californians to say "no" to the governor last November, it'll be harder to pull off that same trick this November-especially since most of their alternatives involve tax increases...

...The governor could go a long way if he represented a stark contrast to that agenda...

...Unfortunately, the special interests that run Sacramento-in particular the public employee unions-regarded the defeat of his propositions, especially paycheck protection, as critical to their survival...

...Yes, Israel is not a burden, but a tremendous asset to the United States...

...In addition to the confusing barrage of TV ads and the lack of response from the Schwarzenegger team, the high number of propositions, which voters had to decipher in the voting box, hurt the reform campaign...

...This lobby is said to pull the strings of American policy...

...Pat Brown made it a priority in the 1960s...

...Today, his legacy includes a massive defeat on all four propositions, a bond initiative that failed to make the ballot this June, and an approval rating of 39 percent...

...First, he needs to provide an agenda that represents his Republican base and the core of California voters, including some tangible pro-j ob items that people can see and understand...

...Ronald Reagan, for instance, lost manybattles in Sacramento, including a special election to limit government spending and taxation...

...During Desert Storm, Israel provided invaluable intelligence, an umbrella of air cover for military cargo, and had personnel planted in the Iraqi deserts to pick up downed American pilots...

...Virtually all of the economic assistance goes for repayment of debt to the United States, incurred from military purchases dating back many years...

...Second, Schwarzenegger's infrastructure bond proposal can and should be a big part of his campaign in the coming months...

...The election included four ballot initiatives he was putting to voters along with the slogan, "We must continue the reform movement that began with the recall...

...The people of the United States, individually and through their Congressional representatives, overwhelmingly support Israel in its seemingly unending fight against Arab aggression and Moslem terror...

...He must also remember that the Democrats are not his real friends...

...The simple answer is: of course...

...Arnold is now imprudently trying to rely on state Democrats for support, which they are unlikely to give him...

...Israel effectively secures NATO's southeastern flank...

...Israel receives yearly $1.8 billion in military aid and $1.2 billion in economic aid, a substantial portion of our yearly aid budget...

...The proposal called for the most extensive rebuilding of the state's infrastructure since Gov...

...They enable us to pursue these goals and to publish these messages in national newspapers and magazines...

...F INALLY, THE GOVERNOR NEEDS t o mobilize his Republican base...

...Arnold needs to stand behind his plan for infrastructure overhaul and promote the use of public-private partnerships in the process...

...Also, without question, Israel is the staunchest and most reliable friend of the United States...

...Regardless of the disagreements Republicans have had with him, Arnold remains the most reform-oriented candidate on the ballot...

...Indeed, he needs to showpeople that he is a fighter, willing to take more risks-and more punches--for the issues California cares about...

...Fortunately for Schwarzenegger, both have fallen into typical liberal molds...

...Regardless of what pundits and pollsters predict, incumbents carry with them an undeniable edge...

...Although not much ground-breaking legislation is likely to pass between now and November, Schwarzenegger's campaign could benefit from a continued push for reform initiatives on such issues...

...Almost all of the military aid is spent in the United States, making Israel one of the major customers of the U.S...

...American largess, almost reflexively vote against the United States in most instances...

...Westly has done little to distinguish himself, though his articulate, business-like demeanor and deep pockets could pose a greater threat should he make it to the general election...

...America and Israel are aligned by their shared love of peace and democracy...

...Although he may have lost the special election last November and the battle in Sacramento over infrastructure thus far, Arnold has shown that he is not afraid to make changes and debate the critical issues facing the state...

...George Deukmejian lost a special ballot measure in 1984 yet won re-election in 1986 by more than 20 points...

...America's staunchest ally...

...During the decades-long Cold War, Israel was America's indispensable rampart against the inroads of the Soviet Union...

...Moreover, by bundling his propositions together, Schwarzenegger enabled opponents to make the election less about the individual initiatives and more about him...

...Some even say that the Iraq war was promoted by this omnipotent "Israel lobby," that the President was flummoxed into declaring war on Saddam Hussein, not in order to defend the United States or to promote its interests, but in order to further the interests of Israel...

...People like candidates with a vision, and Schwarzenegger has a reform-minded one...

...Israel and the United States stand together in their fight against Islamo-fascist terrorism...

...One need only look at the number of "special" elections to know that...

...The governor can be expected to highlight the bond initiative throughout his campaign...

...The majority of union campaign dollars were spent on negative television advertisements which, more than anything else, served to confuse voters and paint a very negative, albeit misleading, picture of Governor Schwarzenegger...

...An agenda aimed at turning this trend around will go a long way with voters, particularly in his party...

...It is and always has been based on shared values of liberty, democracy, and human rights...

...The Arabs and other Moslem countries, virtually all of them recipients of "Israel and the United States stand together in their fight against Islamofascist terrorism...

...The governor made some good decisions early on...

...These shared values will bind Israel and the United States forever...

...During his time in Sacramento, the state has also had a strong economic comeback and a reduction of the structural budget deficit...

...defense industry...

...Much of the plan was to be financed by the issuance of $68 billion in general obligation bonds over the next decade...

...Air Force Intelligence, stated publicly that "Israel is worth five CIAs," with regard to intelligence passed to our country...

...Although the plan did not make it onto the June ballot, some form of it is likely to be seen in November...

...But there are some who believe and vigorously advocate that Israel is a burden to the United States and that, were it not for Israel, peace would prevail in the Middle East...

...First, some history is in order...

