Mcclintock: The End Of Garamendi - Finally

Workers' Comp Executive ^ | October 25, 2006 | Dale Debber

[calcowgirl]

Providence Publications Endorses Tom McClintock

With only 14 days until the election it as appears as though the end of the elected John Garamendi may be at hand. While the industry gets ready to cheer his exit from the stage the danger still exists that he'll become Lt. Governor.

As many readers know this publisher is a life long Republican who spent 10 months volunteering as Chief Insurance Advisor to Garamendi during his last campaign. I got to know Garamendi well and to like him as a person. He is extraordinarily bright, and some of my favorite memories are the public policy discussions we had on the campaign trail. I learned a lot. I hope he did too.

But personal relationships aside, it is high time for Garamendi to leave elected office and follow his heart back into the Peace Corps, as he has said he will if he loses. Interestingly enough, John told me once that an experienced politician never mentions what he will do if he loses – that doing so would be a sign of weakness. And with the Peace Corps comment he has signaled the electorate his fear.

And it is a weakened Garamendi we are seeing perform out on the trial. He is behind at this point and with the expected low democratic turnout his name ID may not save him.

As Commissioner, this time, Garamendi has accomplished some important tasks. He has been able to complete the cover-up of the Executive Life fiasco. He has held title companies accountable – for what we're not exactly sure. It took him 4 years to implement the final parts of Prop 103 –

And he has attacked producers in his own version of Spitzer Comes to California ....a play produced right before a fundraiser featuring Spitzer in New York. This type disclosure ideal makes no consumer sense.

Garamendi's Department has failed to bring together and make significant improvements to a poorly functioning Financial Surveillance Unit, responsible for the financial health of carriers. It was this unit, under Garamendi's first administration that allowed the demise of so many -- almost all – of California specialty workers' comp carriers.

Garamendi has sent news releases taking credit for Governor Schwarzenegger's workers' comp reform. This was a table to which Garamendi did not receive an invitation. This pandering for publicity was such a ludicrous claim and was so far removed from reality that even the mainstream media got a big laugh.

Admittedly, some of the reform ideas came out of Garamendi's Workers' Comp Task Force which he attended only perfunctorily. But be clear - it was the industry's best and brightest who had the ideas, neither Garamendi nor his Department.

Garamendi has failed to put forth a workable plan for health insurance even though it was one of the hallmarks of his campaign.

He attacked State Fund, sometimes accurately and sometimes not. While it was true that SCIF reported reserves off by $1B and fired their auditor to buy time, those attacks earned Garamendi the name "Quackamendi" in our articles. He told them to lower rates and raise reserves all at the same time. He ought to try meeting a payroll or understanding cash flow sometime.

His plan was to destroy SCIF in order to bring about a statewide crisis which would foster the age of Hilary Clinton style single payer health insurance which would inlcude the workers' comp component.

Consumers in 31 counties pay more for auto insurance today than they did pre-Garamendi. Homeowners insurance is up as well. Consumers have not fared well under this administration.

Moreover, Garamendi as the perennial candidate for Governor as Lt Governor will posture for the next office. He is not highly respected or thought of in either party's political circles. Is this really what the people of California need?

Or do the people deserve a highly respected individual as Lt. Governor who understands the budget, the urgency of financial controls, and can work with both Governor Schwarzenegger and the legislature towards common goals. Tom McClintock can help bring business back to California.

In Garamendi the people will get another elected official who will support even more unionized educational institutions instead of the education reform this state so badly needs. We do not need another elected official who will work through PERS investments to create the kind of social corporate governance only a Hillary Clinton leftie can envision?

Garamendi's supporters come from the ranks of plaintiffs' counsel and the unions. Not exactly the group that can bring about any but the worst kind of reform.

The money Garamendi raised in desperation recently (as the polls narrow the race and put McClintock ahead) comes directly in the form of a union media buy. It was a last minute butt-saving move. Who do you imagine it is that thinks they own Garamendi?

If you're interested in assisting John Garamendi to follow his heart and go back into the Peace Corps follow us and support Tom McClintock.

http://www.tommcclintock.net

[calcowgirl]

PING!
McClintock Ping List.
Please freepmail me if you want on or off this list

From tommclintock.net

A Unique Perspective from an Insider: Garamendi’s Former Campaign Insurance Advisor Endorses McClintock

Dale Debber, publisher of the Worker’s Comp Executive newsletter, spent 10 months volunteering as Chief Insurance Advisor to John Garamendi’s during his last campaign for Insurance Commissioner in 1992.

“Personal relationships aside, it is high time for Garamendi to leave elected office,” writes Debber in a stinging commentary released Wednesday.

[NormsRevenge]

saw the latest Garamendi ad attacking Tom this morning,,


Garamendi is a joke, a bad one and in no way deserves to be elected to any public office, imo

[Alia]

BTTT FOR MCLINTOCK!

[calcowgirl]

From tommclintock.net

LG Debate: McClintock Challenges Garamendi Over Executive Life

Courtesy of the FlashReport.org
10-24-2006 

Tom McClintock and John Garamendi went head-to-head for the second time in a one-hour debate before the San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board on Monday.  The debate was filmed at KPIX-TV.   (Watch it here.)

Executive Life, the Enron-type scandal that has haunted John Garamendi for more than 15 years, triggered a lively discussion between McClintock and Garamendi in the final 10 minutes of the debate.  It's really worth watching... Emmy award-winning political reporter Hank Plante asked the last question of the candidates, and it was about the Executive Life commercials that have been running statewide featuring Sue and Vice Watson.  

[See Hank Plante's video story on the debate here.]

Garamendi: "Well they are nasty and they're not truthful...  In that situation, Executive Life was bankrupt the day I arrived in 1991. We took quick action. 90 percent of the policy holders got their money back because of my action." 

