Monday afternoon, Davis called a co-sponsor of the TechNet event, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and asked him if they could postpone the event because he is pressed for time.FWIW, the AP version of this story - posted later in the day - also reflects this mad Davis spinning, i.e. from the San Francisco Chronicle:Hastings said he asked Davis if his decision was at all related to the latest controversy and the governor said no. Hastings also dismissed suggestions that Davis makes policy decisions based on who gives him money.
``The governor has been unafraid to take on core constituencies that typically contribute a lot of money if he felt like that wasn't the right policy,'' said Hastings, whom Davis appointed to the state school board.
I had no idea Hastings was in bed with Davis... I am dissapointed. Netflix and Hastings are based in my town. Too bad I have to cancel my Netflix account.
But WE know the REAL story!
Davis postpones second fund-raiser Tuesday, September 24, 2002
(09-24) 13:14 PDT SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) --
Democratic Gov. Gray Davis postponed a fund-raiser involving a Palo Alto-based technology advocacy group, but a campaign spokesman said Tuesday that the delay was only due to time constraints.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon, meanwhile, sharpened attacks accusing Davis of raising money from special interests while considering legislation important to those groups.
Davis was set to attend a town hall forum in Palo Alto and a $10,000-a-person tech fund-raiser on Tuesday, but postponed both events on Monday, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
The TechNet fund-raising event in Palo Alto, co-sponsored by venture capitalist John Doerr and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, was organized at the same time that the tech industry has been lobbying Davis to veto legislation that would impose new fees on companies to pay for recycling environmentally hazardous computer parts, the Mercury said.
Davis campaign spokesman Roger Salazar said the governor postponed the events only because he is pressed for time to sign or veto hundreds of bills.
He called the report "speculation."
"I'm not sure how many people are really interested in that legislation," Salazar said. "TechNet is not a company, it is a group of activists in the Silicon Valley some of whom are involved in the tech industry. TechNet has been very supportive of the governor in the past, they've held events for us in the past."
Last week, Davis canceled a fund-raiser organized by Rod Diridon, the governor's appointee to chair the state's High-Speed Rail Authority.
The $1,000-a-person event at Diridon's home was scheduled to take place the day after the governor signed a bill that will put a $10 billion bond measure on the 2004 ballot. If approved, the measure would pave the way for the state's high-speed rail line.
The event was canceled after it became public that Diridon had sent e-mails seeking contributions from executives who "will build, operate and maintain the system."
Simon went on the offensive Tuesday morning over the new fund-raising report.
"Gov. Davis is in bed with moneyed special interests on a daily basis with his fund-raising activity," Simon said after a campaign stop in Sunnyvale.
Salazar dismissed Simon's criticism as "wild imaginings."
Thank God for Free Republic!