• California Budget,  Steve Poizner

    California GOP Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner – Scrap Big Five California Budget Deal – No Tax Increases for California

    February 17, 2009 /
    Poizner-Countdown

    Steve Poizner, Republican California Insurance Commissioner and candidate for California Governor has come out against the Big 5 California Budget deal.

    State Insurance Commission and Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner called on lawmakers today to put the brakes on a contentious, 18-month budget deal and instead pass an emergency, six-month package to keep California from insolvency.

    With lawmakers one vote shy of a deal to close a $40 billion hole in the state budget, Poizner said all sides should back away from the plan in order to avoid tax increases he charged would disproportionately affect middle- and low-income Californians.

    Roughly $10 billion of the $14 billion in taxes would come from hiking taxes on gas, income and vehicles.

    “They don’t have the guts to raise taxes on rich people because rich people have lobbyists and rich people are mobile and rich people will leave,” Poizner said in a meeting today with The Bee Capitol Bureau. “And yet they’re raising taxes on people who aren’t mobile, who don’t have lobbyists. This is really the most disgusting, terrible thing I’ve heard in a long time – the idea of raising $14 billion of taxes on working class people who are about to lose their homes.”

    Poizner said lawmakers should cut a six-month budget deal that would include $15.8 billion in state spending cuts and $10.9 billion in borrowing – figures already negotiated by lawmakers – and up to $10 billion in state aid from the federal economic stimulus package approved by Congress.

    Afterward, Poizner said lawmakers should develop a budget for the following 12 months that would streamline state government and balance the books without raising taxes.

    Steve Poizner is moving to the RIGHT on fiscal policy and is positioning himself well in the race for the GOP nomination for Governor against former e-Bay CEO Meg Whitman. Poizner has garned most of the endorsements of the GOP members of the California Legislature.

    Now, will Poizner be able to persuade anti-tax crusaders and Los Angeles radio (KFI 640) shock jocks John and Ken to support him?

    Stay tuned as the California State Budget Stalemate continues.

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  • Jerry Brown

    Jerry “MOONBEAM” Brown to Run for California Governor Again, 35 Years later – GOP Should Be Happy

    February 2, 2009 /
    Jerry-Brown-and-Gray-Davisw

    Former California Governors Jerry Brown, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis

    Today there is a feature puff piece in the Los Angeles Times saying the “reformed reformer” Jerry Brown, currently California’s Attorney General is running again for California governor – 35 years after winning the seat.

    Well, this has been no secret in California political circles for many months and Brown known for years as “Governor Moonbeam” has raised a ton of money for the race.

    Why should the GOP be happy with the prospect of having one of its candidates, either Steve Poizner, California Insurance Commissioner or Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay run against Brown?

    Look at this recent poll:

    california governor 2012 fav vs unfav

    Note the favorable/unfavorable ratio for Jerry Brown. And, Brown is 70 years old and will face off against a younger generation of pols.

    The likelihood of Brown winning the Democrat Primary election in June 2010 will be high. He will face off against a Democrat cast of many( some will undoubtedly drop out) – all much younger candidates but each with their on set of unfavorables: Gavin Newsom, the Mayor of San Francisco – Gay Marriage and extra-marital sex scandal; LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa – exra-marital sex scandal with a Latina news reporter.

    A young, vigorous Republican business oriented candidate will be able to win in financially ravaged California.

    Jerry Brown’s political baggage from over 4 decades of political nonsense will also be campaign fodder for the GOP media campaign – from the appointment of Rose Bird as California Supreme Court Chief Justice to the oppositon to Proposition 13 to sleeping on a mattress while he was governor.

    Please Jerry run……Run Jerry run…..

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  • Jerry Brown,  Meg Whitman,  Steve Poizner

    Poll Watch: Meg Whitman in Tie With Jerry Brown for California Governor in 2010 – Leading All Others

    January 21, 2009 /
    Meg-Whitman

    Economic recovery press conference: Eric Cantor, Mitt Romney and Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO and McCain campaign adviser answer questions submit by the American People via YouTube, January 15, 2009

    The latest poll from Rasmussen is extremely favorable for former eBay CEO Meg Whitman in the race for California Governor in 2010.

    The race may be nearly two years away, but early match-ups for the 2010 gubernatorial election in California show that it’s likely to be a close one.

    With the state’s current Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, ineligible for reelection, the most prominent name mentioned on the GOP side is former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, and for now she beats two of the three leading early contenders for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

    The Poll:

    • Meg Whitman – 38% Vs. Jerry Brown (California Attorney General and former Governor – 40%
    • Meg Whitman – 37% Vs. Gavin Newsom (San Francisco Mayor) – 34%
    • Meg Whitman – 41% Vs. Antonio Villaraigosa (Los Angeles Mayor) – 34%

    Favorability:

    Forty-three percent (43%) of California voters view Whitman favorably, including 10% Very Favorable, while 22% view her unfavorably. Just five percent (5%) have a Very Unfavorable opinion of Whitman. A third of voters (34%) don’t know enough about her to form an opinion.

