Arnold Schwarzenegger faces recall effort
He 'has done absolutely nothing' as governor, says a spokesman for the state's prison guards union, which is leading the effort. Schwarzenegger says he's 'not going to get intimidated by those guys.'
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who rode into power on a wave of voter angst in the first recall of a California governor, now finds himself a target for removal as his own popularity is declining.The state's well-financed prison guards union, the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., is bankrolling a recall effort against Schwarzenegger.
"This is a governor that has done absolutely nothing," union spokesman Lance Corcoran said in an interview Monday. "We have the largest budget deficit in the history of California. We have one of the longest budget stalemates."
Schwarzenegger and the union known as CCPOA have been at odds for years, unable to agree on a new contract for the guards. Last fall, the governor invoked a rarely used provision of state law allowing him to unilaterally impose new working conditions on the union in the absence of a deal. Corcoran said the dispute has nothing to do with the recall effort, but the governor believes otherwise.
"I'm not going to get intimidated by those guys," Schwarzenegger told reporters in the Capitol on Monday after a ceremony honoring California's Olympic medalists. "The state should not spend more money than we take in, and their intimidation tactics will not make me change my mind whatsoever, because I happen to not represent the CCPOA. I represent the people of California."
The perception that the guards' campaign is self-serving could limit their ability to garner support, said Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican political analyst. He said they would need a broader movement like the one that destroyed former Gov. Gray Davis, the Democrat recalled on Oct. 7, 2003, amid anger over higher vehicle license fees, immigration issues and the energy crisis.
"For most people to take it seriously they have to prove that it's more than the prison guards upset that Arnold won't sign a pay raise," Hoffenblum said. In addition, he said, there is no viable replacement.
The prison guards were among the biggest political benefactors of Davis, who negotiated contracts widely perceived as favorable to the union. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has not accepted their contributions.
"This is a different governor sitting here," he said defiantly on Monday.
Schwarzenegger said he would negotiate with the union but would not give in to its demands for excessive salaries and changes to working conditions such as sick leave and job assignments, which he argued would hamper the state's ability to manage the prisons.
