Sad rainy days in California, not Mexico

11 January 2005

PARADISE VILLAGE MARINA, NAYARIT, MEXICO — The days flow together here in Mexico, even with boat projects taking up a good portion of the morning. This year is different than the last two; far fewer cruisers getting ready to sail to our favorite places like Tenacatita, Barra de Navidad and Zihuatenejo.

The boats this year are mostly populated by people who, like us, are using Banderas Bay as a homeport. For us, the Bay is its own paradise with great sailing, warm water and enough great restaurants along the shore to break even our peso-based budget if we are not careful.

We try not to read the news much, except for when we have to write stories for one of our magazine contracts. Today’s news, about Guvenator Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed California state budget, is about as depressing as can be. If there was one thing most people believed about Arnold, it was that he would keep his word. They were wrong, again. After promising K-12 education the money the people of the state have voted to give schools (Proposition 98), he’s going to renege on giving it to them. (People with good memories might remember that during the election campaign, he promised to have a full investigation into the allegations made by the women who said Arnold is a world-class groper. He dropped the idea after being elected and the spineless news media barely bothered to mention it.)

But the good news is that the schools are going to sue the state to get the money — and the courts generally don’t like it when governors refuse to obey the law, even action-hero guvenators.

The other less-than-bright idea that’s in the budget is removing most of the money from the transportation budget, guaranteeing that already overdue road maintenance will be deferred yet again. Perhaps the governor is thinking of opening a chain of wheel alignment shops around the state (they will be needed).

And don't get me started about how he wants to gut the California Public Employees Retirement system, one of the most successful in the world. I used to think Arnold Schwarzegger was a shrewd. Now I have serious doubts.

But enough of this. It’s time to transit to the beach where the surf is up and Dick Dale songs are ringing in my ears. Writing some stories about the guvenator’s education massacre will have to wait until this afternoon.

But I’ll be back.

mjf