California: Davis using public funds on politics, group says (Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association )

The San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Wednesday, July 24, 2002 | Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Sacramento -- A taxpayers group has accused Gov. Gray Davis of using his administrative staff to work on political events and help his re-election campaign.

In a complaint filed Tuesday with the state's political watchdog agency, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association said the governor had misused public funds in pursuit of his own political goals.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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[Looking for Diogenes]

It cited several specific examples, including the governor's image being posted on state Web sites,...

While I certainly agree Davis is a political whore of the highest degree, this is standard for all incumbents. Just check the site for your congressman.

[harpo11]

He's one heck of a sleazy guber.

[GulliverSwift]

While I certainly agree Davis is a political whore of the highest degree, this is standard for all incumbents. Just check the site for your congressman.

True, true. However, this is an example of Republicans finally realizing that political charges erode support no matter what basis they have. Just look at what the congressional Dims have been doing the past few months. Such efforts do work.

[daviddennis]

I would have nothing against the governor having his image on his own web site, but it really is a little much to have him on every state agency, from the Coastal Commission to the DMV.

So whenever you deal with the government, you see his ugly mug.

Since most dealings with the government are not all that pleasant, I can't help but think that his scheme is likely to backfire. But it still looks just a shade self-serving ...

D

[Gophack]

Maviglio did admit one mistake -- including an attack on Simon in a governor's office press release from another National Guard event last week. Davis went to Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento to encourage the federal government to send new F-15C Eagle fighter planes to California. In the release, Davis was quoted attacking Simon for not having served in the military.

The campaign will reimburse the state for the $100 cost of the press release, Maviglio said.

Oh my goodness. The audacity of Davis. He is so corrupt he makes my skin crawl. Never was an incumbent more worthy of removal than Gray Davis. I despise this B*ST*ARD more than Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton liked power, but he liked sex more. Davis wants to be a dictator and destroy everyone who gets in his way. He lies not to save his hide, but to gather more power and control. He's disgusting and corrupt and the worst governor in America. I can't say some of the things on this forum that I want to!

DUMP DAVIS!

[Gophack]

But it still looks just a shade self-serving ...

A *shade* self-serving? Try blatant self-promotion.

However, it's not illegal and HJTA is going to lose this one. The best thing they have is using staff resources for political purposes.

[Looking for Diogenes]

Since most dealings with the government are not all that pleasant, I can't help but think that his scheme is likely to backfire.

Indeed. I remember thinking the same thing many years ago when I was waiting in line at the DMV and opened up the Drivers Handbook to see the smiling face of Ronald Reagan, then governor. The line was terribly long, but I didn't hold it against him. Davis may not be so lucky.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This is the image I see of Davis:

[daviddennis]

Except for the Chinese corruption scandals, it's difficult to say Clinton actually accomplished anything terribly bad; he had lots of bad ideas, granted, but he didn't manage to get many of them accepted by Congress. You could say that the ineptitude of his administration saved him from his bad tendancies, and the two problems cancelled each other out.

Davis, on the other hand, converted a minor problem into a catastrophe with the power crisis, and changed a massive surplus to an even more massive deficit. In both cases, he simply refused to see reality as it was bearing straight down on him.

So no, I would say Davis was worse than Clinton, easy.

(I'm not saying that Clinton was good, of course. Simply lucky. Very lucky.)

D

[Gophack]

Davis, on the other hand, converted a minor problem into a catastrophe with the power crisis, and changed a massive surplus to an even more massive deficit. In both cases, he simply refused to see reality as it was bearing straight down on him.

Bump

[harpo11]

Excellent description.