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Mammoth Springs

Thursday, September 30, 2010

From the Railbird's Perch


I have been asked by my loyal readership to help handicap the California Governor's race. As you know, the Blue Heron Blast is a non partisan blog and we neither endorse candidates nor take blatantly political stances. We let the reader decide. However I have been solicited for my honest opinion and feel duty bound to respond.

Since you asked, I will put on my trusted Karnac turban and venture down to the track for a peek at the upcoming race. Stopwatch oiled and ready to see some early works. The well pedigreed filly, a maiden claimer from the rich barn back east against the people's champion, the old gelding who still thinks he's a stallion, Moonbeam. His sire was once a stakes winner as well. He's workmanlike but not too flashy.

First off for the distaff nag. Meg Whitman. My first question is, why Meg? Aren't girls named Margaret supposed to be nicknamed Peg? Is that not the law? Fourth richest woman in California (net worth 1.3 billion), lives in the tony burbs of Atherton, a town ranked as the second richest zip code (94027) in the United States in the new Forbes Magazine. Married to a Doctor named Harsh, ouch! Griffin Rutherford Harsh IV, to be exact, a man of the people, I assume. Has spent approx. $129 million of her own simoleans so far in her efforts to buy the governorship.

*Claimed not to know that her long time housekeeper was an illegal, even though she received a letter from the government way back in 2003 saying that the social security number she was using was phony.

*Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar has refused to endorse her. A man that worked at her side for years.

* Pulled some major boners at Ebay, bought Skype for 4.1 billion, sold it for 2.75 billion. As Bernard Schwartz used to say, "nobody's perfect."

*Pushed an ebay subordinate, communications employee Young Mi Kim, while preparing for interview with Reuters in 2007. Fracas resulted in a cool six figure settlement for the pushee.

*Has not voted in 28 years.

*Whitman has vowed that if elected, on her first day she would suspend AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, to study its potential economic implications. AB32 requires the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020.

*Supported Proposition 8, the initiative banning gay marriage.

*Says that marijuana legalization is the worst idea she has ever seen.

*Wants to suspend the Federal Endangered Species Act so that the Central Valley can get more water.

*Earned approximately $1.78 million resulting from a practice known as "spinning" whereby executives who did business with Goldman Sachs could reap profits by getting early deals before the public did on hot IPOs offered by the bank.

*Wants tax cuts, but only for the rich in her bracket, potentially cutting her own tax bite in half. Favors eliminating the tax on Capital Gains.

*Wants to cut 40,000 state government jobs. Are you aware that California ranked 48th out of the 50 states with respect to the number of state employees per 10,000 residents?http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/the_state_worker/#ixzz0lOivfKre

*Frat boy son beat up a girl.

*Second son dropped n-bomb on black girl.

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Jerry Brown 

* boinked Linda Ronstadt.

*Went to Sacred Heart, studied to become a jesuit priest.

*Hailed as a fiscal conservative during his term as governor - The American Conservative noted he was "much more of a fiscal conservative than Governor Reagan."His fiscal restraint resulted in one of the biggest budget surpluses in state history.

*When Proposition 13 passed, he heavily cut state spending and used much of the surplus his government had built up, roughly $5 billion, to meet the proposition's requirements and help offset the revenue losses. His actions in response to the proposition earned him praise from Proposition 13 author Howard Jarvis who went so far as to campaign for Brown's successful reelection bid in 1978.

*While Governor, Jerry Brown reduced Californian's tax burden by more than $16 Billion. He indexed the personal income tax, eliminated the business inventory tax.

*Brown appointed more women and minorities to office than any other previous California governor.

*Declined to defend Proposition 8.

*Instituted an innovative solar credit program in California.

I like Jerry Brown. He reminds me of John Henry, the people's champion who just wins year after year. He has been a great mayor, Attorney General and Governor. His dad was the Governor. If that is not a winning bloodline I don't know what is? Mudder, front wraps, no lasix. Strong closer. Irrespective of his unfortunate nickname, seems to make prudent, rational and sometimes tough decisions.

The idea that a rich girl from Long Island can carpetbag her way out to the left coast and buy an election doesn't quite square with this native San Diegan. Business people do not necessarily make great elected officials; see George Bush. A woman who is suddenly interested in governing yet never took the time to even vote?

