Assemblyman Joel Anderson Reacts to Governor Schwarzenegger's State Budget and State of the State Address

Assemblyman Joel Anderson

On Jan. 9, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered his first "State of the State" address since being re-elected California's governor. He spoke to a joint session of the California Legislature, and East County's newly elected Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon) was among those in attendance.

He heard Schwarzenegger strike a bipartisan tone as he declared California "the modern equivalent of the ancient city states of Athens and Sparta."

Schwarzenegger ticked off his priorities for 2007, stating "this year we must invest in five infrastructure areas in particular - public safety, water supply, transportation, education and disaster preparedness."

Anderson commented on the governor's priorities for California: "I'm committed to continue to look for bipartisan solutions that are in the best interest of all Californians. One thing is clear - this is not the time to return our state to the days of the runaway spending that got us into this budget mess in the first place. I will stand firm against any irresponsible attempt to raise taxes to pay for the poor spending choices of Sacramento politicians and bloated bureaucrats.

"With a $5 billion budget deficit this year and large projected future deficits," Anderson said, "We must get state spending under control if we are truly going to make a difference in solving California's long-term budget challenges."

Anderson represents District 77, which encompasses most of East San Diego County including all, or portions of El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, Jamul, Lakeside, Ramona, Alpine, Borrego Springs and the City of San Diego.