Posted on 05/20/2006 9:38:18 PM PDT by FairOpinion
The Democratic primary for governor is heating up as Phil Angelides and Steve Westly wage war on TV.
But rather than focus on more typical Democratic issues like the environment or abortion rights, the candidates are brawling like Republicans over who is more likely to raise taxes.
The turn of events is welcome news for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose fall campaign is expected to center in large part on his refusal to raise taxes, despite pressure from Democrats.
"They're helping to label each other as tax-and-spend liberals," said Republican consultant Kevin Spillane. "Arnold couldn't ask for more."
But much of the campaign so far has centered on the question of taxes, with the candidates trading nearly identical charges. Each is using statements the other made in lean budget years in support of a variety of tax increases - on services, the Internet, commercial property and alcohol - that could be construed as taxing the middle class.
Westly opened fire on May 12 with an ad that asked, "With high gas prices, housing and health care costs, can working families afford Phil Angelides' tax plan?"
Angelides retaliated Thursday with an ad accusing Westly of supporting "higher taxes on the middle class."
The advertising volley speaks to the delicacy of the tax issue, even in a Democratic primary. Despite widespread agreement among Democrats that schools do not have enough money, voters do not want to see their own taxes raised to fund them.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Let the Dems show the voters who they really are: "tax and spend".
And people say there is no difference between Arnold and the Dems -- those don't know the Dems too well, do they?!
WESTLY:
In the “Stand” spot, Westly says, “I’m Steve Westly – before I ask for your vote, I owe it to you to tell you where I stand. I’m strongly pro-choice and I believe protecting our environment is fundamental. As governor, I’ll make education my top priority.” Then the announcer adds, “Steve Westly. Require big corporations to provide adequate health insurance, expand the Healthy Families Program, incentives for hybrid vehicles and solar energy, stop any new offshore drilling.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1627880/posts
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ANGELIDES:
Angelides calls himself a champion of "progressive values." As state treasurer, he has pushed public pension funds to dump tobacco stocks, invest in urban renewal projects and pressure corporations into cleaning up the environment. A close ally of labor, he also supports abortion rights, gay marriage, gun control and driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.
If he makes it into a general-election race, his call for increasing taxes could pose problems; Schwarzenegger has been steadfast in opposing higher taxes.
http://www.calcoast.org/news/cpr0060122.html
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In the meantime, Arnold:
"They're focused on the Capitol's perpetual war between business and the big four Democratic Party subfactions: labor unions, personal injury lawyers, environmentalists and consumer protection advocates.
The past two years have been bleak ones for the Big 4 because Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has aligned himself with the California Chamber of Commerce and other business groups, rejecting nearly all of the measures they had dubbed "job killers." Schwarzenegger and business, moreover, bulldozed the Legislature into approving an overhaul of worker's compensation that authorities say is reducing employers' costs by $15 billion a year. It was the most significant advance either side had made in the war in many years and one that Democrats and their allies now want to undo. "
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1627876/posts
Typical dems: they're owned by the teachers' union. All we need is to throw more billions of dollars down that rathole. NOT!
Last night on my TV the Sacramento channel was bemoaning the fact that NO BODY was expected to turn out for this one and that neither Party seemed the least bit interested in registering people to vote in this Primary election!!!
Your fathead Governor and his pinhead challenger friends are all so completely out of touch with what people in CA want that it is beyond bizzare... WAY, WAY BEYOND!!!
I've been watching the Westly and Angelides TV commercials and my jaw just drops.
The latest Angelides commercial includes a promise not to allow offshore oil drilling. Talk about divorced from reality ! Dependence on foreign oil and high gas prices apparently don't concern him at all.
I wouldn't expect that to fly even with the Dims.
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