CALIFORNIA: Whitman, Brown set to go toe to toe

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 6/9/10 | Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross

[SmithL]

The bell just rang on the slugfest between billionaire Republican Meg Whitman and Democrat Jerry Brown for the state's top job, and both sides will be coming out swinging.

"There will be no break, no breather," said state Republican Party Vice Chairman Tom Del Beccaro.

Word is that Whitman, who spent a record $71 million of her own money during the primary to knock down Steve Poizner, already has commercials in the can aimed at Brown.

And despite some GOP worries that too much spending too soon could provoke a public backlash, campaign insiders tell us that Whitman's TV hits will soon be on the air and won't let up until Nov. 2.

One target will be the contracts with state workers unions that Brown helped craft when he was governor three decades ago.

Brown's position is a bit trickier. He has just $20 million on hand, and with a statewide TV buy running at $3 million a week, that's not a lot of money.

Brown has to decide whether to return fire now or hold off until the final weeks.

The risk is that not shooting back will allow Whitman - who has already pledged to spend another $70 million - to fill him full of lead.

Brown hopes to get a big early lift from state firefighters, public employee unions, trade unions and Democratic grocery magnate and investor Ron Burkle. Depending on just how quickly Whitman goes on the air, they'll be launching their own multimillion-dollar attack on "Queen Meg," starting with footage of Whitman's less-than-stellar attempt to explain why she didn't vote for 28 years.

[napscoordinator]

Going to be a very interesting race and so is the Senate race. California is definitely going to be the state to watch in 2010. Yes there will be many other states to watch too...

[Liz]

Libertarian-leaning Reason Foundation reports that that California's unfunded pension liability "unsustainable and unaffordable" and "translates to roughly $36,000 for each California household." In 1999, Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill that retroactively allowed some state employees to retire at age 50 with a pension as high as 90 percent of the last year's salary.

"Wasn't my fault," Brown told cheering Democrats at a recent convention.

GUESS BROWN FORGOT ABOUT THIS (/SNIX) Then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed a crucial bill in 1978 that gave public workers, already protected under civil service, collective bargaining rights on top of that. Such legislation created far more than mere bargaining power. It also gave the unions access to dues money that could be deployed to reward friends in the legislature as well as beating back reform efforts at the ballot box.

The government's "money machine" to buy votes was engineered in the 1970s when California's legislature cleared the way for public-employee unions to organize and bargain. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed the crucial bill in 1978.

[BigBobber]

One thing you can’t help notice when you see the two rat and two Pubbie candidates side by side in video - The rats are old and look worn out. I think Boxer and Brown are both over 70. The two Republican women look much younger and more energetic.

This is going to make a difference in the voting.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” In 1999, Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill that retroactively allowed some state employees to retire at age 50 with a pension as high as 90 percent of the last year’s salary. “

State employees won the lottery at every other Californians expense.

Medfly Brown is a fool.

[Liz]

I hope Whitman zeroes in on all that.

[stephenjohnbanker]

She will.

[karnage]

Very well observed.

[karnage]

“Medfly” Brown - heh heh!

[Godzilla]

When brown became gov the first time - he inherited a budget surplus. By the time he left office, the budget was deep in the red and unemployment was at 11%. Time for Gov Moonbeam to go to the retirement home, and not state office.

[freekitty]

Another race in CA where the people don’t win either way.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Yep