News Advisory

THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA www.cagreens.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Contact: Susan King, spokesperson, 415.823-5524 funking at mindspring.com


Sara Amir, spokesperson, 310.270-7106 saraamir at earthlink.net


Cres Vellucci, press secretary, 916.996-9170 civillib at cwnet.com



Greens state-of-state reaction:

Schwarzenegger plan can't succeed without taking

big money out of state politics, Greens contend

SACRAMENTO (January 9, 2007, 6:01 p.m.) – Gov. Schwarzenegger's state of

state message delivered late today gave priority to schools, the

environment, prisons, political reform and healthcare – but his plan has no

real chance of succeeding because the governor refuses to address the seedy

influence of big corporate money in politics, responded the Green Party of

California.

"The governor wants a redistricting plan, but the real problem – at the

heart of voter discontent – is that powerful special interests simply buy

the legislation they want through obscene campaign contributions to both

Democrats and Republicans. Big money needs to be taken out of politics. The

governor did not mention it because he knows it fuels his party, and the

Democratic Party," said Erika McDonald, San Francisco Green Party

spokesperson.

Greens also said Schwarzenegger had it wrong when he called for more money

for more prisons rather than take a hard look at mandated sentencing

guidelines.

"But before we talk about spending more taxpayer money on incarceration

instead of education, let's talk about reforming "3-strikes" law, so that

the prisons are not full of thousands of people serving life sentences,

many who have committed crimes no more serious than stealing a lawnmower or

cheating on a DMV test," said Michael Feinstein, former mayor of Santa

Monica and co-chair of the GPCA Coordinating Committee.

And, although he made it to sound very theatrical, the governor's promise

to sign an executive order mandating a reduction the carbon content in

fuels by 10 percent rang hollow because the order wouldn't go into effect

until at least 2020.

"Again, the governor make it sound good and look good, but he misses the

mark in solutions – in large part because big political money spenders are

pulling his strings," added McDonald.

The Greens already criticized Arnold's health plan because it gives too

much to powerful insurance interests, yet mandates health insurance

purchases by the working poor and strapped middle class.

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