After Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized lawmakers for inaction on the budget in February, he came under fire from Senate President Don Perata for proposed 10 percent spending cuts and for telling the Legislature what to do.
But the governor shot back Monday during a Chamber of Commerce town hall meeting in Bakersfield: "Now even though I was criticized by Sen. Perata, who said, 'Boy, he should not mind our business. We know exactly what we are doing.' Well, obviously they don't know exactly what they are doing because otherwise we wouldn't have a $14 billion deficit. If everyone knows exactly what they are doing, we wouldn't have the budget mess in 2003 which created the recall election."
The governor continued to blame cuts on the budget system and called for a long-term fix that includes a rainy-day fund. He tried to disassociate himself from his own proposed cuts on education and social services, even insisting that he'd like to stand with the protesters who have rallied against him at the Capitol.
"Sometimes you see schools protesting out there or sending me letters," Schwarzenegger said. "I'm with them. I wish I could stand there protesting, too. Because we have to protest the budget system. Not this year's budget. The budget system is the failure. That is what has to be corrected as quickly as possible."
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