Arnold claims that he is going
to "scare the special interests" during his statewide tour on
Halloween. Scare them. With what? The $37 million in special interest
money he has received since taking office? "Thank you for all your
cash, and, umm… Boo!" Speaking of spooky, Wal-Mart heir John Walton
gave Arnold $200,000 a few weeks back, after Arnold vetoed an increase
in the state’s minimum wage and a bill to stop Wal-Mart from locking
its employees in overnight, a pretty eerie coincidence. And,
frightening, Arnold will be stumping this weekend against Prop 72,
which Walmart recently gave $500,000 to oppose since the world’s
largest retailer doesn’t provide health coverage for all its California
workers and dependents. And what might leave you pale as a ghost: $50K
to Arnold from Blue Cross of California this month — after Arnold’s
regulator approved the parent company’s merger with Anthem and Arnold
vetoed legislation requiring the insurer to cover maternity benefits.
But what’s really scary is a new analysis of campaign statements
showing that Schwarzenegger has received over $4.7 million from the big
business backers who have given over $4.7 million to Prop 64. The
special interests giving to Prop 64 have given virtually the same exact
amount to Arnold. Pretty creepy! (See a full analysis at http://www.electionwatchdog.org/gov$.pdf ).
During Arnold’s weekend tour, he will be trying to scare the public
into voting for Prop 64 . The primary backer of Governor
Schwarzenegger’s bus tour is Ameriquest, which has given $1,169,000 to
Schwarzenegger and $50,000 to Prop 64. The mortgage company has faced
lawsuits for predatory lending under the Unfair Competition law that
Prop 64 proposes to gut. (Visit http://www.noonprop64.org for more on the initiative)
Given the corporate funders of Prop 64 and Arnold’s advocacy of it,
showing up as a man of the people is just a costume. The real Arnold is
of the Phillip Morris, for the Tycos, and by the Exxons.
With all the treats that Arnold has been getting from the special
interests, his Halloween "reform tour" is a trick on Californians.
