http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/12462704p-13318627c.htmlBy Daniel Weintraub -- Bee Columnist
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week staged an elaborate, made-for-television event to illustrate his commitment to balancing the state budget.
Borrowing a cavernous exhibit hall at the state fairgrounds outside of downtown Sacramento, the governor's production people dragged in a facsimile of the Capitol as a backdrop, complete with gold dome and columns. Then, next to a lectern, they installed an oversized spigot from which water, dyed red to symbolize the state's persistent red ink, flowed continuously in a 4-inch stream.
Schwarzenegger appeared from the wings and briefly discussed his plan for balancing the budget.
Then he ascended several stairs, gripped a large lever, and grimaced as he pulled it shut. At just the right moment, stagehands hidden from the gathered reporters hit an electronic switch to make the water stop, making it appear as if the governor himself had halted the flow of "red ink."
The Capitol building was phony. The spigot and the ink were fake. Even the governor's action in turning the lever was not what it seemed.
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