More broken promises...

SACRAMENTO — Retreating from two central campaign promises that helped make him governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday dropped his personal "guarantee" that cities and counties would be compensated for billions in lost car-tax revenue and reversed his pledge to safeguard spending for public schools.

In a wide-ranging interview with CNN, Schwarzenegger offered no commitment that his administration would restore to local governments the money they lost when he repealed a vehicle registration fee increase on his first day in office. Rather, he said that mayors and county supervisors who are worried that some $4 billion in lost revenue won't be replaced should look to the Legislature, which is considering a bill to make that happen.

And he suggested that if local government coffers are not replenished, it is not his fault.

"They [local officials] should put pressure on their state legislators because they've spent their money," Schwarzenegger said on the network's "Inside Politics" show. "It's not me taking anything away from them, it's they've spent their money."

Schwarzenegger also broached the prospect of suspending an education spending formula mandated by the state Constitution. During the campaign he had said that schools would be cut "over my dead body."[Emphasis mine.]

Ahh, you can see Schwarzenegger's learning from the best. Promise voters anything, then once in office plunder public coffers with one hand and point the finger of blame at Democrats with the other.

How California voters could be so delusional as to expect otherwise from Schwarzenegger is beyond me.

I'll soon be leaving the state to return to NYC (and my sweetie!). Perhaps regarding the debacle from afar will be less painful than up close.

Complete story here.