“The Governor Is Not Against Condiments”: California Budget Circus Turns Into Food Fight
Jul 8, 2009 12 Comments ›› Erik Wong
SACRAMENTO ― Seven days after the new fiscal year began, the state of California still appears to be far from a budget solution.
Disabled protesters, angry over cuts to vital services, were arrested outside the Capitol on Tuesday; inside, lawmakers bickered about fruits and juices.
A war of words developed between Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers over the fruit-related focus of three new bills.
“The governor is not against condiments. The governor’s not against fruits of any kind,” said spokesman Aaron McLear. “But he believes we ought to be focused on solving our budget crisis first and foremost.”
Assembly bill 606 creates a commission to serve the marketing interests of the blueberry industry. Another bill defines “honey” to mean the natural food product resulting from the harvest of nectar by honey bees, and a third bill adopts regulations establishing definitions and standards for 100-percent pomegranate juice.
“Look, we’re pro-condiment, we’re pro-fruit, but the focus needs to be on the budget crisis,” McLear said.
Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Fresno) called Governor Schwarzenegger’s criticism childish and said he is fed up.
“The governor’s turned from an action hero into just another politician,” Senator Florez said. “He should really, really take a course on fundamental government on how the legislature works.”
“The fact that he doesn’t understand these things worries me,” he added.
McLear shrugged off the criticism. “If others in the building want to level personal attacks, that’s certainly their prerogative.”
While the rhetoric escalated inside, at least a dozen protesters in wheelchairs were arrested for physically blocking the entrance to Governor Schwarzenegger’s officer to protest his proposed cuts to healthcare.
The protesters were cited and released at the scene.
Governor Schwarzenegger said he plans to invite Assembly Speaker Karen Bass back to the bargaining table, but the Speaker’s office said no call had come by Tuesday night.
Bass boycotted the meeting of the “big 5″ lawmakers because she says the governor is demanding reforms instead of focusing on the budget deficit.
