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For the first time in California's history, a gubernatorial recall election will occur on October 7. The record low approval rating for Governor Gray Davis, his well-known corrupt fund raising policies, the energy disaster, and the destruction of the budget have opened an opportunity for the Republicans to appear as the champions against Davis and try to replace him through a recall. They have forced a special election this fall, which typically has a very low turnout. Only the Green Party has opposed Gray Davis and also opposes this maneuver by the Republican Party. The Republicans certainly have the right to petition for a vote to recall the Governor. The right to recall is one of the many electoral reforms won by the progressive movement a century ago. The progressives of that era fought for proportional representation, the right of the people to place initiatives on the ballot (including recalls), runoff elections, and abolishment of the Senate and Electoral College. But the Republicans want to take advantage of this democratic right by maneuvering to create a special election in an odd year where less people will vote, which will result in a higher turn out of older, whiter, more conservative voters. This type of election does not really reflect the will of the electorate. I advocated strongly but unsuccessfully that the recall issue be placed on the ballot in the March 2004 presidential primary. THE BUDGET DISASTER As the chief executive of California for the last 4 � years, Gray Davis has created a budgetary disaster. The year before Davis took office California had a balanced budget, with income from state sources of 48 billion dollars. During the first years of his term the state's income rose at a spectacular compounded rate of 12.06% per year. Income rose 57.7% in just four years! (Source: Governor's Budget Highlights, 2003-04) WHERE IS THE SURPLUS? By the year 2003 these unparalleled record levels of increased income should have left the state with a 33.71 billion dollar surplus! This is not counting the interest the surplus would have earned and assumes a 6% increase is needed to remain balanced. These figures include the drop in revenues in the 2001-2002 fiscal year. Instead we are left with a 38 Billion-Dollar Deficit. (Source: SF Chronicle 6/12/03 PA25). INDEPENDENT AUDIT NEEDED In my campaign, I will call for an independent, nonpartisan audit of the State of California for the last five years to discover where the missing 71.71 billion dollars went. Everyone seems at a loss to explain this massive crisis. A careful macro study needs to be developed which offers guidelines to develop a balanced budget without the draconian cut backs now in progress. California needs expert auditors functioning completely independently and objectively to explain how this happened and how to fix it. When a crime is committed you do not hire the prime suspects to investigate it. The Republican platform will exacerbate California's problems. They would cut taxes further on the rich, increase taxes on the poor and increase the cutbacks. SHOULD THE GREENS RUN? Some Democrats and a few Greens have suggested we should not run, and instead oppose the recall. To do so, in my opinion, only helps the Republicans. There will only be one major voice in this campaign that has consistently opposed energy deregulation, the billions in energy giveaways, and the present cut backs. Only one voice who will fight for electoral democracy, and call for a progressive and fair tax plan. That voice will come from a Green candidate. For us to remain silent is irresponsible and only helps the Republicans to present themselves as the answer. We need to expose the Republicans without engaging in any of the fake demagoguery and obfuscation that Governor Davis uses to imply that supporting the recall and supporting the Republicans is one and the same thing. That line will only lead to increasing the credibility of the Republicans. As of this writing, the leading Democratic Party candidates have all declared that they will not run. It is possible that I will be the only major candidate who will oppose the Republican maneuver to take over California's government. I am also suspicious that the Democrats may be deliberately handing over the governorship to the Republicans. In any case, it is arrogant and undemocratic of the Democrats to say to the electorate: "You will accept who we give you or you will get a Republican." If they maintain this approach, hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of Democrats will vote for a Green for the first time in their lives. NO RUNOFFS Here's how the recall election works: Voters will vote yes or no to recall the Governor. Current polls show he will be thrown out. At the same time voters will pick a candidate to replace him. The candidate receiving the most votes wins. There are no party primaries and a majority is not required to win. It is like a non-partisan race with easy entry requirements but with no runoff. It is thus possible for a candidate to win with only a small percentage of the vote. The need for instant runoff voting (IRV) will become clear to millions of people who have not thought of it before. It is imperative that our voice be heard calling for IRV. FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR PARTY, A GREEN CANDIDATE MUST ENTER THIS RACE Our campaign, and the Green Party message, received tremendous exposure statewide in 2002. With your help, we can dramatically increase our success, and challenge both Gray Davis and the Republicans.
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