THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER and Hollywood’s premier tough guy have similar advice for California governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tony Blair once said that campaigning is a lot more fun and a lot easier than governing. And after congratulating Schwarzenegger on his victory, Clint Eastwood said, “Now the nightmare begins.” After all, it wasn’t so long ago that wrestler Jesse Ventura captured the governorship of Minnesota, only to fade from the scene after not much more than his fifteen minutes of fame. When he eases his ample frame into the governor’s chair next month, Schwarzenegger will have to deliver on his promises. Ironically, his first act will be to increase California’s $8 billion budget deficit by some 50 percent when he repeals the unpopular auto tax that Governor Gray Davis had tripled. By then he will have learned that the possible savings from the line-by-line audit he has ordered will prove insufficient to close the budget gap.

Since Schwarzenegger has promised not to cut–indeed, to increase–the 40 percent of the state budget claimed by education, and since he has promised not to raise taxes, he is counting on two major revenue sources. First, he will rattle his beggar’s bowl in Washington. Schwarzenegger has noticed that California gets back from the federal government only 75-cents out of every dollar that it ships to Washington, not surprising given the fact that the state is the world’s sixth largest economy, just behind the UK, and that it is relatively rich. Rich states are supposed to subsidize less rich ones, as Britain has found out since it began supporting the lifestyles of French farmers by joining the European Union. Besides, President Bush has budget problems of his own. So Schwarzenegger will get a cordial reception, but no money. In fact, an administration spokesman has announced that there will be no more cash for the states, which have already received $20 billion from the feds. He told the Wall Street Journal, “The best thing we can do for California . . . is to get this economy roaring.”