Arnold to Bush: Give us our stuff back
Governor tells Pentagon to return Guard gear
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told Bush administration officials Monday that he is tired of the Pentagon treating the California National Guard like a stepchild by using its equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan without returning or replacing it.
The Republican governor, in a visit to Washington for the annual meeting of the National Governors’ Association, said the California National Guard is missing about half of its equipment – from humvees to radios. That could leave California at risk in an earthquake, fire or other emergency, Schwarzenegger said.
“It’s not fair to the states for the federal government to go into a war and then to take from us the equipment,” he said after meetings Monday with President Bush and Cabinet officials. “Every time our National Guard leaves, they take with them equipment but they don’t bring it back.”</em>
