Why
We Must Recall Gray Davis But what price shall Davis pay for first mismanaging the state and then covering it up to fool voters? The only recourse available for voters is to RECALL Gray Davis. It’s
not surprising that Gray Davis covered up the budget crisis before
the recent election. Progressives in particular were disgusted at the auctioning off of their ideals and beliefs in exchange for campaign cash from the highest bidder. From allowing dioxin to be dumped into the San Francisco Bay, to the auctioning off of construction permits on the coastline, the one constant was Davis’ obsession with campaign cash. And, all Californians were appalled at his gross incompetence and mishandling of the energy crisis that has doubled and tripled our utility bills for the next 20 years. Voters would have been enraged had they known that the state was $35 billion in the red and facing massive cuts to education that will force the closing of schools throughout the state, untold layoffs of teachers, and that vital health care, police and fire services would be eliminated. And, if anyone had known the truth about the impending gigantic tax increases on families and small businesses, there would have been a voter revolt. This was Gray Davis’ justification for engaging in a gross cover-up of the true financial health of the state: He wanted to get re-elected so he chose to hide the truth! In late September of last year – just weeks before the election – Davis claimed to have made the tough choices to tackle the budget deficit. It turned out to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors, gimmicks and tricks designed to fool the electorate. But Davis was shamelessly able to get away with his deception. Throughout 2002, Davis resisted calls from lawmakers to convene a special session of the legislature in order to solve a growing budget mess. He knew that calling such a session would be a tacit admission that there was a serious problem, and that he would likely lose his re-election bid. This tale becomes almost criminal when one considers it was only 17 days after the election that Davis came clean and admitted that the state was facing a budget crisis of immense proportions. Censoring the real figures and deceitfully covering up the budget time bomb is what makes the recall effort the appropriate course of action. This is far and above gross misconduct or malfeasance in office – and the people have a right to take action to end it. What is so egregious about Mr. Davis’ malfeasance is that while he ignored the growing state budget crisis – and then tried to hide it from the public – he had no problems tending to his own campaign budget. Court transcripts showed that Davis spent up to 12 hours a day fundraising for his campaign. There has never been a deficit in the Gray Davis campaign contribution account. Some suggest that voters should suffer the consequences for the bankrupt leadership of Gray Davis because they re-elected him. However, the attitude that ‘you get what you deserve’ is a victim’s mentality that fails to hold our elected leaders accountable. To let Gray Davis get away with his deliberate game of deception sends a dangerous message to other politicians – Republicans and Democrats alike - that they will never be held accountable for their actions. There is a simple choice left before us. We can either take decisive action now by recalling Davis, or we can sit back and do nothing. Californians seem determined to take action as the Recall Gray Davis website has received over 2,000,000 hits in just the first three weeks it has been online. It would be naïve to suppose that Gray Davis will suddenly reform his ways and do the job he was entrusted to do. Some have said that instead of a recall we should take action now to work constructively to solve the state’s problems. This ignores reality. The only constructive step we can take to stop California’s decline is to first recall Gray Davis from office. Second, we need to elect a leader who is forthright with the public and accepts the responsibilities that come with being Governor of California. ---------------------------
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