    Brown is the most well-known name to California voters and is viewed favorably by 46%, including 24% who say that view is Very Favorable. Thirty-eight percent (38%) have an unfavorable opinion of Brown, with 26% Very Unfavorable. Just 16%, however, are not sure what they think of the 70-year-old Brown who has been a fixture in California politics for nearly 40 years.

    Newson is viewed favorably by 36%, unfavorably by 41%, and 23% are not sure what they think of him. Thirteen percent (13%) have a Very Favorable opinion of Newsom and 25% a Very Unfavorable view. Villaraigosa’s ratings are 38% favorable, with 13% Very Favorable, and 42% unfavorable, including 27% Very Unfavorable. Twenty percent (20%) are not sure what they think of Villaraigosa.

    Flap had mentioned that since Steve Poizner, California’s only statewide elected office holder, was running for Governor that perhaps Whitman should should run for the United States Senate instead. But, with these excellent poll numbers, it is fiull speed ahead with the governor’s race.

    But, what will a contested GOP primary election do to her unfavorability ratings?

    Stay tuned….

    Watch Meg Whitman on video at the press conference referenced above.

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  • Meg Whitman,  Steve Poizner

    Meg Whitman Stumps in the California Capitol for Governor But Shouldn’t She Run for U.S. Senate?

    January 6, 2009 /
    Romney McCain and Whitman

    Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., center, flanked by adviser Meg Whitman, left, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks at an economic roundtable, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008, in New York

    Yesterday, the national press picked up on the fact that Meg Whitman was apparently a go for a run for California Governor in 2010.

    Today, Whitman, the former President and CEO of eBay, was seeking support from Republican Legislators in the State Capitol.

    Whitman, a Republican, was meeting today with members of the GOP caucus not yet aligned with anyone in the 2010 governor’s race.

    They’re harder to find than you might think, as Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has stumped hard among Republican lawmakers for their support.

    Poizner, who first won elective office in 2006, has already garnered the support of 31 of the 44 GOP state legislators.

    It seems non-productive and down-right destructive for two well financed GOP players to face each other in a divisive primary election for Governor.

    Might Meg Whitman be persuaded to run instead for the U.S. Senate against Barbara Boxer?

    Like Flap said the first time.

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  • Jerry Brown,  Meg Whitman,  Steve Poizner

    Jerry Brown to Run for California Governor in 2010 But Worried About Dianne Feinstein?

    December 8, 2008 /
    Jerry-Brown-and-Gray-Davisw

    Former California Governors Jerry Brown, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis

    Former Democrat Mayor of San Francisco and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown seems to think Jerry Brown is a go as a REPRISE California Governor – despite Senator Dianne Feinstein’s intentions.

    Then, in walks Jerry Brown and his wife and campaign manager, Anne Gust, and Joe Trippi – Howard Dean’s guru of online campaigning. A few minutes later Peter Coyote walks in.

    Jerry was singularly focused on Dianne Feinstein. Every other line was an inquiry about my assessment or Rose’s assessment or Peter’s assessment or anyone else’s assessment about Dianne’s candidacy for governor.

    He didn’t seem at all worried about Gavin Newsom.

    Finally I asked Jerry, “Are you really deadly serious about running for governor?”

    “I am, I am,” he said.

    So I told him: “Then you should announce. Make it serious.

    “Dianne is not going to run in a crowd of people,” I said. “Newsom is already in and John Garamendi is in. If you add your name to that list, Dianne will announce her chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee and stay in Washington.”

    And, Brown’s former chief of staff and recalled California Governor (replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger) Gray Davis is fundraising for Jerry.

    Davis sent a note last week inviting donors to a reception he is hosting at his home for Brown this Tuesday.

    “Jerry has done a great job as California’s attorney general,” Davis wrote to invitees. “Please join us in supporting his re-election campaign.”

    Donors are asked to give from $2,000 to the legal maximum of $12,000.

    Officially, the money raised must go toward Brown’s reelection campaign for attorney general.

    But Brown, who served two terms as governor before term limits were in place, is making noise about running for the state’s top office again. And any funds he raises for his reelection campaign can easily be transferred to a run for governor. Brown has already stripped his 2010 campaign account title of any reference to attorney general. It’s simply “Jerry Brown 2010.”

    Flap knows that Jerry Brown is a GO unless his health fails. But, will a retread Brown be able to beat either Steve Poizner or Meg Whitman?

    Stay tuned……

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