Note to the Mercury Times editor:
Posted on Wed, Oct. 23, 2002
Mercury News
Gov. Gray Davis returned to Silicon Valley on Tuesday to convene a delayed town hall meeting, but this close to the election, the evening was as much a campaign event as a conversation with constituents.
The ballroom at Hyatt Rickeys in Palo Alto was packed with union members carrying signs, as well as members of TechNet, which originally invited Davis to speak last month. Before Davis spoke, the union members demonstrated along El Camino Real, outshouting a small, but determined group of supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon.
When it came time for Davis to take the podium, the crowd, led by hooting union members, gave Davis a standing ovation.
Davis promoted his education and health care initiatives and promised that Silicon Valley would one day shake loose from its economic doldrums, although he told the audience he had little control over the state's economy.
``These are forces well beyond the control of any governor,'' Davis said, noting that it was as natural for people to blame him as it was for them to credit him during the boom. ``You get the benefit of the good times and the burden of the bad times.''
Davis said it was a good time for voters to pass bond measures that he said would eventually put 600,000 people to work. Davis also reminded his audience of bills he signed recently on family leave and promoting stem cell research, which scientists hope will provide cures for the diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
But the governor devoted most of his time to his efforts to reform education.
He told a story about a new research and development program at the University of California that he said had lured six professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to California.
The story elicited applause from the tech crowd and cheers from the union members.
The juxtaposition of the two groups made for some odd moments. After speaking about the necessity of going to college, the governor made a nod toward his union supporters.
``I think a janitor is as important to our society as a CEO, maybe more so these days,'' he said.
An awkward silence fell on the room. Davis ad-libbed: ``They don't have any off-shore tax shelters,'' a reference to his rival's troubles with the IRS.
Then he concluded, ``work should be valued. Whatever it is, it should be valued.''
Before the town hall meeting, Davis attended a $10,000-a-couple fundraiser with Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr, who introduced the governor.
The event was supposed to take place last month during a period when the governor was weighing bills passed during the summer. But Davis postponed the fundraiser, saying he was too busy.
At the time, Davis was fending off questions about the propriety of another fundraiser aimed at railroad builders who may benefit from a $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond measure the governor had just placed on the 2004 ballot. Davis canceled that event after e-mails from the host, Rod Diridon, were made public.
Doerr praised Davis for expanding health care and affordable housing, as well as for protecting the environment and improving education.
Contact Laura Kurtzman at lkurtzman@sjmercury.com or (408) 920-5608.a small, but determined group of supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon...
Better make that:"a small, but determined [and ARTICULATE] group of supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon..."
(see above)