By Brandon JenkinsCity editor
The day Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as California governor,he repealed the car tax – as he had promised. But that was just thebeginning of what the newly elected governor had in store.
Whenever the state’s Board of Prison Terms agrees on a parole fora convicted murderer, the governor of the state has the power toreject it. During Gray Davis’ entire run as governor, he rejected allbut eight of 294 paroles granted by the board. Within the first twoweeks he was governor, Schwarzenegger had already paroled two murderconvicts.
On his third day as governor, Schwarzenegger paroled a Sacramentoman convicted of a 1985 murder. At the same time, he denied parole toa man who killed a woman in a drunk driving accident. Schwarzengger’ssecond parole came last Wednesday to a woman who Davis twice rejectedparole to – Rosario Munoz, who was convicted of killing her husband’smistress in 1987. Schwarzenegger’s decisions were because ofextenuating circumstances in both cases.
Theboard previously tried to release Munoz twice because of testimoniesby her husband that stated he was abusive toward her. The most recentattempt at her parole was because of “Munoz’s apparent remorse forthe killing, psychological evaluations that showed a very slim chanceof her offending again and her efforts to raise money for thevictim’s daughter by selling portraits,” according to The Los AngelesTimes.
Schwarzenegger has also drawn attention for warning California’sother celebrity republican Clint Eastwood about losing his job.Schwarzenegger was apparently upset when Eastwood, an officialguardian of California’s redwood trees and wildlife, offered to filma television commercial for Davis during the recall election.Eastwood’s term is up in January and he may not be re-appointed.
Schwarzenegger arrives in Downtown San Diego today to support hisCalifornia Recovery Plan. He is scheduled to speak at 12:30 p.m. atHorton Plaza next to the NBC 7/39 Studios.
His recovery plan includes placing a bond measure of up to $15billion on the March ballot, a worker’s compensation reform andproposing a state spending limit to prevent state politicians fromoverspending.
According to NBC San Diego, Schwarzenegger’s plan also includes$530 million in cuts to transportation, $440 million in cuts tohealth and human services and $160 million in cuts in education forthis year and the next. The cuts are expected to hit the Universityof California and the California State University systems hard,according to NBC.
He will continue promoting his plan as he moves on to BakersfieldThursday, and then to Central Valley Friday – cities where he ranstrong during the recall election.
