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Why Davis is being recalled
Jennifer Nelson, Special to SF Gate
Monday, August 11, 2003
©2003 SF Gate
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/a/2003/08/11/jnelson.DTL
On October 7, Californians will decide whether Governor Gray Davis will keep his job or not. This recall couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
After spending his first term in office doing nothing but raising money, Davis now wants the public to believe that he intends to focus on the people's business. "Whether I have 64 days or three and a half years, I will spend virtually all of my time on the state's priorities," he said last week during a visit to Chicago.
Gee, why was our governor out of the state, you ask? Was he meeting with bond officials to convince them to raise California's downgraded credit rating? Was he meeting with Illinois officials to find out how that state wooed a major employer like Boeing to the Prairie State?
No, not our governor. He was in Chicago to ask labor leaders to give him millions of dollars to fight the voters' recall.
Davis' priorities have always been raising money first, public policy second. In 2000, when the state was enduring endured blackouts and high-tech industry had begun to hemorrhage jobs, Davis ignored the energy crisis and the dot-com bomb. Instead, Davis continued his madcap fundraising, banking $14.3 million for his re-election campaign that was still two years away.
From early on in his career, Davis has been getting in trouble for his addiction to collecting political donations. As Governor Jerry Brown's chief of staff, Davis was investigated by law enforcement and the Fair Political Practices Commission for his role in a scandal involving using state employees and state resources to help raise money for one of Brown's bids for president. As a state assemblyman, Davis was investigated by the state Attorney General, a fellow Democrat, and fined for using state resources for political fundraising.
As governor, Davis was forced to fire employees after a scandal broke out regarding a no-bid software contract with high-tech giant Oracle Corp. and campaign contributions. In 2002, The Chronicle revealed a disturbing link between cash contributions to the Davis campaign and positive decisions by the California Coastal Commission.
Raising money is clearly one of Davis' political strengths. Yet he has always tried to cast himself as the little guy running against millionaire candidates. In 1998, Davis defeated his primary opponents-millionaires Al Checchi and Jane Harmon-with a campaign slogan of "experience money can't buy." He encouraged the press' description of him as a boring policy wonk. Yet despite decades of government jobs, Davis has never really been interested in public policy. Davis has always been interested in raising money, campaigning and, most importantly, Gray Davis.
There is no doubt that Davis and his team can raise enough money to mount a serious fight against the recall. Davis is turning to longtime allies among Democratic special interest groups for support.
The pro-abortion group NARAL's Kate Michelman promises to help Davis, saying the recall proponents were "anti-choice activists" trying to "buy an election and unseat the most pro-choice governor in the country." Michelman seems to be ignoring the fact that the voters will have several pro-choice candidates to choose from, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, columnist Arianna Huffington and former state Assemblywoman Audie Bock.
Organized labor has been one of Davis' major sources of support from the beginning and they have rushed to help him fight the recall. He is planning to raise about $10 million from unions. The powerful Service Employees International Union is talking about giving Davis $2 million. A firefighters union put together an anti-recall group, Taxpayers against the Governor's Recall, and donated at least $168,000 to defeat the recall. The Building & Construction Trades Council of California has agreed to spend $100,000 against the recall.
Several unions have pledged not only direct assistance to Davis, but are forming separate groups with separate budgets. These groups will help Davis by producing and distributing anti-recall flyers at job sites and sending direct mail pieces to members' homes. Around the state, painters, ironworkers and other laborers are attending rallies in support of the governor who has richly rewarded organized labor for its massive campaign contributions.
Once the recall looked to be a reality, the word from the Democratic Party leadership at the state and national level was that no Democratic candidate should run in the recall. Davis and his sidekick Garry South spent much time asking party leaders to ensure that Democrat voters have no alternative to Davis. Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence McAuliffe agreed to provide a national show of support for Davis. (McAuliffe may be changing his tune if he thinks California voters will hand the state over to Schwarzenegger, giving President Bush a Republican governor to help him win the state in 2004.)
