Schwarzenegger: People from ‘little towns’ should see worldly things like ‘an airport.’

Speaking at “an infrastructure conference” hosted by a billionaire yesterday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said “it’s good for state legislators from ‘little towns’” to see “worldly things”:

“And that’s why I always encourage the legislators in Sacramento, because some of them come from those little towns,” Schwarzenegger said. “You know what I’m saying? They come from those little towns, and they don’t have that vision yet of an airport or of a highway that maybe has 10 lanes. Or of putting a highway on top of a highway. They look at you and say, ‘Well, we don’t have that in my town, what are you talking about?’ So they are kind of shocked when you say certain things.”

Schwarzenegger’s comments, which “drew laughs and applause” from the audience, were called “insulting” by State Sen. Dean Florez, (D), whose “hometown has only about 14,000 residents.”