Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been out of state all or part of 163 days
since his inauguration in November 2003 - nearly one of every five days he's
been in office.
Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger gestures as he answers a question about his revised $131
billion 2006-07 state budget during a news conference held in Sacramento,
Calif., Friday, May 12, 2006. Schwarzenegger released his revised spending
plan that is $13.8 billion higher than last years and benefits from a
massive tax windfall this year that added billions in unanticipated funds
to the state. [AP] |
The celebrity governor always promised to promote California, and he's
traveled as far as China to pitch everything from avocados to zinfandel.
While many of Schwarzenegger's trips on official business are extensively
publicized, he also can slip away on a private jet with an e-mail from his
office: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has left the state."
Schwarzenegger's regular and sometimes unexplained jaunts expose him to
criticism that he's shirking responsibility at home, which his office strongly
disputes.
"He's always in touch with the office, and we're always in touch with him,"
said Margita Thompson, the governor's chief spokeswoman.
Schwarzenegger has traveled overseas on trade missions, to Washington seeking
federal funds and to Dallas to urge the NFL to return to Los Angeles, Thompson
noted. He has "the stature to fight for the state on a national and
international basis," she said.
Others say Schwarzenegger's travel can conflict with his public duties, with
taxpayers footing at least some of the bill.
In April, an emergency flood declaration sought by Merced County was held up
when he left for several days on unexplained business, according to the office
of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante.
The Republican governor is required to surrender his powers to the Democratic
lieutenant governor when he leaves California. Notices to Bustamante contain
when Schwarzenegger is leaving and when he's expected to return - but not where
he is going or why.
"We elect the governor to represent the state full-time. If we don't know
what he's doing, it makes it tough to know if he's meeting his job description,"
said Theis Finlev of the public watchdog group California Common Cause.
Schwarzenegger's predecessor was out of the state all or part of 113 days in
his roughly five years in office, according to the Bustamante's office. By his
own account, in about half that time, Schwarzenegger has been away all or part
of 163 days through Sunday.
His daily schedules provide scattershot information: some entries give
minute-by-minute lists of meetings and travel times, others are blank. His
travel plans are disclosed when they involve state business, or if he is
attending a public event. Political fundraisers are generally not disclosed.
Schwarzenegger is not the only governor with an active -
and sometimes off-the-record travel schedule.
