New campaign finance reports found Meg Whitman has
spent more than $27 million since Jan. 1.
Michael Rothfeld reports, "The record-shattering pace stems largely from a television ad
blitz
intended to portray Whitman positively in the minds
of voters and
tarnish her opponents.
By contrast, Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, the leading Democrat in the
governor's race, spent $142,000 since Jan. 1. Although Brown is not
facing a serious primary opponent and Whitman is, that
difference would
not normally result in one candidate spending 190 times more than
another in less than three months. In an appeal to
donors on his
campaign website, Brown said the "spending binge to purchase
California's airwaves is shocking."
"He has $14 million on hand, the result of fundraising since the
beginning of last year. Whitman, the billionaire ex-chief of EBay, has
poured $39 million of her own money into her campaign over the
same
period; and, with additional fundraising, spent a total of
$46 million
since joining the race in early 2009.
Whitman has spent nine times as much so far this year
as Steve
Poizner, the Republican state insurance commissioner
running against
her in the June 8 primary. He has been punished incessantly by
Whitman's "Can't Trust Steve" ads on shows such as
"American Idol."
Poizner lagged nearly 50 points behind her in last week's Field Poll."
Steve Poizner spent just $300,000 overall during the same period, and has raised just
$204,000 since the beginning of the year.
Meanwhile, labor unions have made a $400,000 down payment of their own on Brown's behalf. A committee
run by the Democratic Governor's Association has received
$200,000 from the Association of Federal State and Municipal
Employees. And Level the Playing Field 2010 reports $100,000 each from the California Nurses Assocaition and the
California Faculty Association.
Democratic Governors Assn. spokeswoman Emily DeRose says the report
just reflects the beginning of the group's fundraising
efforts. "This is an early investment in an effort
that we see paying
dividends for us," DeRose said. "We'll have additional
sources of
funding as the campaign progresses."
John Myers tells us why reporters love campaign finance reports (guilty as charged.)
"(1) It finally forces most candidates and political operations
to show
their cards and reveal how much money they've actually
taken in (2) it
allows us to see where all the money is being spent
(3) it allows us to
see how fast that money is being spent. Given that
so much of the
fundraising for big campaigns is disclosed on a regular
basis under
California law, it's really numbers two and three on
that list that
make deadlines like today interesting."
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic lawmakers
reached a deal on a package that will cut funding for public transit,
offer some new targeted tax credits, and make a small
dent in the state's $20 billion deficit.
Shane Goldmacher reports, "After weeks of bickering
over how to cut the deficit-ridden budget,
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers agreed Monday
to trim $1.1
billion from mass transit but give new tax breaks to
home buyers and
green-technology companies.
"The governor, who signed part of the
package into law Monday evening, said the tax incentives
-- which could
add to the budget woes -- are crucial to the state's economic recovery.
"The linchpin of the legislation is the tax credit
of up to $10,000
for first-time home buyers and those purchasing newly built homes.
It
would take effect May 1. Another element of the package would
allow companies that buy green-technology manufacturing equipment to
avoid sales tax on those purchases for 10 years. It would start
immediately."
Condoleeza Rice is backing Carly Fiorina in her bid for U.S. Senate."“California needs a representative in the U.S. Senate
who is prepared
to make the tough decisions necessary to address our
most pressing
challenges, including job creation and national security.
Based on my
personal experience, I know Carly is the best person
to send to
Washington to advocate for the people of our great
state in the
Senate,” Rice said in a written statement.
In Sacramento yesterday, thousands of college faculty and students rallied to protest possible budget cuts to higher education.
And the state Assembly passed a ban on smoking in public parks and on public
beaches.
And finally, Sam Stanton has the case of a workers comp claim gone wrong. Very wrong.
"The story John Alfonzo Smiley told is every correctional officer's
fear: He was at a San Francisco restaurant with his wife
when a parolee
recognized him, then gunned him down with a shot that
left him
paralyzed from the waist down. Unable
to work, the 44-year-old Smiley filed a workers' compensation claim
that could have paid him and his wife nearly $2.5 million.
"Except investigators say that isn't exactly how Smiley
ended up getting shot. Instead, court records say,
the altercation that led to his paralysis
started at a swingers club, where he and his wife were
engaging in sex
with strangers and a dispute quickly escalated..."
You can read the rest for yourself...
