Everyone's favorite actor/governor is having another $100,000 a plate fundraiser, this time in Sacramento. We have decided he needs a warm welcome back to the capitol, after all he has been jetting all over the country: New York City, Chicago, Phoenix, Washington DC, raking in the cash. Tomorrow he opens up his Sacramento home to his closest friends, those who have big checks. (Click the image to see part of the invitation)
No, not the governor's mansion. That is way to low class for a big shot like Arnold. He stays at the Hyatt, where he can be pampered like the Hollywood star he is. The governor has set a goal of raising $120 million this year. The last big fundraiser he had, with Sen. McCain brought in over $1.5M in a single night. This is all from a man who said that he had plenty of money and would not take a dime from special interests.
He lied. The man has been feeding at the special interest trough for years now and to think that they want nothing back for their donations is ludicrious.
The governor has been promising to investigate the price fixing and ripping off of consumers. How can we expect him to do that when he has taken in over $2 million from the oil industry? We sent out a press release yesterday and Matier and Ross picked up as their lead for their column in the Chronicle:
No sooner did Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger call for a state investigation of price gouging at the pump than his critics jumped in feet first -- noting that the "no special-interest money" governor has taken nearly $2 million in campaign contributions from the very oil companies he wants investigated.
"Arnold's latest slick stunt, pretending to care about soaring costs of gas prices, rings hollower than a Krispy Kreme doughnut,'' said the anti-Arnold labor folks at the Alliance for a Better California.
[snip]
So, Arnold's critics ask, how can we expect Gov. Fox to investigate the henhouse thefts?
Team Arnold campaign spokeswoman Julie Soderlund calls such oil contribution complaints "nothing but baseless political attacks to score political points.'
Of course the guy that he tapped to lead the investigation only has two weeks left on the job, a convient way for it to die a quiet death.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week called on California Energy Commission Chairman Joe Desmond to investigate possible price gouging by big oil companies, as gasoline prices across much of the state topped $3 a gallon. But Desmond has only two weeks left on the job--and likely won't be there to see the investigation through.
Desmond's nomination must be confirmed by both the Senate Rules Committee and the full Senate before May 10 in order for him to keep his post. But the Senate, led by President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, has refused to even schedule a confirmation hearing. Without such a confirmation, Desmond will be forced to leave the post by May 11th.
Perata opposes electricity market deregulation, expansion of coal-fired power and new fees on power customers--all of which Desmond has previously advocated.
Perata informed the governor that the Senate was not going to approve the nomination back in January. Predictably, Arnold did nothing. Now when Desmond is about to step down he intrusts him with the investigation. I bet that will please his donors.
The oil industry is just one of many that Arnold has been pulling in money from hand over fist. Find out more here.
Tommorow should be a good time and we are hoping to have a couple hundred people there holding signs. I joined a few folks from the SEIU and put together some signs for the occasion. And they are primed and ready to go!
Last time we did this down in Beverly Hills, in March, we got over 150 news hits out of it, including a ton of television. Come join us. I know Frank Russo from the California Progress Report will be there. Spit said the other week he would try and make it. We could make it a little kossack meetup and grab some beers and food afterward. If you can't make it, be sure to tune into the news tomorrow night and maybe you will see us. In addition, I will be doing some live blogging over at BetterCA.
Alliance for a Better California Rally
Gathering at 4:30, program at 5:00
Hyatt, Sacramento: 12th and L Streets
Signs will be provided