Whitman says she'd move to Sacramento, learn legislators' names
Source: David Siders/Sacramento Bee
Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said Tuesday that one thing different between her and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenneger is that she'd stay in Sacramento overnight.
"The next governor of California needs to move to Sacramento," Whitman said at a campaign stop in Folsom. "You've got to live here. You've got to buy a house. You've got to be part of this community. You have to know every state assemblywoman and man by name, every state senator by name, and you've got to build relationships."
Schwarzenegger flies between the Capitol and his home in Brentwood, at his own expense, or stays in a suite he maintains at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. Whitman's comments also amounted to a dig at Schwarzenegger's relationship with lawmakers: Republicans had to wear name tags at one closed door meeting with him.
Whitman spoke to about 40 people squeezed together at the end of a row of cubicles at SynapSense Corp., a company that makes systems to reduce energy use in computer data centers. The former eBay CEO said it reminded her of her early days at eBay, when the company was about SynapSense's size and housed its computers in a basement. The equipment was cooled by fans bought at Walmart, Whitman said.
Whitman touted her jobs plan, which involves targeted tax cuts that she says will spur economic growth, including eliminating the state capital gains tax. She said California over-regulates business.
"We are bleeding jobs to Arizona and Colorado and Texas," Whitman said.
Whitman repeated her claim that Democratic nominee Jerry Brown has no plan to create jobs.
Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford said, "Apparently she doesn't have a computer."
Brown has on his website a jobs plan to invest in renewable energy technology, which Brown has said could create at least 500,000 jobs.
Whitman also criticized Schwarzenegger's handling of appointments to his administration, though none specifically. She said she would interview her top 300 appointees personally.
"I've got to interview them. Governor Schwarzenegger I don't think understood the power of the appointment process," Whitman said. "He had not run anything, so he didn't understand that you are only as good as the people who work with you."
Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear responded in an e-mail that the governor is focused on solving the budget deficit and unemployment.
Whitman's campaign stop came a day after her campaign reported spending a record-breaking $99.7 million through June 30, much of that her own money. Whitman told reporters she would continue to put her own money into the race.