(January 10, 2007) California Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Allan Zaremberg released the following statement on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s State of the State Address:

“Governor Schwarzenegger’s State of the State Address provides a good review of how far California has come since the governor was first elected. Clearly, Governor Schwarzenegger’s attention to the economy has paid off. We received a sneak preview of the budget tonight and the governor announced that he has almost eliminated our budget deficit - a deficit that stood at more than $16 billion when he took office. The governor accomplished this not by raising taxes but by increasing revenue through policies promoting economic growth - policies the CalChamber strongly supported.

“Governor Schwarzenegger announced the second step in his plan to improve California’s infrastructure. After calling for the infrastructure bonds approved by the voters last fall to be put to work as soon as possible building new roads, bridges, levees, schools and housing, the governor urged legislators to work with him to invest in additional infrastructure needs, especially for water storage and public safety. The CalChamber looks forward to working with the governor and the Legislature to continue preparing for the future and building a better California.

“The CalChamber applauds the Governor’s call for continued efforts to promote accountability and transparency in our schools. We must ensure that California’s children receive the education they need and their parents receive the information they need to make intelligent choices. We must work, also, to ensure the diverse workforce needs of California’s employers are met, and we commend the governor for his continued support of career technical education, as well as math and science curricula.”

Staff Contact: Vince Sollitto