McClintock responded: "The Watsons are in the next room. They came here because they wanted to tell their story when John Garamendi says that 80 percent of their losses became whole. He is simply doing what the judge in the case said about his testimony saying it was utterly devoid of credibility." 

McClintock then summed up Garamendi's role: "He seized a viable company, sold it for pennies on the dollar to a French consortium, then turned it around and sold it to billions of dollars in profit.  And all of that money came out of the settlements, the annuities and the pension of people like the Watsons." 

When Garamendi repeated once again the false claim that "90 percent of the policy holders got their money back because of my action" the Watsons were ready.   This time, however, the Watsons were watching the debate from a 'green room' nearby ready to dispute such wild claims.  Remember, the Watsons lost their home and more than $1.5 million in Executive Life.  With a straight face, Garamendi said, the Watson's story is a sad one, but they had purchased the wrong policy.  With that comment, the Watson's jaws dropped and shaking their heads in disbelief said in the direction of the television set, "And, Garamendi calls us a liar?"

It turns out, the Executive Life Action Network responded to Garamendi's statement saying, "The Watson's policy did not have a 'lower status' in the Executive Life rehabilitation plan.   The Executive Life Action Network said there were 157,000 annuitants in Executive Life who were treated according to the same rules when their policies were re-written under the terms of Garamendi's chosen successor insurance company, Aurora.  With the first of two state audits released last week, Garamendi finds himself with a huge albatross.  He is starting to get boxed in by his own words.  In will be only a matter of time before the truth eventually comes out.  There are two reports that may have all the answers sitting in Garamendi's or Lockyer's office.

[MikeA]

I never dreamed McClintock would be up in the polls against this hack Garamendi. Is that really true?

By the way, Garamendi's office drove up my auto insurance rate by forcing insurance companies to end discounts for being a long time clients of a particular insurer. Thanks idiot. What was the logic in that? Let me guess, it's not fair to illegal aliens who haven't had a chance to be a long time client of any insurance providers.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Right Cal Gal]

I haven't seen any ads for Garamendi yet. I suppose I should be thankful for small favors. I work for a law firm that does insurance defense/insurance regulatory work and I can tell you first-hand what an ass he is.

[NormsRevenge]

He doesn't have much money to spend, fortunately.


This one is pretty sleezy, eeven for California, it's has puzzle pieces being filled in of Tom's face with a list of items critiquing him as an extremist on the side of the ad revealed one line at a time as a new puzzle piece appears.

[Right Cal Gal]

Any word on how that lawsuit that ex-Gov. Moonbeam hasn't met the criteria for Attorney General?

[NormsRevenge]

It was kaboshed by a Judge.. would have been unfair to voters or such.

Having Moonbeam as AG will be punishment enough for even trying it..

[SierraWasp]

I saw that pathetic ad, too. The one where as they show each thing he voted against as an evil vote and magically added another "piece of the puzzle" to his face? (as if they were telling you who Tom really is?)

What a PANTLOAD AD!!!

[Homer_J_Simpson]

He is behind at this point and with the expected low democratic turnout his name ID may not save him.

But I thought a conservative couldn't win in California. That is why we have to settle for the likes of Arnold. Gosh. Could the conventional wisdom be wrong again?

[SierraWasp]

This makes me a little curious what this Dale Debber, who described himself as a Republican, was doing with Garamendi's campaign in 1992? Was he a self-proclaimed Republican at that time, or did he re-register last week, or what???

I'm greatful, not grateful, that he's helping Tom, but is he just a mole for Garamendi, or what? It's getting harder and harder to tell the stripes of the players on the program, since the political hermaphrodite in the Governor's office has capitulated to the Demonicrats in Cauleeforneeah!!!

[SierraWasp]

Ooops! Dere it is!!! (grin)

[SierraWasp]

"But I thought a conservative couldn't win in California. That is why we have to settle for the likes of Arnold. Gosh. Could the conventional wisdom be wrong again?"

DOOOH!!! (I love you, man!!!)

[BigBobber]

Garamendi has a TV ad where rides a horse around like the Marlboro Man. It's on the "ranch where I grew up". He's one of us, don't cha know. Salt of the earth.

It's over the tip ridiculous. I laugh out loud every time I see it.

[calcowgirl]

But I thought a conservative couldn't win in California. . . . Could the conventional wisdom be wrong again?

"Conservatives can't win" is neither conventional nor wisdom; it is simply the foundation of propaganda and myth.

Here is but one recent description:

California is neither as permanently Democratic nor as liberal as political folklore sometimes has it. In our presumably immutable Democratic era, California voters have recalled a Democratic governor; passed a ballot measure prohibiting same-sex marriage; overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to reduce the two-thirds legislative margin necessary to pass the budget or raise taxes; rejected an initiative to require that the third strike in the state's "three-strikes" sentencing law be a serious felony; and passed an initiative designed to eliminate bilingual education. Proposition 13, of course, remains sacrosanct. (Source)

[Right Cal Gal]

You almost would love to see Richard Pumbo ride up on his horse, smack the rump of Garamendi's horse, and watch as pretty screams like a girl as the horse runs off with him (and hopefully doesn't stop til it hits the Idaho border).

[NormsRevenge]

without aRnie, the Ca GOP would be a back water 3rd party operation, yaknow.


Just thought I'd toss it out there before the 'noids show up crowing about how he has done so much to turn the party's fate around all by his lonesome..

never mind that he has taken the party to the center and filled the Big Tent with more gays greens and campaign findraising dollars than any democRats in past history in this state.

Oh, gee, did I post that?

Now I'll be accused of suppressing voter turnout (just wait and see, like clockwork)