This may be the worst of times for California, but Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner says this is the best of times to run for governor. Speaking yesterday at the luncheon meeting of the National Federation of Independent Business Capitol Day, Poizner said the best time to achieve change is when facing a crisis.
Poizner told the business crowd that California dropped from the sixth largest economy in the world to the eight largest in the last decade. He said the reason is that California’s tax and regulation policies are driving job creators out of the state. One example, Poizner noted, was the need to acquire 25 permits from a dozen local government agencies to open a pet food store in San Diego. He proposed a one-stop permit shop to make it easier to start a business.
Members of the audience nodded in agreement as Poizner ticked off troubles facing business in California. He said that 3000 people leave the state every week and that California has lost one-million residents over five years.
Figures released yesterday showed California’s population has increased. Poizner explained the population rise was due to the growth in illegal immigrants, who Poizner charged were generally consumers of government services.
The Insurance Commissioner pushed his plan for an across the board tax cut, argued that he would solve the water crisis facing the state, and took on what has become a central tenant on his campaign – combating illegal immigration.
Poizner argued by lowering taxes more jobs would come to the state, which would enlarge the tax base and bring more revenue to government. He said he would take on the federal judge who shut off the water to the Central Valley by filing a lawsuit based on the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting power to the states.
He repeated his plan to “turn the magnets off” that lure illegal immigrants to California. His proposal would deny students here illegally from enjoying in-state college tuition rates. He would revoke the business licenses of businesses that hire illegal immigrants, and he said he would move against sanctuary cities that give shelter to illegal immigrants.
At the same time, he said he would work to make the legal pipeline for immigrating to this country as big as possible, and institute a guest worker program which would require workers to apply for a permit from their home countries; returning to those countries when the permit expires.
When Poizner was questioned about Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s effort to “blow up the boxes” the commissioner said the governor’s heart was in the right place, but Poizner implied he would have more success achieving reform because he would not bend from his conservative core principles.
Poizner received his loudest cheer when he proposed to back a plan for a part time legislature.