Some Democrats have admitted that they were uncomfortable with the strategy of denying the voters a mainstream Democratic candidate to consider. Michael Miller, the chairman of the Napa County Democratic Central Committee told the Washington Post, "To be honest with you, I'm kind of worried about it. I don't like the idea of not having an option. And I don't like the idea of only sticking with Davis and his 'I'm not worse than the other guy' strategy."
So Davis-through arm-twisting by South and threats of retribution from the unions-successfully kept legitimate Democrat candidates from entering the race, until Schwarzenegger jumped in. Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante almost immediately alerted the press that he would be running to replace Davis. Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi followed suit the next day. Apparently the idea of the Terminator running for governor scared the Democrats enough to break ranks with Davis. And they are smart to abandon the sitting governor. Private and public polls show Davis in major trouble. California's governors seat is too politically important, both in the state and nationally, for the Democrats to give up just to be nice to Gray Davis. Plus, Davis has never earned any deep loyalty from fellow elected officials.
Few politicians have Davis' ability to squeeze cash from individuals, businesses, and other groups. But Davis has never spread his wealth around. It is a common practice for politicians in leadership positions to help lower-level party officials to raise money. At the national level Bill Clinton has been a major rainmaker for his party. But Davis is not, which is why his support among Democrat elected officials has always been rather weak. Democrat powerbrokers are unhappy about the recall. They are unhappy about the prospects of losing the governor's office, but not necessarily losing Gray.
Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is running, there is no doubt that Davis will once again try the "experience money can't buy" approach. He'll cry that he's up against millionaire candidates like Schwarzenegger. But that argument just won't fly this time. Gray Davis had four years to prove to the state that he can lead, that he has vision, that he is looking out for the best interest of our state and its people. But he failed. And that's why he's being recalled.
Jennifer Nelson, an Oakland writer, worked in policymaking positions in the Deukmejian and Wilson administrations. She can be reached at [email protected].
Jennifer Nelson, Special to SF Gate
Monday, August 11, 2003
©2003 SF Gate
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/a/2003/08/11/jnelson.DTL
On October 7, Californians will decide whether Governor Gray Davis will keep his job or not. This recall couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
After spending his first term in office doing nothing but raising money, Davis now wants the public to believe that he intends to focus on the people's business. "Whether I have 64 days or three and a half years, I will spend virtually all of my time on the state's priorities," he said last week during a visit to Chicago.
Gee, why was our governor out of the state, you ask? Was he meeting with bond officials to convince them to raise California's downgraded credit rating? Was he meeting with Illinois officials to find out how that state wooed a major employer like Boeing to the Prairie State?
No, not our governor. He was in Chicago to ask labor leaders to give him millions of dollars to fight the voters' recall.
Davis' priorities have always been raising money first, public policy second. In 2000, when the state was enduring endured blackouts and high-tech industry had begun to hemorrhage jobs, Davis ignored the energy crisis and the dot-com bomb. Instead, Davis continued his madcap fundraising, banking $14.3 million for his re-election campaign that was still two years away.
From early on in his career, Davis has been getting in trouble for his addiction to collecting political donations. As Governor Jerry Brown's chief of staff, Davis was investigated by law enforcement and the Fair Political Practices Commission for his role in a scandal involving using state employees and state resources to help raise money for one of Brown's bids for president. As a state assemblyman, Davis was investigated by the state Attorney General, a fellow Democrat, and fined for using state resources for political fundraising.
As governor, Davis was forced to fire employees after a scandal broke out regarding a no-bid software contract with high-tech giant Oracle Corp. and campaign contributions. In 2002, The Chronicle revealed a disturbing link between cash contributions to the Davis campaign and positive decisions by the California Coastal Commission.
