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The Race Is On...Again

--By Jeremy Caplan

Last Wednesday, Arnold Schwarzenegger stood before a crowd of admiring fans with cameras and read lines from his latest script. The actor wasn't filming Terminator 4. He was giving a speech at California State University, as part of his surprising campaign to become governor of California. Less than a year after Californians elected Governor Gray Davis, some voters want a "do over." More than 1.3 million people signed a petition asking for a special recall election to choose a new state leader. Schwarzenegger is one of 135 candidates hoping to replace Davis. On October 7, voters will decide whether Davis should lose his job. They will also choose who will take over if Davis is voted out.

ROOTS OF THE RECALL

Why are some Californians eager to get rid of the governor they elected so recently? Many are upset because the state has a deficit of $38 billion. That means the government is spending more money than it has. To pay for public schools, hospitals and other services, the government must borrow money.

Critics say Davis is digging California into a hole. "The crisis is out of control," says Peter Ueberroth, a former commissioner of Major League Baseball and a Republican candidate for the job. Californians who agree with Ueberroth point to the deficit and recent cuts in health services as signs their state is in big trouble.

According to California law, a recall election can be held if at least 12% of the number of people who voted in the last election say they are dissatisfied. In the last 80 years, no other U.S. governor has faced a recall election. Governor Davis, a Democrat, says the recall process is unfair. He wants voters to give him another chance. "I haven't done everything perfect," he says. "But voters (will) say, 'It's not fair to blame the governor.' It's that sense of fairness that will carry the day." Many Democrats side with the governor. They say the state's budget problems are not his fault and that Republicans are just trying to take over. Davis's second-in-command, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, says he is on the ballot to stop the takeover from happening.

Last Wednesday, Bustamante, Ueberroth, columnist Arianna Huffington, state senator Tom McClintock and Green party candidate Peter Camejo took part in a debate. They presented their plans for the future. On October 7, voters will have the final say.

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