Posted on 03/30/2009 10:12:32 AM PDT by SmithL
Tom Campbell doesn't have the big guns of his GOP competitors in the 2010 governor's race - not $50 million of his own money to throw in, like former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, nor the pulpit of statewide office, like Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.
But Campbell has something more than the label of dark horse in the primary contest: He actually understands - in painful detail - the seemingly intractable problems of the California budget process.
Campbell, who has served as director of the state Department of Finance, dean of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and in Congress, told The Chronicle this week that it's not rocket science. According to his analysis, if California's leaders had insisted on hard spending caps when Gov. Gray Davis was in office, with his last budget, adjusted for inflation and population, "we would actually be balanced today, even with the stock market crash."
The reference to Davis is a pointed reminder: The Democratic governor was tossed out of office in the 2003 recall election in large part due to populist outrage over government spending and tax hikes, particularly the vehicle license tax.
With about a year to go until the primary, Campbell - now a visiting professor of law and economics at Chapman University in Orange County - is seriously launching his move to win the job.
"I am banking on the electorate to favor experience in government ... explicitly, experience in balancing a budget without increasing taxes," he said. "And I'm very much hoping that people look at a lifetime in public service."
Political observers say that in California's famously unpredictable political arena, Campbell can't be counted out - especially given his knowledge of the most important issue facing the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
No way. I voted for Schwarzenegger last time and have regretted it ever since. Campbell was a the RINO congressman from Palo Alto for years. He has since taken to describing himself as a “Libertarian”. I don’t buy it and if he is a Libertarian he should run on their ticket. Meg Whitman is another liberal McCain supporter with no political experience and Poizner is pro life.
I don’t have a candidate in the 2010 election.
We just had a small earthquake at 10:40 PDT. Felt like about a 4.5.
Doesn’t matter who the Pubs run anymore. California is a banana republic. Finished.
Sorry, I meant Poizner is PRO ABORTION.
It’s hard to type when the room is shaking.
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