Amador County - In response to the Governor’s State of the State address last week, Senator and Amador County Representative Dave Cox delivered an address outlining “the many challenges” California faces in the immediate future. In his address Thursday, Governor Schwarzenegger pleaded for bipartisanship as the solution to closing the state’s budget hole. There has been a long running stalemate between Democrats and Republicans over how to shore up a $41.5 billion budget deficit. “Conan's sword could not have cleaved our political system in two as cleanly as our own political parties have done," Schwarzenegger said, referring to an action hero he played in Hollywood. "Over time, ours has become a system where rigid ideology has been rewarded and pragmatic compromise has been punished,” he added. The Governor focused almost entirely on ways to fix the budget and bypassed more sentimental celebrations of the State’s past and future. “There are no easy choices…no sacred cows. We must all put our differences aside to resolve this budget crisis,” said Cox in his response. California’s problems are linked to the collapse of the housing market and a national economy in decline. Cox noted that “as the Governor and lawmakers discuss ways to bring the State’s finances back in order, it is important to note that there will be real affects on residents.” He added that “the people of California deserve a government that works together to find common ground and implement solutions that make sense.” Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).