Arnold Schwarzenegger on Government Reform

Republican CA Governor

Listening to Nixon speak sounded like a breath of fresh air

I heard Humphrey saying things that sounded like socialism which is what I had just left. Then I heard Nixon talking about free enterprise, getting government off your back, lowering taxes, and strengthening the military. Listening to Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air. I said to my friend, “What party is he?” My friend said, “He’s a Republican.” I said, “Then I am a Republican!” And I’ve been a Republican ever since! And trust me, in my wife’s family, that’s no small achievement! Source: 2004 Republican Convention Speech , Aug 31, 2004

Local governments spend money according to their needs

I think it’s very important that we have a good relationship between the local and the state government. Right now, it doesn’t really make much sense. I think that, first of all, that the local government should continue with the services they’re providing right now, but it is wrong for the states to go there and take half of the property tax away and then to have the cities and the local government go up and lobby in Sacramento continuously to get the money back. I think that they know best how to spend the money. The local people down at the ground know which programs they need, how to improve education. Each one of the communities has different needs. I think they should continue with the services. If it’s job training or if it is drug rehabilitation programs or the services that provide with police and fire department, all of those kinds of things. But they should have their own way of funding those programs. Source: Recall Debate, Cal. State Univ. at Sacramento , Sep 24, 2003

Curb frivolous lawsuits

I will push for laws curbing frivolous lawsuits - which cost every Californian $1,200 per year. Source: 2003 Gubernatorial campaign website, JoinArnold.com , Aug 29, 2003

Big government sounds too much like sluggish socialism

It was just weeks after he arrived in the US in September 1968, during the Nixon-Humphrey presidential campaign, that Arnold began thinking of himself as a Republican. Humphrey’s promises about big government programs sounded too much to him like the sluggish socialism back home in Austria. Source: Time magazine cover story , Aug 18, 2003

Every good idea comes from the grassroots

“I believe that every good idea that was ever done in the world came from a grass-roots organization, or from one person. They did something and it mushroomed and grew, and eventually the government heard about it and it was enacted. It has to start on a level where the cities take care of themselves; it can’t start at the federal government and trickle down.” Source: Grassroots website, www.ArnoldGovernor.net, FAQ , Aug 17, 2003

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Page last updated: Nov 21, 2011