They Brought Knives, not Bazookas, to the Debate
Republican gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner spoke talking points and policy for the most part in their first debate last night in Orange County. The two candidates tried to cut each other but there were no big bombs hurled at the debate after weeks of nasty charges made back and forth.
The focus of the debate centered on two major issues that Poizner emphasized to separate himself from Whitman: an-all-out tough stand on illegal immigration and across-the-board tax cuts.
Poizner attempted to distinguish himself as a bold reformer taking the path that few are too squeamish to follow. Cut taxes across-the-board and pull the benefit rug out from under all illegal immigrants. “Turn the magnets off” that draw illegal immigrants to California, he demanded.
Whitman would not go as far putting out a plan to control illegal immigration by eliminating sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants and requiring verification to determine workers are in the country properly.
Memo to Reporters: Be Careful What You Wish For
To: The California Media
From: Joe Mathews
Re: Meg Whitman
Congratulations. After months of your complaints about how Meg Whitman was ignoring media questions, she gave two press conferences this weekend.
Gee, thanks.
Now, we get to hear Whitman say really, really interesting and provocative things like…
“I think it’s firm and its ‘listen, here’s my approach, here’s what I want to get done, here’s what the people of California expect us to do so let’s focus on these three things…”
and
“The legislature is interested in many things but they’re interested in being re-elected, so can we focus the Legislature around my three priorities?”
and
Has “The American Dream” become a Nightmare?
A new survey published today by Xavier University reveals that Americans believe “The American Dream” is now harder to attain than ever before.
60% of respondents say that The American Dream is harder to reach today than it was for their parents – the Greatest Generation – even though their parents’ generation was ravaged by World War II.
A whopping 68% of respondents also think that, compared to the current generation, it will be even more difficult for their children to achieve The American Dream in the future.
The survey illustrates that Americans are rapidly losing confidence in America’s future, and it telegraphs every parent’s worst nightmare – that their children are the first generation in history not expected to do better than their parents.
Jobs and Economic Recovery in Washington, D.C.
This week, 225 business and community leaders from Southern California will be in Washington, D.C. lobbying for an agenda that shines a spotlight on job creation, infrastructure development and education. While the focus of Congress this week is on health care reform, the Southern California delegation will remind members of Congress and the Administration that California has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and a bipartisan effort is essential to putting Americans back to work.
The delegation will present 39 different recommendations of advocacy priorities in the areas of aviation, economic recovery, energy, environment and green jobs, education, health care, homelessness, housing, immigration reform, transportation and goods movement and workforce development.