I don't admire snobby waspish women who push subordinates around and raise foul mouthed and nasty children who engage in violence against women. She needs a new toy, let her buy Arizona. We've had eight years of a Republican Governor. Isn't it time to try something different?

I would stick Brown in an exacta box with anything under 8 to 1 for a big payday.

See you at the track.

22 comments:

grumpy said...

game set match Jerry.

Anonymous said...

Non partisan? Only Sandy Koufax could be more to the left than you.

If Calif. legalizes Pot will Meg, if elected, let e-bay sell it???

Grumpy, you need to step up the creativity. You're back to writing boring comments again......

Anonymous said...

Margo is my favorite diminutive of Margrete.

Blue Heron said...

Not germane but Simenon's Inspector Maigret is one of my favorite detective protagonists.

grumpy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

California from Terminatorfornia to Ebayfornia !

DG

Blue Heron said...

Land of ever present moonbeams sounds more poetic...

Sanoguy said...

Well said, particularly the part about boinking Linda Ronstadt.. don't we wish!!!

windowdancer said...

Good presentation of the facts. I'm with you and for me it's Jerry all the way. Besides, he has an honest looking face and as you pointed out, he nailed Linda Ronstadt back when she was still hot. Plus, I got to watch Meg's press conference yesterday and she came off like a dirty little liar. And her face doesn't look that honest to me either.

So... I think the more important question here is would you... The Blue Heron, "boink" Meg Whitman if given the opportunity?

Assuming your wive was open minded enough to sanction the event.

Inquiring minds want to know.

WD

Blue Heron said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
grumpy said...

this whole business of Meg's housekeeper, it strikes me as 11th hour sleeze; did Jerry sign off on it?

Blue Heron said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Blue Heron said...

The truth will out, grumps, sort answer is no, Dancer.

windowdancer said...

I liked the answer you deleted a lot better. Nothing wrong with sheep and you should never pull your punches. And I did agree with what you said in regards to everything except Ann Coulter. Since you outed her as a Dead Head on an earlier blog I find myself fantasizing about her in all kinds of freakish sort of ways.

Always hated her before.

Oh... and Grumpy, Even if Jerry did orchestrate the whole housekeeper deal Meg's been slinging crap since day one. Bottom line is she should have stepped up to the plate when she found out about it way back in June of 2009. Instead she hides the fact from everybody. It's not a lie if you just don't tell anybody, right?

WD

Blue Heron said...

I rarely self censor but I was bending over to tie my shoe and a picture of me dear old mother fell out of my pocket. After a quick novena I decided that the sheep references must surely go. I am far from a hallowed soul and I must beg for a hereafter beyond my works and merit that will deliver me from perdition.

In other matters I agree with your take on Meg, Window - she should have copped to it years ago and now she won't stop whining that it is somehow moonbeams fault that she finds herself in this predicament. Run for public office, everything is fair game, you can't hide a fart.

Anonymous said...

Hey Blue,
You gotta celebrate Schwartzenegger's lovely parting gift to you and the 420 crowd--yesterday he signed a law making marijuana possession of less than an ounce a mere infraction, ie, akin to a speeding ticket, punishable by a $100 fine, no arrest, no court date!
-E

Blue Heron said...

Thanks E and thank you Guvnah! Unfortunately the pleasure for me is strictly academic at this point as any contact with cannabis upsets my medial rutabaga, especially in cold weather. I find that I can near replace the feeling if I drink three of four long island ice teas and chase them with a handful of Bufferin while listening to my favorite Skitch Henderson LP on the headphones. Yet while the feeling is similar, it is not quite spot on and I admit that something is still lacking in my search for mental solace and contentment.

Blue Heron said...

"Margo is my favorite diminutive of Margrete." While I am not the english scholar that "E" is (he actually has written several books) I believe that in this case diminutive is an adjective masquerading as a noun, anonymous one. I think that the correct phrase would be that Margo is my favorite diminution of Margrete. (sic).

However I get your point and it will be filed away in the errata folder for ready use if and when it ever becomes necessary.

Anonymous said...

My gawd, you don't have to be an English scholar to be a published writer; that's what Editors are for!

grumpy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Blue Heron said...

Slaughter?

Anonymous said...

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

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Kyoto