I’m not sure how far away these absentee ballots come from, but if Howard Jarvis has one I think I know how he’d mark his ballot for governor.
In last night’s debate, Jarvis made a guest appearance on the back of a question on his prodigy, Proposition 13. Jerry Brown pointed out, accurately, that Jarvis voted for Brown for governor because Brown had worked at implementing Prop 13. Brown also said Jarvis did an ad for Brown. Also true; but at the same time, Jarvis was also cutting an ad for Brown’s opponent, Attorney General Evelle Younger, for defending Proposition 13 in court.
Jarvis was fond of Brown. He liked him personally. But he wasn’t a fan of his politics. After Prop 13 passed, Governor Brown visited Jarvis in his Los Angeles home a number of times to discuss taxes and Proposition 13’s implementation.
However, in last night’s debate Meg Whitman was the candidate who drew the line in the sand over Proposition 13. Whitman’s said a reason she is running for governor is to defend Proposition 13.
Jerry Brown said in response to the Prop 13 question: "There are no sacred cows."
To Howard Jarvis there was one sacred cow: Proposition 13.
Jarvis also would support Whitman’s position on the capital gains tax cut. Whitman responded forcefully in this debate to Brown’s challenge of her plan to cut capital gains pointing out that this particular tax cut will spur investment in job creation, which in turn would bring more revenue to state coffers. Jarvis would agree.
It is clear to me that when Jarvis’s ballot comes in it will be marked for Meg Whitman.