On the day he left the Governor’s Office, Governor Davis met Arnold Schwarzenegger in the hall way. "I've left three envelopes in your desk draw in case you need any help during your time as Governor" Davis told Schwarzenegger.
After he had been Governor for a week, curiosity got the better of Arnold and he took out the envelope labeled #1. Inside envelope #1 was a note that simply said "Blame your predecessor", Talk about crazy deficit spending, and blowing up the boxes”. “Fantastic, I like this” thought Arnold, so he started blaming his predecessor for the mess he had inherited as Governor and went around California talking about crazy deficit spending and blowing up the boxes on the State Organizational Chart.
For awhile the Governor’s popularity soared and the people loved him. But soon, as things have a way of happening, Arnold’s rating began to decline and the Governor began to think of ways to regain the initiative. "I know" he thought “I'll see what’s in envelope #2, after all the advice in envelope #1 worked so well”. Arnold opened envelope #2 and it simply said, “Channel Pete Wilson, blame the teachers, police and firemen and hold special elections to reform California”. “Fantastic” thought the Governor, and so he began to travel far and wide in California and Texas and Ohio and Florida to explain why teacher tenure and pensions were the most important items in his quest to reform California.
Just as in the case of the first envelope, the advice in envelope #2 brought instant results and the people of California, Ohio, Texas and Florida loved him, and even began to talk about changing the constitution so Arnold could run for President. But alas, the people of California were fickle, and once again the Governor’s ratings began to sink lower and lower. The Governor and his advisors put on a heavily tanned face, and thought long and hard about how to turn the Governor’s falling poll numbers around so that he could thwart the special interest firefighters who were holding back the Governor’s mission to reform California. "I know he”, suddenly thought, as he was driving to work in his hydrogen powered Humve, "I'll see what's inside envelope #3. After all the advice in envelopes #1 and #2 had been so good, the advice in envelope #3 surely must be the best of them all. When he got to his office the Governor carefully took our number envelope #3 and found a note that simply said "Start preparing 3 envelopes”. Fantastic!
