GO SIMON
Posted on 05/19/2002 1:58:02 PM PDT by GrandMoM
Simon Blasts Davis for Questionable Fundraising Practices
Contact: Bob Taylor / (916) 441-3734
LOS ANGELES - Thank you for attending today. This evening I will be announcing a list of over 25 policy makers, elected officials, and community activists to serve as a senior policy advisory committee to ensure that the best and most forward thinking ideas are advanced by my campaign to move beyond the failed policies of Gray Davis, and restore integrity to the State Capitol.
Last week I repeatedly stated that this governor seems only to take an interest in policy matters when they intersect with his campaign fundraising activities.
This point was brought home again to devastating effect in headlines this weekend that led the front pages of California's two largest newspapers: the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
The first story told of a meeting in the governor's private office with senior teachers union representatives, ostensibly to discuss a variety of policy issues. According to Wayne Johnson, head of the California Teachers Association, in the middle of the discussion, Governor Davis suddenly hit the union up for a million dollars in campaign cash. He then followed up the request a week later at a school site.
I think that in this case, it appears that the facts speak for themselves: On two occasions in which the governor was supposed to be addressing the crisis in our public schools, he instead asked California's teachers for a million dollars. What's more, this mixing of policy discussions and campaign contributions is a clear and direct example of the strong arm, pay-to-play policy discussions that are more apparent in the Davis administration everyday.
Governor Davis has stated on many occasions that education is his first, second and third priorities. Little did we know what he truly meant by that statement:
Priority One: Seems to be fundraising from students. In a way, Gray Davis has provided our youth with a valuable - and painful - civics lesson on how business is conducted in his administration. Want to learn how the political process works and get an education on the inside workings of his administration? Pay $100.00.
The governor actions were best summed up in the words of Bruce Cain, Berkeley professor and head of Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies governmental affairs, who said: "He doesn't realize that he basically is shaking down students for their lunch money."
Priority Two: Shakedown teachers. I understand that the governor has had a close working relationship with the CTA in the past. But is this the way to treat California's teachers or the way to conduct good education policy? Using the power and prestige of the internal office of the governor to leverage political tribute is simply, as former Governor Wilson stated, "an abuse of the office."
The governor's office responded that he did not, could not or more likely, would not remember asking the CTA for a $1 million contribution, but according to accounts, he did it not once but twice. I think something like that is unforgettable.
While I don't agree with the CTA on every issue, I do believe teachers must be a vital component of any education reform plan, and they are a part of mine. They sure as heck should not be shaken down for a million dollars to get the input they deserve and our children need.
Priority Three: Breaking down children. When the children of the San Francisco Unified school district had the audacity to request classrooms that actually had heating and roofs that did not leak, and decided to take the matter to court, what was the governor's response? Did he have the children in his back office to discuss the difficult environmental conditions impeding their learning ability? No. Instead, he used some of the money that could have fixed their schools to hire high-priced lawyers to break the children down and make them cry while giving depositions.
The governor's chief political advisor has repeatedly denied that contributions play any role in public policy decisions, saying, "we do not promise anyone anything."
Well, the governor should promise people something, it just shouldn't be connected to campaign contributions. The governor should fix our schools, providing a place where children can get a good education in a safe, clean, drug-free environment, and he should do it whether the teachers union gives him a million dollars or not.
He should sign a good workers compensation reform package, or veto a bad one, regardless of the contributions that businesses and labor unions give him. And he should save the taxpayers from hundreds of millions of dollars of technology contracts for software we don't need, whether his personal aides are hitting up the contractor's lobbyist for donations or not.
Let me conclude with the following observations of Governor Davis and the looming deficit he will detail tomorrow in his May revision: I expect we will hear about how the deficit was caused by factors beyond the governor's control.
Gray Davis knew, or should have known, that the huge increases in revenues the state received his first two years were short-term bumps. Instead, he spent it all.
Gray Davis has never really proposed a balanced budget.
Gray Davis has never truly signed a balanced budget.
Every year, he has planned to spend more than he planned to take in.
Thanks to tax windfalls from a booming economy, the governor got away with his free-spending ways for a few years.
Gray Davis has grown the size of state government by over 44,000 employees and 36%. The people of California are asking, is my government 44,000 employees, or 36%, better than it was three years ago?
Gray Davis dramatically increased the size of state government, spending the surplus and reducing the reserve to such an extent that it triggered an increase in the sales tax.
The big question is whether Gray will ask for more tax increases to sustain the massive budget growth he has engendered. Of equal importance, is Gray Davis going to attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our school children? I say no! Our state's constitutional guarantee to public schools must remain whole and intact.
I will watch the governor's May Revise of the budget tomorrow with great interest, and I know the people of California will as well.
________________________ BILL SIMON FOR GOVERNOR 770 L Street, Suite 950 Sacramento, CA 95827
Website: http://www.SimonForGovernor.Com
They sure did come out with a poll to judge how well the media beat Bush over the head with DNC propaganda regarding his foreknowledge of "terrorist threats".
Simon had leads of 2-7 points in four polls (including one Field poll) between Feb and Apr of this year, but of course the only poll making the news is one outlying Field poll showing Davis with a 14-point lead.
Hmmmm? Anybody see any inconsistency here? :-)
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