Posted on 08/15/2002 4:33:03 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan
DAVIS AD BARRAGE POLLUTES AIRWAVES AS HIS CAMPAIGN DONORS POLLUTE SAN FRANCISCO BAY
SACRAMENTO - Simon for Governor Campaign Manager Rob Lapsley today released the following statement: Governor Gray Davis today released a series of ads that demonstrate exactly why he is unfit to serve a second term as Governor of California. In the ads, Davis and his campaign make patently false statements about his failed record, and use doublespeak, scare tactics and outright lies to cover his deplorable record on the environment, education and the economy.
In one ad, titled "Global," Davis seeks to paper over his failed leadership, incompetence and seeming sale of California's environmental protection and quality to the highest bidder:
Davis allowed TOSCO to increase dumping of the cancer causing agent Dioxin into San Francisco bay by 400 percent after he took $50,500 in campaign cash from the company, Davis says he's against offshore oil drilling, but dozens of new wells have been drilled or deepened from offshore platforms during the first two years of his administration, Davis led the way for construction of the largest U.S. offshore oil and gas development outside Alaska, and he has taken over $1 million from the oil and gas industry since being elected governor, Davis stacked the North Coast Water Control Board so that Pacific Lumber Company, which has given him $61,000 in two years, could clear-cut forests, kill fish and pollute streams, Davis let chemical and biotech companies ignore a judge's order, and increase dumping of low-level radioactive waste products in ordinary landfills. Davis has held a fundraiser with the industry, and tried to help them increase their dumping. What Davis does not say in this or any other ad is that California does not have enough qualified teachers, or that his managerial incompetence during the energy crisis will cost future generations of Californians billions of dollars in the years to come, or that he spends up to 12 hours per day adding to his record-breaking campaign cash account. In the ad titled "Restore," Davis takes credit for California's growing economic role on the world stage. How ironic. The only thing Davis has restored is multi-billion deficits into the California economy.
By his inattention and incompetence, Davis racked up billions more in debt due to his failure to deal with the energy crisis.
Regarding the California economy, Davis continues in an Al Gore-like fashion to assault businesses in the state at the same time he is extracting campaign cash, by playing one interest group against another.
We have seen headlines in recent weeks that show unemployment on the rise, top companies laying off thousands of workers, and our deficit swelling by hundreds of millions. Governor Davis is adept at providing pet projects to his most lucrative campaign contributors, but he has saddled the state and its businesses with billions of dollars in additional costs by giving sweetheart deals to labor unions.
Another thing Governor Davis has restored is runaway government growth and spending, by swelling the state payroll by over 40,000 and blowing right through a phony, self-imposed hiring freeze by adding 10,000 new bureaucrats.
In the ad titled "Funded," Gray Davis attacks Simon for his support of a New Jersey charity where needy, pregnant women are given shelter and care before and after giving birth. Despite Davis' attempt to malign this charity and its supporters, this organization recently received a $50,000 grant from talk show host Rosie O'Donnell - demonstrating bi-partisan support for the organization.
Also, Gray Davis said in July 2000 that there are enough gun laws on the books and that the Legislature should study the effect of existing laws before enacting any new gun laws.
In his fourth ad, titled "Webster," Davis looks up a few choice words from the dictionary. Perhaps he should look up a few more words applicable to his own administration; words like corruption, incompetence, and greed. Gray Davis is the walking, talking embodiment of a corrupt politician with no ethics, who will use whatever taxpayer resources he needs to secure his own political future.
Davis gave a major campaign contributor a $95 million software contract that state government did not need or want, Davis and his administration are still under investigation by the US and California Departments of Justice, Insider stock trading by Davis' Press Secretary Steve Maviglio was so obvious that the Los Angeles Times called on him to resign or be fired. After rampant conflicts of interest were discovered among Davis' hand picked group of energy consultants, and after the Oracle scandal exposed the dark underside of Davis' pay-to-play administration, the governor sacrificed half a dozen senior administration officials to protect his fundraising administration. Davis uses taxpayer resources to conduct campaign activities, which led the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association to file a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging illegal use of state time and staff to benefit the Davis campaign. Is it any wonder that Davis is so unpopular with members of his own party? Davis is pitting agriculture against labor in an attempt to drive up his campaign contributions, to the disgust of his own party. This is just the latest example of the way Davis conducts his day-to-day political business, and why Davis' negative ratings are at or above 50 percent in nearly every poll.
This is why the public will not re-elect such a craven and dishonest politician.
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BILL SIMON FOR GOVERNOR 770 L Street, Suite 950 Sacramento, CA 95827
There is a lot of difference in a written campaign statement released by a campaign manager, and a candidate making appearances and his own comments.
Obviously, the Simon folks don't plan on winning, because they aren't going all out to do so. Going all out would mean ads of his own.
Disclaimer: I will vote for Simon, fully expecting him to lose, badly.
Not nearly as well as spending all his money during the summer so there is none left in the 60 days prior to the election when everyone really makes up their mind.
The strategy of attacking the other guy without explaining why you're the better candidate is an iffy strategy at best. It's used by politicians that have little to lose and everything to gain.
Unfortunately for Simon, he has no real message and he his self is too vulnerable on too many issues.
Vicious attacks may make Simon's base say, "Yeah!" but its unlikely to win an election.
Are you referring to the federal Campaign Finance Reform that passed earlier this year?
That affects federal elections only, and will not take effect until after November.
I still can't believe Bush signed CFR and I hope it will be ruled un-Constitutional.
What about radio ads? The pre-primary Simon radio ads were really nice. (I heard those much closer to the March primary.) Davis does not have any radio ads.
When, if ever, will Simon and Davis debate? I would really like people to see them debate in a format properly moderated to stay on topic with strict time limits. I thought several months ago Simon challenged Davis with something like "any time, anywhere" but Davis kept stalling.
Do you recall a big-eared little munchkin named Ross Perot? He did as much to defeat Bush in 92' as anything Clinton did. Or anything Bush didn't do in his campaign.
Please tell me, what democRAT hasn't picked up the same tactic?
That's all they have, it's the number one play in their book, number two is the fear tactic.
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