Today, the candidates for California governor officially announced that they were in the race. Those vying for the position include former CEO and president of eBay Republican Meg Whitman, former California governor and current attorney general Democrat Jerry Brown, Green Party member Laura Wells, Libertarian Dale Ogden, and Tea Party member Chuck DeVore.
In addition, current incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer is running for reelection to maintain her office as California senator. Her opponent is businesswoman and Republican Carly Fiorina.
Both Republican candidates discussed the economy and immigration, promising to cut taxes to help create jobs. Whitman wished to create temporary agricultural worker programs and to verify the status of workers, and Fiorina proposed that work and visa programs were created.
The Democrats discussed a variety of hot topic issues as well. Jerry Brown talked extensively about reforming the economy, remarking that "we are entering an era of limits" and listing off nine things he wants to do to fix the budget. Senator Boxer emphasized the need for new and clean energy as well as touching on the need for affordable health care for all.
Ms. Wells spoke fervently against Proposition 23, which would suspend the Global Warming Act of 2006. She also stressed her long record of public service as well as stating that the Green Party will not take large donations from corporations, even if it will set them at a disadvantage.
Mr. Ogden represented the Libertarian Party and quipped that they wanted the government to "stay out of their pants, and stay out of their pockets". He promised to downsize state agencies and roll back spending if elected.
Lastly, Chuck DeVore expressed a similar policy to Ogden, opposing all kinds of taxes and wishing to lessen the government. He asserted that should he be elected there would be no mismanagement in Sacramento.
One underlying theme that all candidates discussed was, of course, the state of the economy and what they would do to fix it. All the candidates pretty much touched on reducing spending or cutting taxes, but Jerry Brown showed his preparation for the issue by discussing nine points that he wished to do as governor, including cutting his own salary as well as removing redundant government offices. Some of the things he plans to do to improve the economy include reducing government spending, collecting unpaid taxes, reforming the budget process, and cleaning up federal money left on the table. People have accused him of not having a plan for California, when clearly, Mr. Brown is more than prepared, having 35 years of experience under his belt. It is very apparent that he is dedicated to serving California if he is willing to put less money in his own pocket. In my opinion, he's the right choice for governor.
So who caught your attention as the candidate to beat? Who do you think has the best policy for California?
No comments:
Post a Comment