In the only debate between California’s gubernatorial
candidates, State Treasurer Phil Angelides and Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger verbally sparred Saturday night on issues including
taxes and college fees.
Animated discussion between the candidates highlighted their
conflicting views on balancing the budget, transportation and
education.
Schwarzenegger, who is leading Angelides in the polls, countered
the treasurer’s efforts to explain how he would return
college tuition to its 2002 rates and improve mass transit by
accusing Angelides of wanting to raise taxes excessively.
“I can tell by the joy I see in your eyes that you love to
raise taxes,” the governor said to Angelides. “Look out
there right now and just say, “˜I love increasing your
taxes.'”
Angelides criticized Schwarzenegger right back, saying he was
hurting middle-class citizens with his tax breaks given to wealthy
corporations and college fee increases.
“I’m going to close those corporate tax loopholes
that are big enough for you to drive your Hummer through,”
Angelides said.
Both candidates made efforts to discredit the other by
associating him with unpopular politicians ““ former Gov. Gray
Davis and President Bush specifically.
While Angelides tied Schwarzenegger’s political
philosophies to Bush’s, Schwarzenegger linked Angelides to
Davis, who was recalled in 2003 amid a statewide economic
crisis.
Sticking close to his platform of improving the quality of life
for the middle class, Angelides accused Schwarzenegger of being too
kind to wealthy corporations and of taxing the middle class through
college fee increases, mimicing the Bush administration.
But the governor rejected Angelides’ attempts to associate
him with the president, telling Angelides, “If you want to
talk about Bush, go to Iowa,” referring to the nearing
presidential campaigns which usually begin in Iowa.
Schwarzenegger further refuted some of Angelides’
criticisms, for example by blaming some of the student fee
increases on recalled Gov. Gray Davis’ administration, which
Angelides was a part of.
“The treasurer always says I want to increase tuition
fees,” Schwarzenegger said. “Before I ran for governor,
the Davis administration increased tuition fees by 40
percent.”
At the end of the hour-long debate, which included questions
sent in from voters, each candidate was allowed to ask one question
of the other.
Schwarzenegger asked an unexpectedly light-hearted question:
“What was the funniest moment you’ve had during your
campaign?”
Angelides, on the other hand, asked Schwarzenegger why he
started privatizing the pension plans of law-enforcement
officials.
Angelides did not joke as much as Schwarzenegger, and Bruin
Democrats President Gabe Rose said he believes the debate showed
that Angelides is more serious than Schwarzenegger about laying out
plans to address issues.
“(Schwarzenegger) apparently didn’t take it too
seriously,” Rose said. “He got to joke a lot more
because he’s already a movie star, but he was also dodging
serious issues of the debate.”
Hector Barreto, a state chairman of the Schwarsenegger
reelection campaign, however, said the governor has been able to
appeal to both leading parties based on his platforms and methods
of campaigning.
“He’s been able to work across party lines and been
able to come up with results that nobody expected. I think a lot of
people are surprised,” Barreto said.
University of California Student Association President Bill
Shiebler, a student at UC Santa Barbara, said the format of the
debate was itself problematic because it did not allow each
candidate to clearly address his platforms, and because it
resembled a question-and-answer session rather than a debate.
“The moderator kind of picked and chose when he wanted to
interrupt and it wasn’t consistent,” he said.
Angelides, who has trailed Schwarzenegger in public opinion
polls, said he hoped this debate would give his campaign a sorely
needed boost.
“This is my first opportunity to talk directly to the
people of California, not through the lens of the governor’s
$35 million in attack ads paid for by all his corporate
sponsors,” Angelides said. “This is my chance to tell
people what was in my heart.”
But some students said they were not aware of the debate, which
aired opposite Major League Baseball playoffs and during the UCLA
football game v. the University of Arizona.
“I didn’t even know about it,” said Sunthree
Acosta, a fourth-year English student.
Angelides will have a chance to express his views to UCLA
students when he comes to campus Tuesday.
With reports from Bruin Wire Services.