Governor (Arnold) Seeks Outside Donors for Campaigns

[realFedUp]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arnold29jan29,0,1699289.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Governor Seeks Outside Donors for Campaigns

Lucrative new sources from across the U.S. would help fund a fight over California's voting districts and pension system, he says.

By Robert Salladay and Peter Nicholas
Times Staff Writers

January 29, 2005

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday he would enlist donors from across the country to fund a multimillion-dollar fight over California's public pension system and its voting districts — reforms being watched with keen interest on Wall Street and a bit of panic in Washington, D.C.

The governor's comments signaled that his ambitions for 2005 could flood California with campaign contributions from lucrative new sources. And raising money on a national scale would allow Schwarzenegger, frequently mentioned as a presidential hopeful even though the Constitution bars foreign-born citizens from serving, to take a wider stage and expand his fundraising network.

In a wide-ranging interview, Schwarzenegger also modified his plan to reward teachers with merit pay based on their performance in the classroom — a controversial idea staunchly opposed by unions. The governor shifted his focus to the less contentious idea of "combat pay" — extra money for teachers who work in low-income schools where, he said, they are "threatened always with their lives and their cars are stolen."

As for his political ambitions, the governor said he wanted to raise at least $50 million to fund his 2005 proposals for overhauling government. His plans, announced three weeks ago, could include multiple ballot propositions and a TV advertising blitz leading up to a special election in November.

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