Posted on 10/07/2006 8:25:08 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO
The top candidates for lieutenant governor disagreed on government spending, health insurance, abortion and several other issues Saturday in a sometimes biting debate that demonstrated sharp differences in their philosophies.
Republican Tom McClintock cast the election as a choice between someone who would work to cut taxes and regulations that are "crushing California" and someone who would support increasing them.
"I believe firmly that we've got to reduce the taxes and regulations that are crushing our families, that we've got to restore fiscal integrity to California," he told several hundred people at a forum sponsored by Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association.
But Democrat John Garamendi suggested the choice was between "a backbench nay-sayer" and someone who "wanted to get in there and find solutions."
He contended McClintock, a state senator, had cast a series of "shameful votes" against programs to protect children and improve public safety.
"You just can't say no to everything, Tom," he told McClintock. "You've got to be willing to spend the money where it counts. You've got to be willing to do things that are ... effective."
"Government regulation is not all bad," Garamendi added. "I know because I am the insurance commissioner and I regulate an insurance industry that would rip you off to a fare-thee-well if they had a shot at it."
He said it would take more government regulation to deal with looming problems posed by global warming.
When McClintock accused him of supporting a "dizzying array" of tax increases over his career, Garamendi cited his support for Proposition 86, the tobacco tax increase on the Nov. 7 ballot.
"I'm more than willing to tax cigarettes," he said. "It may cause a reduction in smoking. I say (that's) good for all of us."
The two also disagreed on how to cure the state's health insurance problems, with McClintock supporting a tax credit to help people buy insurance and Garamendi saying he backed a universal program similar to Medicare.
He said McClintock's proposal would only make matters worse and that his plan would save money by slashing health care administration costs.
They differed on how to discourage companies from outsourcing jobs overseas. McClintock said the state should cut regulations and taxes. Garamendi said improvements in education and university research would encourage businesses to stay here and would create better jobs.
Garamendi complained that McClintock had voted more than 100 times to restrict abortion rights, but McClintock contended his position on abortion was "far more mainstream" than Garamendi's because he supported Proposition 85, the ballot measure that would require parental notification before a minor could get an abortion.
McClintock said he recognized that abortion was a "gray area. But when you have a human heart beat and a human brain wave, I believe you have a human being who has rights that have to be taken into account."
They also disagreed on whether the state should consider restoring Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Valley, which was turned into a reservoir decades ago to supply water to San Francisco.
McClintock suggested it would be a waste of money and water. Garamendi said the state should study whether it was feasible to restore the picturesque valley, which he called one of California's "most precious assets, ... the twin of Yosemite Valley."
Riverside Press Enterprise Newspaper Endorses McClintock
October 07, 2006
http://www.tommcclintock.net/news.php?news_id=121&start=0&category_id=&parent_id=&arcyear=&arcmonth=
Tom McClintock continues to gain favorable support or endorsements from California's newspapers. The Long Beach Press Telegram, the Orange County Register, the Redding Record Searchlight, the San Francisco Examiner and the latest, from the Riverside Press Enterprise.
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Vote McClintock
Saturday, October 7, 2006
The challenge in endorsing a candidate for lieutenant governor in California is that the office doesn't do very much. It is primarily a holding spot for public officials who want to run for governor in the future.
So it's little surprise that two ambitious men vie for the job on the Nov. 7 ballot. While both are capable, experienced candidates, we support Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock.
McClintock understands the limits and the possibilities of the lieutenant governor's office without sugarcoating them: "The lieutenant governor can help push policies of the administration when in agreement and offer alternatives when not in agreement."
While the office has virtually no power, the lieutenant governor serves on numerous state boards, including the University of California Board of Regents, California State University Board of Trustees and state coastal and lands commissions. An assertive lieutenant governor could help move policy and public opinion from those seats, at least in some areas.
McClintock represents Thousand Oaks and is a former candidate for state controller and governor. He promises to work to advance the issues he's talked about for nearly 20 years: Cutting taxes, paring government waste and bureaucracy, restoring local control in education and rebuilding California's roads and highways.
While McClintock is more conservative than most Californians, he has earned broad respect for his commitment to principle and his thorough understanding of arcane public policy debates.
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi is a worthy opponent to McClintock. But Garamendi's vision for the lieutenant governor's office is overly broad and far exceeds its powers. Much of his platform is focused on national issues, such as universal health care and global warming -- issues that, to be fair, the Legislature is also trying to advance.
But a state beset with long-term structural deficits requires a more modest approach. Unlike Garamendi, McClintock does not allude to using a basically powerless post to save the world. He merely wants to save taxpayers from government overreach. Of the candidates, none wields the power of the podium with more principle and conviction than McClintock. Voters would do well to elect him lieutenant governor.
San Francisco Examiner endorses Tom McClintock for Lt. Governor
October 05, 2006
http://www.tommcclintock.net/news.php?news_id=119&start=0&category_id=&parent_id=0&arcyear=&arcmonth=
The San Francisco Examiner is the latest newspaper to endorse Tom McClintock. Meanwhile, Robert Novak of the Evans-Novak Political Report says McClintock is running a very solid race.
"McClintock supporting a tax credit to help people buy insurance and Garamendi saying he backed a universal program "
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Can you imagine what would happen to CA, with Angelides as governor, Garamendi Lt. Gov, and the leftist socialist dominated CA Legislature?
They would pass government run "universal healthcare", i.e. socialized medicine for sure and an accompanying dizzying array of new TAXES.
How much of a shot does McClintock have? Sounds like a good candidate.
How much of a shot does McClintock have? Sounds like a good candidate.
A damn good shot.
He has an extremely good shot at a win.
Yes. It just happened.
Nunez sponsored AB 2911 and Schwarzenegger signed it into law over the objection of the electorate last November and every Republican legislator this year.
Arnold VETOED the universal healthcare bill.
As I said, you shamelessly never stop trying to deliberately spread misinformation and total falsehoods.
He is the last line of defense between restoring CA back to it's golden years of the 1950s or it becoming a province of Mexico.
McClintock and Garamendi are running neck and neck.
Tom has a good chance, if conservatives get out and vote, and hopefully Dems will be disheartened by Angelides being down by double digits and hopefully will stay home.
But just consider, how much influence do you think McC would have under Angelides?
McClintock supporters need to get out and vote for all other Republican candidates, starting with Arnold.
I think they will. I also think McClintock is going to get screwed in 2010 by the party hacks and possibly Arnold himself when he runs for Governor.
Let's take things one step at a time and focus on the 2006 election.
Arnold would do a Mountjoy on Tom.
Too bad Garamendi doesn't realize that Medicare and Medi-cal are the main reasons why health insurance is so expensive. These government programs only pay so much to doctors and hospitals for services rendered. To offset the difference between what those services cost and what Medicare and Medi-cal pay, doctors and hospitals then overcharge insurance companies for the same services. It's a nice little scam that makes politicians look like they're doing something wonderful, allows hospitals to charge two dollars for Tylenol and places the burden of the entire system on the backs of taxpayers and those you pay for their own health insurance. If this was happening in the private sector it would be called "racketeering".
Only an idiot would believe that a so-called "universal health care" program would be cost effective, inexpensive and actually provide quality health care. It's failed everywhere it's been tried and there's absolutely no reason to believe it would succeed here. John Garamendi must know this, having been a former State Insurance Commissioner.
Mountjoy is a ridiculous candidate. It's laughable.
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