Gray Davis: Speech on
the recall effort in
“Thank you, my friends.
Viva
Let's first talk about energy. I know many of you feel that I was too slow to
act during the energy crisis.
I got your message and I accept that criticism. I played the hand I was dealt
as best I could. I inherited the energy deregulation scheme which put all of us
at the mercy of the big energy producers.
We got no help from the federal government. In fact, when I was fighting Enron
and the other energy companies, these same companies were sitting down with
Vice President Cheney to draft a national energy strategy.
Recent federal investigations have proven that
Three years ago, I refused to give in to the pressure to raise rates
astronomically. Everyone I talked to said "raise rates, raise rates, raise
rates." I would not do it. And I also couldn't let our homes, our
businesses, our schools go dark. So I went to work, bought power, built new
plants, encouraged conservation for the good people of this state and
encouraged the use of clean energy.
My friends, last Friday, 50 million Americans lost electricity for 29 hours. In
I'm not looking for praise. We made our share of mistakes. And, like you, I
wish I had known then all I know now. But my friends, if any of the Republicans
in this recall campaign criticized the way we dealt with the energy crisis, you ask them specifically what they would have done
to keep the lights on.
Now let's talk about the budget. I'm not happy with the budget I signed
recently. I said so then, I repeat that today. But it was the best we could do
given the position of Republican legislators who would not compromise and who
wanted to strip away health insurance benefits from 400,000 children of working
parents rather than increase taxes on the wealthiest Californians.
But as everyone considers how we got into this situation, let me put our
situation into perspective. The American economy has tanked. Over the last
couple years, it has shed 3 million jobs and gone from record surpluses to
record deficit; 46 other states are facing similar problems.
Yes, I could have been tougher in holding down spending when we had big
surpluses. But let's be clear. Our increases on my watch went to education and
health care, and I make no apology for that.
When I took office, we ranked near the bottom in per-pupil spending, 43rd to be
specific. We are now 26, and we're making progress. In fact, just last week,
just last Friday, the superintendent of public instruction announced dramatic
improvement in student test scores for the fifth year in a row.
Let me just say that the thanks should just go to the teachers, parents, school
board members, principals and all the hard-working people in education.
Let me tell you something else about the budget. In
Now let's talk about the recall. This recall is bigger than
It started with the impeachment of President Clinton, when the Republicans
could not beat him in 1996. It continued in
This year, they're trying to steal additional congressional seats in
They spent $3 million to put this recall on the ballot, but you're going to
have to spend $65 million of your hard-working tax dollars to conduct that
election. I'm sure you'll agree with me that money could be better spent
educating our children.
Call me old fashion, and I am. Call me old fashion, but I believe when an
election is over, the people have spoken and it's time to get to work and do
the public's business. There are many reasons to be against this recall. It's
expensive, it's undemocratic, it's a bad precedent, and it almost certainly
will breed more recalls. The end result will be more campaigning, not less,
more politics, not less, and less time to do the public's business.
The Republicans behind this recall say they want you to oust me for past
mistakes. My friends, they don't give a rip about past mistakes. This is all
about control in the future, seizing back the governor's chair and believing
with so many candidates running they can do it with just a handful of
In the next seven weeks, my highest priority will be doing the job you elected
me to do. But make no mistake, I am going to fight this recall and the
right-wing forces behind it. Take that to the bank.
My friends, from day one I have fought to improve our schools. This year in
That's my highest priority. I said from the very beginning, my three highest
priorities are education, education, education. The schools are getting better,
kids are learning more, teachers are better trained, doing a fabulous job,
parents are more involved. We're on the right path.
I'm also proud to tell you I signed some of the toughest environmental laws in
We passed the toughest laws in the nation, bar none, on all three subjects. And
while the Bush administration spends its time peering into our bedrooms, our
homes and our libraries, I have been working with Democratic legislators in
Now let me speak about another issue that will be on the ballot, Proposition
54.
Proposition 54 is another Republican effort to divide Californians over race. I
am going to fight this initiative, and I'm going to fight every day to make
equal opportunity a reality for every person living in this great state.
Thank you. Thank you.
Now the budget problems we've been dealing with need a long-term fix. I have
signed the budget. But we need a long-term fix. And I will soon appoint a
distinguished commission of knowledgeable people to propose changes in our
budget structure to avoid the wild fluctuations we've seen the last four years
and which we saw in the early '90s.
I also want to make this state better. I want to make it better to work and to
do business, whether you are in the private sector, the public sector or the
nonprofit world. Wherever you're working, you are experiencing skyrocketing
increases in worker compensation rates, and I pledge to you that I will sign a
bill this year that will stop those increases.
There is much more that needs to be done in
Now this is not going to shock you. I may not be the warmest TV personality in
politics, but I am warming to this fight. And I will go all over this state,
talk to all comers, answer all their questions, and I might have one or two of
my own to ask them.
Now the Republicans say this recall is about ousting me for past problems. But
my friends, we're getting over our past problems.
But this right-wing power grab is something we won't get over. It will do lasting
damage to our state, our environment and the very fabric of our democracy.
This is a fight worth making and I need your help.
My friends, if you give me your help, I'll do everything in my power over the
next three-and-a-half years to represent everyone in this great state -
Democrats, Republicans and independents - to give our children the future they
deserve.
Thank you for coming here tonight. God bless you, and
God bless
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