Recall debate takes campus by storm
Image: Recall debate takes campus by storm:The candidates in the California Governor’s recall debate wait for the event to start in the University Ballroom on the Sacramento State Campus Wednesday, September 24, 2003 – photo by David Olson:
September 24, 2003
The world watched tonight as a fiery debate lit Sacramento State ablaze.
The five primary recall candidates in contention to replace Gov. Gray Davis squared off on topics from balanced budgets to the car tax to charter schools at a debate held in the University Union Ballroom.
The debaters — Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, state Sen. Tom McClintock, Peter Camejo, Arianna Huffington and Arnold Schwarzenegger — battled for 90 minutes in front of an international audience.
More than 500 credentialed press members attended the event, which ran live in England, Japan and across the United States.
Huffington and Schwarzenegger exchanged several personal attacks in the early-going as moderator and California Broadcasters Association President Stan Statham tried to wrangle the candidates in.
“I could drive my Hummer through your tax loopholes,” Schwarzenegger said to Huffington following a discussion on California’s fiscal crisis.
Following a Schwarzenegger interruption of Huffington, the leading female candidate blasted back.
“We all know how you treat women,” Huffington said.
The longest argument among the candidates stemmed from a question about balancing the state budget.
“We’re not suffering from a revenue problem,” McClintock said. “There’s been a 38 percent increase in state spending.”Green Party candidate Camejo blamed the problem on unfair taxation.”We need to tax everyone at the same rate,” Camejo said.
Bustamante outlined his “Tough Love for California” fiscal plan.”We spent too much, and it’s time to do the tough things: Tobacco taxes and alcohol taxes,” Bustamante said.
Huffington said that Bustamante wanted “tough love” for everyone but campaign contributors.
Schwarzenegger was skeptical of the plan, as well.
“They realize they made a mistake, then they tax, tax, tax,” Schwarzenegger said regarding the handling of California’s budget.
More than 100 students attended the debate live. Several California State University trustees also attended as invitees of Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez.