By DIANE GUTHMAN Special to the Daily Press
California’s special election Nov. 8 is one of the most important California voters have faced in many years, three State Assembly members said at a rally at the Democratic Westside Coalition headquarters this past weekend.
Assemblymembers Fran Pavley (D- Agora Hills), Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood), and Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) told the crowd that there could be long lasting consequences if these measures are approved. The elected officials urged constituents to vote “no” on six of the Propositions 73-78.
Koretz, who led off the program, told the crowd of campaign volunteers that Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger is one of the most dangerous politicians he has seen in his lifetime and someone that cannot be trusted.
“Arnold Schwarzengger is the slickest liar I’ve ever seen in political office, and that’s frightening,” Koretz said. “He has no principles … If these propositions pass, we are all going to pay, and not just financially.”
Specifically of concern to the assem-blymembers is Prop. 76, the “Live Within Our Means Act,” which proponents said will allow the governor to control spending to end state deficits and balance the state budget without raising taxes.
According to Chu, who is running for the Board of Equalization, Prop. 76 gives the governor imperial powers and is not the way to solve the budget deficit. She said that if the measure passes, Californians can expect to see cuts in funding for important programs such as those for the developmentally disabled, child care, families and California children.
“We need to put a face on what these initiatives will mean to teachers, nurses, fire fighters and law enforcement,” said Pavley, who had spent the last several days at the fire command centers in Calabasas and Thousand Oaks. “The propositions are an attack on the middle class, and I don’t think this governor knows what it is like to give up fame and fortune for public service.”
Pavley said the best way to thank those hard-working fire fighters is to go to the polls on Nov. 8 and vote “no.”
The Democratic Westside Coalition is a grassroots organization made up of Westside Democratic clubs who have joined forces to campaign against the special election. The headquarters, located in the offices of the Santa Monica- Malibu Classroom Teachers Association, needs volunteers. The Democratic Westside Coalition conducts phone banking and voter registration, hosts ballot initiative information events every Saturday at 1 p.m., and organizes precinct walkers.
The offices are open Monday through Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Fridays noon to 5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sundays noon to 9 p.m. For more information, call (310) 315-3013. The groups involved are the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club, the West LA Democratic Club, the Malibu Democratic Club, the Westside Grassroots Democratic Club, the Progressive Democrats of LA, Westwood-Westside Democratic Club, the Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains and Democrats For Israel.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 5, 2005. Read the original PDF.