Celebrity Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to speak to a gray-skied Bakersfield on Oct. 3 about a series of bond measures intended to improve California’s infrastructure. “Democrats and Republicans got together,” for bond measures 1A-1E, which the governor calls “the greatest investment Californians can make.”
The measures provide diverse funds to improve California roads, public transportation, port security, public housing, and state funded colleges and schools. The public took place on the easternmost end of Yokuts Park, to a sparse crowd of onlookers and reporters.
Highway 99 roared behind him and he talked about how the bill would earmark $1 billion dollars for improvements on “the Central Valley’s main street.” The governor joked about his failure during the special election of 2005 when asked about his feelings over the bipartisan support of the bonds, and got lighthearted chuckles when he explained his governance methods, “I wanted to create action; I could have stayed in Hollywood and made Terminator 4 through 15 if I wanted to sit around.”
He also reiterated his promise not to raise taxes, guaranteeing that these were strictly to be funded by bonds.
The bonds will set aside $96 billion of the $131 billion budget to help fulfill Schwarzenegger’s vision of “rebuilding California.”
Before the governor arrived, a pair of protesters from World Can’t Wait Bakersfield came to promote awareness for their cause, which is the removal of the Bush Administration with support from all politicians, regardless of party affiliation.
The protesters, Jared Thomas and Paul Linfesty, were shooed away by a highway patrolman.