 "Photo: AP Photo/Chris Carlson")
LOS ANGELES - Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed confidence Wednesday that he would make a seamless transition to the governor's office, but he provided no new specifics on how he plans to cure California's ills.
In his first news conference as governor-elect of California, Schwarzenegger repeated many themes from the campaign trail, including a pledge to repeal the recent tripling of the car tax and a call to "open up the books" in search of a solution to the state's budget woes. He also promised again not to raise taxes.
"What we have to do is, open up the books ... do the audit and find what the waste is," the action hero-turned-politician said.
Schwarzenegger said he was promised "a very smooth transition" by ousted Gov. Gray Davis, and he received similar assurances from other state leaders.
He also expressed confidence that California lawmakers would see the message voters delivered in Tuesday night's election and follow his leadership as he takes over the reins of the state. ''I will work as much as I can, even if it is around the clock,'' he said.
Schwarzenegger said he had spoken with an array of leaders, including Nelson Mandela of South Africa and President Bush, who he said promised to do "whatever is possible to help California."
Schwarzenegger said he would make sure the federal government helps California with such problems as energy and water.
The Republican actor will be sworn into the office by mid-November, becoming California's 38th governor.
Schwarzenegger's proposals will go through a Legislature controlled by Democrats angry over what some of them consider a hostile takeover of the state's top political job. And he will have to quickly deliver a budget that can close the giant deficit.
It is an unusually fast transition, particularly for a political neophyte who declared his candidacy just two months ago. Schwarzenegger takes office as the Republican Party's lone statewide officeholder.
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