- Top 15
Reasons Why Indians Shouldn’t Vote for Arnold
Schwarzenegger
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- 15) He has molested
women and treated them as sexual conquests, according to the Los Angeles
Times and his own Oui interview. This ugly behavior stands
in marked contrast to the honor and respect Native people bestow on
women. Schwarzenegger’s claim that he was lying or exaggerating
only proves he thinks people are gullible marks he can easily
manipulate.
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- 14) He has saluted Adolf Hitler,
played Nazi marching songs, and pretended to be an SS officer, according
to the New York Times. “I admired Hitler, for instance,
because he came from being a little man with almost no formal
education, up to power. And I admire him for being such a good public
speaker and his way of getting to the people and so on.” His continued endorsement of Nazi war
criminal Kurt Waldheim suggests this belief isn’t an aberration.
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- 13) He concocted a home-repair
“business” to fleece earthquake victims in 1981, as revealed on
The Tonight Show. Johnny Carson: “What a
racket. You go and push chimneys down and then rebuild
them.” Schwarzenegger: “Exactly.”
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- 12) He hasn’t voted in 13 of the
last 21 elections. Apparently Schwarzenegger doesn’t know or
doesn’t care about the political process. He seems to be running
for governor for the power and prestige, not because he has a vision or
a plan.
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- 11) He voted yes on
Proposition 187. Schwarzenegger seems more
concerned about cutting taxes to enrich his friends and contributors
than he is about the everyday struggles of Latinos and other
minorities.
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- 10) He earned money in violation of
his visa status, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Schwarzenegger claims he’s innocent but has refused to provide copies of
his immigration files. His behavior shows a pattern of breaking
the rules because he can get away with it.
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- 9) He has
avoided debates, dodged reporters, and refused to take positions on the
issues. No
one knows how Schwarzenegger will balance the state budget – probably
not even Arnold himself – but it’s sure to require cuts to vital health,
education, and public safety programs.
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- 8) When asked to share his
views with Indians, he made no effort to do so. Schwarzenegger
spurned invitations to meet the California Nations Indian Gaming
Association (CNIGA) and other tribal groups when they sought genuine,
unscripted dialogues.
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- 7) He took $62,000 from
gaming tribes for his Proposition 49, and then slammed them for making
other political contributions. “Tribal gaming money was good
enough for him then,” Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro has written, “but
now that we believe other candidates are better qualified to lead
California, he says we have no right to participate in the
process.”
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- 6) Pete
Wilson, political strategist Bob White, and media consultant Don Sipple
are advising his campaign. Ex-governor Wilson and his
administration refused to negotiate gaming compacts in good faith,
forcing tribes to seek help from the public. One has to wonder if
Schwarzenegger will follow Wilson’s lead.
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- 5) A top political adviser
oversees a company that competes with California’s tribal
casinos. Bonnie Reiss, who is CEO of Schwarzenegger’s After
School All-Stars, serves on the board of directors of Pinnacle
Entertainment. Pinnacle owns several casinos in Nevada and has a
major interest in the Hollywood Park card club.
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- 4) He said he wouldn’t take
money from special interests, then accepted millions of dollars from
corporate contributors. Schwarzenegger’s business cronies
often lobby the state on environmental regulations, safety regulations,
and taxes. More important, Arnold went back on his word, casting
doubt on whether he’s really “for the people.”
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- 3) He has
falsely stated that Indians have spent $120 million to “play money
politics in Sacramento.” Actually, $92 million of
the $120 million went to raise public support for Propositions 5 and
1A. Both passed by wide margins.
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- 2) He has
said, “their casinos pay no taxes” and suggested he’ll change
that.
Actually, the governor can’t tax tribes, and tribes aren’t obliged to
rescue the state from its own mistakes. “His erroneous remarks,
which exhibit a complete and almost frightening lack of understanding of
the legal status of Indians and tribal governments, are hurtful to
California's more than 300,000 Native Americans,” said CNIGA Chairwoman
Brenda Soulliere.
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- And the top reason why Indians shouldn’t vote for
Arnold:
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- 1) He claims
gaming tribes are “special interests.” “To be grouped into a
category of a special interest is demeaning and derogatory to tribes as
a whole,” said Agua Caliente Chairman Richard Milanovich. “We are
a bona fide government.”
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- Conclusion:
Vote NO on California’s recall and YES for anyone but Arnold
Schwarzenegger.
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- To reprint this
article, contact the editor at victor@pechanga.net
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