Raising money is clearly one of Davis' political strengths. Yet he has always tried to cast himself as the little guy running against millionaire candidates. In 1998, Davis defeated his primary opponents-millionaires Al Checchi and Jane Harmon-with a campaign slogan of "experience money can't buy." He encouraged the press' description of him as a boring policy wonk. Yet despite decades of government jobs, Davis has never really been interested in public policy. Davis has always been interested in raising money, campaigning and, most importantly, Gray Davis.
There is no doubt that Davis and his team can raise enough money to mount a serious fight against the recall. Davis is turning to longtime allies among Democratic special interest groups for support.
The pro-abortion group NARAL's Kate Michelman promises to help Davis, saying the recall proponents were "anti-choice activists" trying to "buy an election and unseat the most pro-choice governor in the country." Michelman seems to be ignoring the fact that the voters will have several pro-choice candidates to choose from, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, columnist Arianna Huffington and former state Assemblywoman Audie Bock.
Organized labor has been one of Davis' major sources of support from the beginning and they have rushed to help him fight the recall. He is planning to raise about $10 million from unions. The powerful Service Employees International Union is talking about giving Davis $2 million. A firefighters union put together an anti-recall group, Taxpayers against the Governor's Recall, and donated at least $168,000 to defeat the recall. The Building & Construction Trades Council of California has agreed to spend $100,000 against the recall.
Several unions have pledged not only direct assistance to Davis, but are forming separate groups with separate budgets. These groups will help Davis by producing and distributing anti-recall flyers at job sites and sending direct mail pieces to members' homes. Around the state, painters, ironworkers and other laborers are attending rallies in support of the governor who has richly rewarded organized labor for its massive campaign contributions.
Once the recall looked to be a reality, the word from the Democratic Party leadership at the state and national level was that no Democratic candidate should run in the recall. Davis and his sidekick Garry South spent much time asking party leaders to ensure that Democrat voters have no alternative to Davis. Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence McAuliffe agreed to provide a national show of support for Davis. (McAuliffe may be changing his tune if he thinks California voters will hand the state over to Schwarzenegger, giving President Bush a Republican governor to help him win the state in 2004.)
Some Democrats have admitted that they were uncomfortable with the strategy of denying the voters a mainstream Democratic candidate to consider. Michael Miller, the chairman of the Napa County Democratic Central Committee told the Washington Post, "To be honest with you, I'm kind of worried about it. I don't like the idea of not having an option. And I don't like the idea of only sticking with Davis and his 'I'm not worse than the other guy' strategy."
So Davis-through arm-twisting by South and threats of retribution from the unions-successfully kept legitimate Democrat candidates from entering the race, until Schwarzenegger jumped in. Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante almost immediately alerted the press that he would be running to replace Davis. Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi followed suit the next day. Apparently the idea of the Terminator running for governor scared the Democrats enough to break ranks with Davis. And they are smart to abandon the sitting governor. Private and public polls show Davis in major trouble. California's governors seat is too politically important, both in the state and nationally, for the Democrats to give up just to be nice to Gray Davis. Plus, Davis has never earned any deep loyalty from fellow elected officials.
Few politicians have Davis' ability to squeeze cash from individuals, businesses, and other groups. But Davis has never spread his wealth around. It is a common practice for politicians in leadership positions to help lower-level party officials to raise money. At the national level Bill Clinton has been a major rainmaker for his party. But Davis is not, which is why his support among Democrat elected officials has always been rather weak. Democrat powerbrokers are unhappy about the recall. They are unhappy about the prospects of losing the governor's office, but not necessarily losing Gray.
Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is running, there is no doubt that Davis will once again try the "experience money can't buy" approach. He'll cry that he's up against millionaire candidates like Schwarzenegger. But that argument just won't fly this time. Gray Davis had four years to prove to the state that he can lead, that he has vision, that he is looking out for the best interest of our state and its people. But he failed. And that's why he's being recalled.
Jennifer Nelson, an Oakland writer, worked in policymaking positions in the Deukmejian and Wilson administrations. She can be reached at [email protected].
