Arnold is a Girlie Man
By Byron Craft

Terminator-Care appears to be closing in on what would be a rare achievement for a Republican Governor, who hopes to provide universal health care coverage to all in the state of California. 

You noticed that I didn’t say  “for all.”   Maybe I should have said that he is,  “sticking it to all,”  because Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s health care package is mandatory.   Schwarzenegger is close to striking a deal with the Democrat-controlled California Legislature to mandate health coverage for his state's 6.5 million uninsured. 

The plan has received blistering criticism from his Californian Republican party, but it hasn’t seemed to slow down  “the Governator.”   In mid-September, the legislature passed a similar version of Terminator-Care.  Schwarzenegger vetoed it, however, citing higher than desired employer costs attached to his proposed $12 billion plan.  Then he immediately flip-flopped and announced a call for a special session to reach an accord.  It is now a simple matter of striking a deal with the California Democrats.

In one way his universal health care coverage is  “for all.”   Schwarzenegger and the Democrats both want children of all illegal immigrants covered under the plan, as well as all illegal immigrants employed by the state.

I, like a lot of conservatives, was ecstatic when Arnold Schwarzenegger was first elected as governor of the left-coast.  After all, the man had an impressive career as a hardworking  “legal”  immigrant that came to this country with only twenty dollars in his pocket and eventually became a multi-million dollar celebrity, as well as a very successful entrepreneur.

I followed his fabulous bodybuilding exploits with keen interest.  Arnold,  "The Austrian Oak"  Schwarzenegger, was a bodybuilding prodigy who won the 1967 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe title at the age of only 20.  He later went on to win the coveted IFBB Mr. Olympia title seven times before retiring from the sport to become one of Hollywood’s most successful action heroes on the screen.  His highly-motivated work ethic also brought him good fortune in contracting, real estate, and the creation of the most-celebrated annual bodybuilding event the world has ever known, The Arnold Classic.

In those days, because of his lifestyle and well-spoken ideals, we were led to believe that he was a hardcore conservative.  Now, unfortunately, he appears to be nothing more than a liberal Democrat in Republican’s clothing.  Perhaps Schwarzenegger has been a part of the Kennedy clan for too long.

Michael Villines, the California Assembly’s GOP leader, told The Washington Post that the plan is a  "one-way road to disaster."   Similarly, Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute wrote in the National Review that the plan is a  "thinly-veiled shakedown that is both dishonest and emblematic of what ails America's health care system.  The centerpiece of  “Terminator-Care”  he also tells us,  “is a requirement that every California resident purchase health insurance.  Though many call this an individual mandate—that's just a fancy term for a sort of tax."

In recent weeks, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and the San Jose-Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce all endorsed the plan.  Hey, Chamber of Commerce, whose side are you on?  The Chamber of Commerce is supposed to be a business association representing businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions.  Did you ever wonder or care how employers would pay for this plan?  If you didn’t know—it will come out of everybody’s pocket.

The Democrat-controlled Legislature wants employers who don't offer health care to cough up at least 7.5 percent of their payroll into a state fund that would help subsidize the insurance plan.  Schwarzenegger wants that figure capped at 4 percent.  But that gap is expected to be closed during the Legislature's special session.

All this from our beloved Republican that told us when he first ran for office that he wanted to reduce taxes and regulations in the state so he could bring big business back to California.  I think I hear a sucking sound. 

One possible clue to Schwarzenegger's motivations on this and other left-leaning issues he has since fostered is that as the Governor of the liberal blue state, his next political objective may be to defeat Democrat Senator, Barbara Boxer, in 2010, and go to the U.S. Senate.  His health care proposal is probably aimed at the California electorate  (72 percent of California residents want it…go figure),  and at the independent voters he needs to have any chance at unseating Boxer.

Fame is a bitch, isn’t it, Arnold—especially when it might be fading.  At sixty years of age, it would be difficult to go back and become an action hero again, and of course, being a pro body builder is out of the question.  So just co-opt one-seventh of the state’s economy for a good liberal cause and you are on your way once more.  Everybody wants a free gift, right?

Brace yourself Californians—if you thought you had a high cost of living before, just wait—you are soon to be known as Tax-ifornia.   SLV