Last year's State of the State was short and grim. But
this year's may be a little different, says Barbara O'Connor,
Director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at
Sacramento State. It's Schwarzenegger's final one - and he's
got his legacy on his mind. So despite the state's 21 billion
dollar shortfall, O'Connor expects him to strike an optimistic
tone:
"He clearly does not want this to be a wasted year and there are opportunitie, and that's why I said it's going to be a glass half full speech and plan for the future."
O'Connor says the Governor will probably focus on the federal stimulus money the state is getting - as well as public works projects and the environment. But it may be hard to maintain a positive attitude; later in the week the Governor will roll out his budget proposal, which is certain to include more deep cuts.