'California Über Alles' says Schwarzenegger

By Stone Martindale Jan 10, 2007, 2:27 GMT

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (L) is sworn-in by Supreme Court Chief Justice, Ronald George as First Lady of the State of California, Maria Shriver of the Kennedy clan (R) looks on to her husband during his swearing-in ceremony Inauguration at the memorial auditorium in Sacramento, California Friday, 05 January 2007. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

California's buff, green guv'nah is making waves again, fresh out of the hospital bed, and sworn in after his femur fracturing vacation in Sun Valley, Idaho.  Calling California a modern-day Athens and Sparta, Schwarzenegger said his state should lead the nation - and the world - by cutting greenhouse gases, offering health insurance for all and other policy innovations.  Critcs in the state want to know, who will pay for all this?

In his fourth state-of-the-state annual address, Schwarzenegger called for $43.3 billion in new bond spending for schools, prisons and other infrastructure, on top of a record $42.7 billion approved by voters two months ago.

"We are the modern equivalent of the ancient city-states of Athens and Sparta. California has the ideas of Athens and the power of Sparta," Schwarzenegger, who has actually worn gladiator's garb in early movies, told legislators at the capitol. "Not only can we lead California into the future ... we can show the nation and the world how to get there."

"We can do this because we have the economic strength, the population, the technological force of a nation-state," he said in the address that sets out his annual agenda.

The Austrian-born American cannot run for U.S. president, but his popularity has sparked the debate about allowing foreign born citizens the right to hold the highest office in the country, including ascerbic political commentator Bill Maher, popular host of his own show on HBO, a fan of the idea.

Arnold greenlit pioneering legislation last year to cut the state's greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020, bucking his own Republican party and President George W. Bush who have taken a wait and see attitude about global warming.

Schwarzenegger announced in his latest "State of the state" he would sign an executive order mandating a reduction of the carbon content of transportation fuels by 10 percent by 2020.

"I propose that California be the first in the world to develop a low carbon fuel standard that leads us away from fossil fuels," he said. "Let us blaze the way, for the U.S., for China and for the rest of the world.

"California has the muscle to bring about such change," the former Mr. Olympia said. "I say use it."

Health care is an enormous issue for all Americans, unaffordable and skimpy at best, unless you are lucky and have a premium PPO at your beck and call.  Schwarzenegger labeled health care as a "sick old man," and called for insurance for all Californians. Schwarzenegger has ruled out new taxes, but the details on how it will be paid for is still lurking under wraps.

In his inaugural speech last Friday, Schwarzenegger called for an embrace of political centrism in a "post-partisan" era.