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Arnold and his half-truth talking points

Allen Zaremberg is the head of the California Chamber of Commerce, or as I like to call it, the Chamber of Selfishness. Far more appropriate if I do say so myself. Zaremberg has been a great proponent of the Schwarzenegger administration and its various policies. Zaremberg loves the half-truth. On a call from "California Business Leaders" various "business leaders" extolled the virtues of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Zaremberg used his patented half-truth system (available for $59.95 on HSN or something like that) to give an impression that Arnold is actually good for the state.

Let's start with Worker's Compensation. Zaremberg raves at Arnold's worker's comp plan, and how he saved the state. Here are his exact words:

Fairest for whom exactly? Not the workers certainly. Speaker Nunez has said repeatedly that the workers are being shortchanged. These are legitimately injured workers. And who benefits? Insurance companies...who are certainly good friends of both Arnold and Zaremberg.

How about taxes? Well, Zaremberg, likes to quote Arnold's $18 Billion number. Trouble is...that number is totally ridiculous. It comes from thin air this number, but here's what Zaremberg says:

Um, sure Allen, but the thing that you aren't saying? Oh right, Angelides hasn't "endorsed" those taxes that you are talking about for this campaign. In fact, it's questionable whether he "endorsed" them at all. See, Phil believes in actually fixing the deficit, and has a real plan. And as for those taxes, well, I'll let George Skelton deliver that smackdown:

"Angelides' $18-billion tax increase would drive California's economy backwards," the mailer reads. And in case you don't get the message, it's repeated twice. "California families can't afford Phil Angelides' $18-billion tax increase…. Phil Angelides would raise taxes on California families by $18 billion."

It parrots what the governor has been saying himself.

And it's all utterly bogus. (My preferred adjective is unprintable.)

Not even close.

Schwarzenegger must know this by now. But whether he does or doesn't, it seems obvious that the governor has little regard for the truth, at least while in political rut.

Once again — and this has been written a zillion times by myself and many others — Angelides is proposing to raise taxes by roughly $5 billion on the rich and big business: hiking the top income tax rate for couples earning over $500,000 a year, and creating a commission to recommend corporate loophole-closings.

In addition, he is proposing $1.4 billion in tax cuts for the middle class, small businesses and seniors, plus $600 million in college tuition rollbacks.(LA Times 10/19)

So, Allen, let's see you giving the whole truth instead of those lies that you specialize in. I won't hold my breath though.

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