Reuters

Schwarzenegger College Speech Draws Boos in Calif.
By REUTERS
June 15, 2005

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger faced down booing, jeering protesters on Tuesday as he delivered a commencement address at his alma mater, where tuition has risen as a result of his budget cuts.

Only a handful of graduates and faculty stood and turned their backs to the stage, but spectators in the bleachers at Santa Monica Community College's stadium kept up a steady and distracting patter of chants and whistles as Schwarzenegger, dressed in a black robe, made his 20-minute speech.

Cheers and applause erupted midway through his remarks as a faculty member rose and held up a sign, referring to the cost of an upcoming special election, that read: ``Honor your promise to our children ... $80 million buys a lot of books.''

The noise caused Schwarzenegger to pause momentarily but he plowed through to the end, with a smile on his face and without acknowledging the jeers.

In a statement, the governor said he agreed to deliver the commencement address -- his first -- to underscore his plan to ``protect and enhance'' the budgets of state community colleges.

California's unions have unleashed an offensive against Schwarzenegger-backed measures that go before voters in a Nov. 8 special election that could dramatically alter the state's political landscape in his favor.

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is backing ballot measures to impose a state spending cap, raise tenure requirements for teachers and take the job of drawing lawmakers' districts from legislators.

California's labor movement, especially its influential teachers' union, has promised a fierce battle to defeat Schwarzenegger's measures. Already bitter that his proposed budget does not raise school spending as much as they want, teachers see his tenure measure as a threat to their job security.

A spending cap could restrain school budgets and new legislative districts could work against Democrats, potentially diminishing the clout of the California Teachers Association.

Earlier in the day, a couple of hundred protesters representing unions, students and a smattering of other causes gathered for an anti-Schwarzenegger rally outside the college.

Trevor Dilling, a student who wore a chicken costume, said he was insulted by the governor's decision to speak at the college, which caters to mainly low income and minority students.

``I really had to dedicate myself full time to school and little (tuition) increases like Arnold has against students are raising it so that it really hurts us,'' said Dilling.