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I didn't put this in politics because it's more of a current events thing. I am not at all a fan of Schwarzenegger as our governor, but this got my applause.

This story appeared in the L.A. Times yesterday. In summary, there is an apartment complex for seniors that also houses developmentally disabled people who are forging independent lives for themselves. The benefits of the complex, like proximity to public transport, also benefits these 20 or so people. Last month, the disabled people got notice from a new management company that they shouldn't have been allowed to move in and will be evicted. In fact everyone under 62 needs to leave. The 61-year-old woman with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis who's been living there for 14 years? Her too.

Today, Arnie tweeted this (I don't follow him but I do follow an L.A. Times editor who reposted it):

Read this absurd story in LATimes: [same as my link]. My mother-in-law fought so that people like Lily Hixon could live independently.

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(That would be Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who died recently and who helped start the Special Olympics.)

Two hours later:

Thanks for your concern abt my last tweet. Just spoke to Star Holdings property mgmt and they will be letting the disabled residents stay.

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And while I guess this hasn't been reported publicly, that Times editor told me that Schwarzenegger will be making an appearance at that complex tomorrow.

It's an enormous struggle and enormously rewarding for people with these kinds of disabilities to be able to live independently, hold down jobs, and so forth. That story upset the hell out of me, and I was very impressed and happy to see the governor make it right for those people.

Wow, that's fantastic. He just won me over a little more as a politician.

And of course it hasn't been reported publicly:

After all, it's POSITIVE news. Who wants to hear about that?

Yeah, it's always good to know that some government officials actually do care about those who need someone to speak up for them. Or at least are able to emulate caring to the point where it benefits others.

ThatNickGuy said:

And of course it hasn't been reported publicly:

After all, it's POSITIVE news. Who wants to hear about that?

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My guess is that they're trying to avoid the mob scene from announcing that he'll be there, which says to me that it's not just a photo op for him. I could be wrong.

Soliloquy said:

Or at least are able to emulate caring to the point where it benefits others.

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See above. Normally I would absolutely agree with you (and don't mind too much if, as you say, positive benefits come from it) but I actually sense a rare whiff of sincerity in this case. Again, if I had to guess, I wouldn't be surprised if his wife pointed out the story to him and it hit home for both of them with her mother's recent death.

Good stuff from Arnie. If we hear enough little tibbits like this about politicians, maybe our faith in them can be restored bit by bit.

Maybe.

ZenMonkey said:

My guess is that they're trying to avoid the mob scene from announcing that he'll be there, which says to me that it's not just a photo op for him. I could be wrong.

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Yeah, I'm betting they'll report the story after the visit takes place.

ZenMonkey said:

See above. Normally I would absolutely agree with you (and don't mind too much if, as you say, positive benefits come from it) but I actually sense a rare whiff of sincerity in this case. Again, if I had to guess, I wouldn't be surprised if his wife pointed out the story to him and it hit home for both of them with her mother's recent death.

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I sense that too, actually. But I always hesitate to unreservedly credit a politician with anything. My limited experience with life has made me cynical, I suppose.

Hear hear. Well done Arnie.

Oh hey I read that article when you tweeted it. That's excellent news!

Eunice Kennedy Shriver is by far the greatest Kennedy of them all.

Good for Arnold. Not the biggest expert on the state of California, but looking at the situation of him coming in I always felt that he was doing his best to fix a rotten situation.

I wrote to the reporter covering this story to congratulate her, and she sent me this link (official article will be out later):

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/schwarzenegger-stops-monrovia-eviction.html

From the Article.

"I am here to tell all the people here that your eviction notice is being terminated"
-Schwarzenegger

This gave me a happy.

I actually started respecting Arnie a lot more since I saw him on Leno just before Conan took over the Tonight Show. He actually DOES have a brain.

Well, I also started respecting him after seeing those pics of his office, of course: http://www.halforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8708

Ahnuld for president, plox?

North_Ranger said:

Ahnuld for president, plox?

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FUCK NO.

I applaud and respect this action of his but that's as far as I go in admiring him as a politician.

North_Ranger said:

Ahnuld for president, plox?

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Sadly, I don't think he's allowed to be. Foreigner and all.

Singularity.EXE;259024][quote=North_Ranger said:

Ahnuld for president, plox?

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Sadly, I don't think he's allowed to be. Foreigner and all.[/QUOTE]

I know. I tried to be funny.

Guess I should have gone to sleep instead

Good for him. All those people needed was his fist... but with a pen in it that he was signing with.

I actually remember hearing a variety of stuff he's done that was surprisingly cool for someone who was supposed to be Republican. I can't remember what it was (and I don't like in California so it's largely irrelevant), I just remember having gradually come to appreciate him more than I expected to.

I give him a bit of respect. When my neighborhood was half-buried by a landslide, killing 11 of my neighbors and putting me into shock, he actually took the time to fly over and talk with us personally. It helped me cope a bit better knowing my governor (at the time) didn't just send some random intern to speak with us about the tragedy. It was the landslide that actually convinced me to finally do the move to Texas, so I left with a positive memory of him.

Though I hear from friends he is not going that great as a general politician, and that stinks, I still give the guy some props for what he did for me and what he is doing for these people now.