CA: Governor keeps insurance cash

Mercury News ^ | 4/9/04 | Dion Nissenbaum

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO - Despite pledging to reject money from insurance companies while negotiating a workers' compensation reform plan, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has cashed a six-figure industry donation to fund his backup ballot measure.

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The decision violates the governor's stated policy of rebuffing insurance donations received after the March 2 election.

Thursday, Schwarzenegger fundraiser Marty Wilson said the governor's campaign committee would not return the donation because the company pledged the money before March 2, even though state records show it was cashed two days after the election.

``We're keeping it and we're spending it,'' said Wilson.

[NormsRevenge]

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[NormsRevenge]

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[SittinYonder]

I don't live in California, so I probably should keep my thoughts to myself. But like the rest of the nation, I was fascinated with the political developments there last year. All I can say is, I'm sorry California didn't go with McClintock. Y'all had a fine candidate, even if he did have the "crazy eyes."

[DoughtyOne]

As I understand it, Schwarzenegger is planning to use the initiative process to do an end run on the legislature. Not having union funds to support thoss propositions like the leftists do theirs, he is using donations to get them on the ballot.

It costs money to get enough signatures to place propositions on the ballot.

While I don't like him having to do this, I like him being stonewalled by the demoncraticly controlled California legislature even less.

[pogo101]

My feeling precisely.

[n-tres-ted]

I do live in California, and am circulating a petition to get WC on the ballot, having already filled and returned one petition previously. Arnold is doing a better job than Tom McClintock could have, even if TM could have been elected (which he could not). The Dems (at least Burton and most of them) are still trying to run the State into the ditch. They will make a deal only in Arnold meets the deadline next week for putting WC initiative on the ballot.

[SittinYonder]

As I said, ought to keep my thoughts to myself. But now I'm curious why you say McClintock wouldn't have done as good a job as Arnold. I was thoroughly impressed with everything I knew about him.

[calcowgirl]

Interesting that no one mentions the $100,000 given to Arnold from Ron Burkle...
the guy who just hosted the John Kerry fundraiser last month, with participation of Streisand, et. al.

It's laughable to even try to find consistency between Arnold's promises and his actions.
Integrity is (or always has been) absent.

At first, Schwarzenegger pledged last month to return industry donations his campaign received after March 2.

"If I get a campaign contribution from an insurance company that deals with workers' compensation," he said, "I will send it back because I don't want to be beholden to an insurance company that deals with workers' compensation, because I know I need to negotiate with them."

State Records: American Financial Group
$100,000, American Financial Group
March 4, Transaction Date*
March 16, Filing Date

*Marty Wilson said the governor's campaign committee would not return the donation because the company pledged the money before March 2.

American Financial's subsidiary, Republic Indemnity, is one of the largest private workers' compensation insurers in California and wrote nearly $250 million in premiums last year.

[calcowgirl]

Well, at least it's the special interest that we agree with.

How many special interests are there when it comes to Worker's Comp?

The Unions
The Injured Workers (not always Union)
The Businesses (who are fleeing California)
The trial lawyers
The Insurance Companies

So, you support the Insurance Companies above all other?
You don't support the businesses that are going broke?
I don't know about you, but too much influence from ANY of the above is not a good thing.

[n-tres-ted]

No reason for you to keep your thoughts to yourself, any more than for me to do so. The reason I say that McClintock would not have been effective as governor of California is that he has shown no capability to legislate on a bipartisan basis OR to motivate the electorate to approve ballot initiatives. Since Arnold has shown twice he can motivate and turn out the electorate to vote, and he schmoozes with the Dems as well as the Repubs, he has shown some chance that he can get changes made.

But so far the progress is minimal. He got the bond borrowing approved by the legislature and the voters, but the Dems have been stringing him along in negotiations on Workers Comp, acting like a deal is almost in hand and hoping he will fail to get enough signatures on petitions by this next week to qualify for the ballot in November. If he doesn't qualify the initiative for the ballot, the Dems will probably tell Arnold to pound sand, or at best will drive a much harder deal.

Meanwhile, news report today is Cal payroll jobs were up only 5,300, while unemployment went up from 6.3% to 6.5%. Manpower exec says Cal has well-deserved rep as "crummy place to do business."


http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/8838431p-9765226c.html