...In the United Nations, Israel's votes coincide with those of the United States over 90% of the time...

...He must regain the trust of his party and prove that he is the strong leader they elected...

...No responsible lawmaker can ignore the problems California has with its water, power, levees, roads, and much more...

...They are said to exert an almost magical spell over policy makers, including the leaders of Congress and the President...

...He now needs to stand strongly behind it...

...And, while he has failed to gain support for education and budget reform, he needs to show that he will continue to labor for them...

...A good case can be made that aid to Israel, certainly the military portion, should be part of the United States defense budget, rather than of the aid budget because Israel is, next only perhaps to Britain, by far the most important ally of the United States...

...In 2004, he decided to ignore the counsel of his politically savvy wife as well as polls that showed the majority of the state's electorate felt a special election was unnecessary...

...It's quite likely that a budget problem will arise as soon as the economy softens again and publicprivate partnerships would help to ease the burden when that day comes...

...Almost all of our revenue pays for our educational work, for these clarifying messages, and for related direct mail...

...Midway through his first term, Pete Wilson hit a major ratings slump, not unlike Schwarzenegger's, only to rebound with a solid re-election victory in 1994...

...While conventional wisdom suggests that lying low and calling your opponents girlie-men may not be the best electoral strategy, the spending power of the special interests so far outweighed the Schwarzenegger campaign that, in the end, little else mattered...

...L UCKILY FOR SCHWARZENEGGER, history is on his side...

...Its supposed main promoters are AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and the so-called "neocons," some of whom are indeed Jewish...

...Schwarzenegger's two rivals-state treasurer Phil Angelides and state controller Steve Westly-face a costly primary this month for the Democratic nomination...

...He has shown the ability to make narrow issues seem expansive, which should come in handy...

...Virtually without exception, Israel's government and its people agree with and support the foreign policy objectives of the United States...

...He must remember that a reelection campaign is always a referendum on the incumbent, first and foremost...

...The Democrats of Sacramento represent a tax-and-spend agenda that is not likely to change...

...Yet despite his defeat last November and recent rift with conservative state Republicans, the governor does have a modest performance record that he can turn to during the election to remind voters of what he can accomplish...

...Its purpose is the research and publication of the facts regarding developments in the Middle East and exposing false propaganda that might harm the interests of the United States and its allies in that area of the world...

...Israel is indeed America's unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Middle East and the indispensable defender of America's interests in that area of the world...

...T HE NOVEMBER SPECIAL ELECTION defeat demonstrated that Schwarzenegger can no longer rely on his persona alone to captivate voters...

...But that support is not based on the great strategic value that Israel represents to the United States...

...He relied heavily on his own star power, which had successfully mesmerized voters in 2003...

...These shared values, these common ideals, will bind Israel and the United States forever_9 This ad has been published and paid for by FLAME Facts and Logic About the Middle East P.O...

...In contrast to our commitments in Korea, Japan, Germany, and other parts, not a single American serviceperson needs to be stationed m Israel...

...George Keagan, former head of U.S...

...As a result, Californians were increasingly seeing him as unreliable and unfocused and, perhaps most damaging, as untrustworthy...

...Israel is the major strategic asset of the United States in an area of the world that is the cradle of Islamo-fascism, which is dominated by tyrants and permeated by religious obscurantism and shows almost total disregard for human rights...

...California's economy has been suffering from the loss of high-paying jobs and highly skilled workers to neighboring states...

...Bill Simon...

...The same cannot be said of his opponents...

...He also took a step backwards by annoying much of the state's conservative Republican base with the appointment of Susan Kennedy (former executive director of the California Democratic Party) as his chief of staffand the reversal of his conservative agenda items...

...The state of California is better off today than it was three years ago and Schwarzenegger can take some credit for the improvement...

...Considering that the cost of one serviceperson per year - including backup and infrastructure - is estimated to be about $200,000, and assuming a minimum contingent of 25,000 troops, the cost savings to the United States on that score alone is on the order of $5 billion a year...

...to influence Congress to withhold support for Israel...

...California is a state that likes change...

...By the time he countered with his own ads, the message of the special interests had been taken to heart by many voters-the "Governator" could not be trusted...

...We have virtually no overhead...

...And the governor truly is the leading candidate for change in a state that badly needs it...

...Professors from prestigious universities write essays in which they aver that the United States is in thrall to the "Israel lobby...

...Last JUNE 2006 THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR 35 ARNOLD MIGHT BE BACK fall'svictorydid not come cheap for the unions and special interests, which were forced to increase dues and, in the case of the teachers' union, mortgage their offices...

...Defined-contribution plans give investment control to employees who decide what level they will contribute to the retirement system...

...So the obvious question is: Can Schwarzenegger rebound...

...Following the lead of the private sector, the state could benefit from shifting from defined-benefit to defined-contribution plans, which are less expensive and more maintainable...

...These partnerships would allow private corporations to finance the building and management of certain public works projects...

...Arnold Schwarzenegger was confidently preparing to announce a special "Year of Reform" election...

...They maybe next to him in the cigar tent but not in the back rooms where the real deals happen...

...Gen...

...The governor needs to scale back the regulatory excess that hinders the creation of new jobs...

...Its superb harbor, its outstanding military installations, the air and sea lift capabilities, and the trained manpower to maintain sophisticated equipment are readily at hand in Israel...

...Given the current favorable economic conditions of the state and his early successes, Arnold should not be counted out...