The Schwarzenegger Policy Think Tank

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger commits $20 million Wednesday, August 1, 2012, for the Schwarzenegger Policy Think Tank in partnership with the University of Southern California. The Schwarzenegger Institute will be housed at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy in Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger will chair the institute's Board of Advisors and will hold an appointment as the Gov. Downey Professor of State and Global Policy at USC, named after John Downey, an Irish immigrant who in 1860 became California's first foreign-born governor. Downey also helped found USC. Image: Ehirim Files Images.

2009 Time's 100 Most Influential People.

The opening shot of Time's 2009 100 most influential people was veteran Democrat Edward Kennedy who was described as the most bipartisan politician in congress, and whose story was told by California Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom the governor called 'Uncle.' Schwarzenegger writes;

"How do I describe Uncle Teddy? Everyone knows him as the Lion of the Senate, a liberal icon, a warrior for the less fortunate, a fierce advocate for health-care reform, a champion of social justice here and abroad and now even a Knight of the British Empire. But I know him as the rock of his family: a loving husband, father, brother and uncle. He's a man of great faith and character."

Time's 100 has an array of lists: leaders and revolutionaries; builders and titans; artists and entertainers; heroes and icons; and scientists and thinkers. The list includes Hilary Clinton, Norah al Faiz, Paul Kagame, Angela Markel, David McKeirnan, Asfaq Kayani, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, The Twitter guys, Ted Turner, Nouriel Rouboum, Oprah Winfrey, the drug addled Rush Limbaugh, Joaquim Guzman and Maya Arulpragasam (M.I.A.) among others.

Read story as told by Schwarzenegger

Spike Jonze on M.I.A.


Michael Elliot on Angela Merkel

T Boone Pickens on Ted Turner

Madeleine K. Albright on Hillary Clinton

Aston Kutcher on The Twitter Guys

J.K. Rowling on Gordon Brown

Tim Padget on Joaquim Guzman


Rick Warren on Paul Kagame

Gordon Brown on Barrack Obama

Photos cortesy of Time Magazine

Schwarzenegger, Tax Hike and Nightmare in California

Just as every Cali began to jubilate over Barack Obama's stunning election victory Tuesday night, and just as every Cali had hoped to join the bandwagon of economic recovery, it did not take Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger too much probing to elicit testimony that California economy was going to hell, cutting short that sigh of relief we've had on Obama's victory with the hope Bill Clinton's-type economic prosperity we all enjoyed in that era will soon be bouncing back in Obama's anticipated administration.

Schwarzenegger has proved us wrong and now it's all like going back to square one, I mean back to the status quo, the way things used to be -- hardship, more unemployment and unending frustration that comes along with stress. Last night, the former body-building hulk, Hollywood machine gunner-turned governor released his new plans to make the life of Calis more miserable.

Schwarzenegger's plan includes an increase in sales tax which amounts to new levies on alcoholic drinks. The question here is, when a depressed public who relies heavily on alcohol to relieve the pains of mental distress as a result of a sinking economy and with a one and half cents on the dollar increase on sales tax, what then would happen to the winos who rely on alcohol to forget their sorrows? What would happen when they can no longer afford that little drink that relieves them from the pains of hopelessness? Well, expect more chaos and robbery. And, of course, more domestic violence when life makes everyone blue.

Schwarzenegger plans to raise $10.08 billion by the 2009-10 fiscal year which also extends the sales tax to appliance and furniture repairs, vehicle repairs, golf fees, veterinarian services, amusement parks and sporting events. The idea behind all that is to fund the transit projects. I have no qualms for many reasons: Nothing affects me in the list safe for vehicle repairs. How about riding my bike which seems not to be on the list? We'll see how it unfolds.

Republicans in California Assembly vowed to knock Scharzenegger's plan down. They did it before -- last summer when a smaller proposal did not pass in the house.