Governor appeals to Democrats

Faced with a projected $8 billion budget deficit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is touring California with the urgent message that the Legislature - which will go on vacation next week - needs to negotiate a budget immediately rather than wait to fix the looming crisis. Beth Barrett in the Daily News.

And he says he also wants lawmakers to finally begin considering sweeping fiscal changes - including spending curbs and budget reform - to stabilize the state's future and reassure Wall Street that the Golden State is serious about the issue.

In a wide-ranging interview with Daily News reporters and editors Thursday, Schwarzenegger said he's tired of waiting on lawmakers who've had his budget for two months.

"I proposed my budget on Jan.10. Now it's two months later and no one has come to my office even though my door is open," Schwarzenegger said. "I've invited them and said, 'Come down as quickly as possible because we need to resolve the problem now, not in July ... No one came down and talked about it.