Girlie Men

S. LO'S CALIFORNIA INDEX JULY 21, 2004 Chance that a state budget agreement is reached by day's end: 60%. Chance an agreement is reached by week's end: 80%. Chance your grandchildren will get stuck with the bill for all the borrowing and gimmickry in the budget: 100%. Number of times Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promised an on-time budget in the last year: Too many to count. Number of days that have passed since the budget deadline: 21. Total dollar amount of the 2003-04 budget signed by ex-Gov.

SACRAMENTO - Surely it was just a casual throwaway line. Regardless, Gov. Jerry Brown deserves to have it thrown back at him. There are too many things that rub wrong - even rankle - about the governor scolding the Legislature to "man up" and cut state services. First, unlike when Brown was governor the first time in the '70s, the Legislature today is 28% female. (Back then, 8% tops.) Are the women of the Legislature supposed to man up too? Just a throwaway thought. Second, there seems to be something inappropriate about proclaiming that it's manly to cut services for the politically weak: poor welfare moms striving to become self-sufficient and old disabled people who need help at home so they can avoid costly nursing homes.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's description of his opponents in the Legislature as "girlie men" roiled Democrats and feminists in Sacramento. But it's been great for political satirists, and possibly even for Democratic fundraisers. Within days of the governor's comments at the Ontario Mills mall, where he also called lawmakers "children" and urged a crowd to "terminate" them, girlie men were popping up all over the Internet. One site, www.freakingnews .com, even sponsored a contest.

Re "Gov. Calls Democrats 'Addicts,' " Feb. 12: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reminds me of a name-calling schoolyard bully. He seems to believe that by calling his opponents names (addicts, special interests and "girlie men") he can intimidate them into doing what he wants. I am not intimidated, and I will stoop to playing the governor's name-calling game so that the governor can have a taste of his own medicine. No, on second thought, I will not. To resolve our problems, we Californians must cooperate, debate and, ultimately, compromise.

I now realize why the L.A. Times' Outdoors section has a different slant, flavor, viewpoint. It's all written by women. There's no testosterone. No male attitude. Women are good word wizards, but they are not experienced in the macho outdoor stuff. They haven't been there and more important, they don't want to go there. Turning words, sipping latte is not duck hunting. Pete 'Jackpot' Balwan Glendale

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger mocked his opponents in the California Legislature on Saturday as "girlie men," and called upon voters to "terminate" them at the polls in November if they don't pass his $103-billion budget. Using tough rhetoric that borrowed from his days as a bodybuilder and actor, the governor said state lawmakers are telling "lies" and are "back to their old habits" after a post-recall burst of bipartisan collaboration.

By calling state Democrats "girlie men" for blocking his budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pioneered a new era in politics: converting "Saturday Night Live" skits into partisan slogans. How long before other politicians start borrowing catchphrases from "SNL"? Surely, the immortal words of Wayne and Garth, Emily Litella and the Church Lady can be mined for pithy ad campaigns and speeches. Here are some possibilities:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's self-parodic testosterone swagger is getting less and less amusing. Over the weekend, amid the usual "Terminator" allusions, he called the Democrats in the California Legislature "girlie men" for holding up his state budget. A tempting response would be, "Hey, it takes one to know one."

Re "Progress on State Budget Stalls as Talks Give Way to Rancor," July 20: If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking for the fall guy in this budget battle, he should look in the mirror. About the issue of the pay for prison guards -- which he faulted Gov. Gray Davis for in the campaign -- when he reached his recent agreement with that union, one union official said that they gave the governor a dime and he gave them three nickels in return. He is certainly a fast learner on how to yield to the lobbyists.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to believe that the people who say the economy is failing them are "girlie men." I just want to make sure I understood his message. Are the fathers and husbands who don't have a job and can't support their families anymore "girlie men," or the people who had a job in 2000 and don't now "girlie men"? Maybe it's the people who lost a job and had to take two in its place for 30% less income who are "girlie men." Schwarzenegger is not only insensitive, he is ignorant.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to believe that the people who say the economy is failing them are "girlie men." I just want to make sure I understood his message. Are the fathers and husbands who don't have a job and can't support their families anymore "girlie men," or the people who had a job in 2000 and don't now "girlie men"? Maybe it's the people who lost a job and had to take two in its place for 30% less income who are "girlie men." Schwarzenegger is not only insensitive, he is ignorant.

I now realize why the L.A. Times' Outdoors section has a different slant, flavor, viewpoint. It's all written by women. There's no testosterone. No male attitude. Women are good word wizards, but they are not experienced in the macho outdoor stuff. They haven't been there and more important, they don't want to go there. Turning words, sipping latte is not duck hunting. Pete 'Jackpot' Balwan Glendale

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's description of his opponents in the Legislature as "girlie men" roiled Democrats and feminists in Sacramento. But it's been great for political satirists, and possibly even for Democratic fundraisers. Within days of the governor's comments at the Ontario Mills mall, where he also called lawmakers "children" and urged a crowd to "terminate" them, girlie men were popping up all over the Internet. One site, www.freakingnews .com, even sponsored a contest.

Re "Progress on State Budget Stalls as Talks Give Way to Rancor," July 20: If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking for the fall guy in this budget battle, he should look in the mirror. About the issue of the pay for prison guards -- which he faulted Gov. Gray Davis for in the campaign -- when he reached his recent agreement with that union, one union official said that they gave the governor a dime and he gave them three nickels in return. He is certainly a fast learner on how to yield to the lobbyists.

S. LO'S CALIFORNIA INDEX JULY 21, 2004 Chance that a state budget agreement is reached by day's end: 60%. Chance an agreement is reached by week's end: 80%. Chance your grandchildren will get stuck with the bill for all the borrowing and gimmickry in the budget: 100%. Number of times Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promised an on-time budget in the last year: Too many to count. Number of days that have passed since the budget deadline: 21. Total dollar amount of the 2003-04 budget signed by ex-Gov.

By calling state Democrats "girlie men" for blocking his budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pioneered a new era in politics: converting "Saturday Night Live" skits into partisan slogans. How long before other politicians start borrowing catchphrases from "SNL"? Surely, the immortal words of Wayne and Garth, Emily Litella and the Church Lady can be mined for pithy ad campaigns and speeches. Here are some possibilities:

Re "Gov. Calls Democrats 'Addicts,' " Feb. 12: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reminds me of a name-calling schoolyard bully. He seems to believe that by calling his opponents names (addicts, special interests and "girlie men") he can intimidate them into doing what he wants. I am not intimidated, and I will stoop to playing the governor's name-calling game so that the governor can have a taste of his own medicine. No, on second thought, I will not. To resolve our problems, we Californians must cooperate, debate and, ultimately, compromise.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's self-parodic testosterone swagger is getting less and less amusing. Over the weekend, amid the usual "Terminator" allusions, he called the Democrats in the California Legislature "girlie men" for holding up his state budget. A tempting response would be, "Hey, it takes one to know one."