I don't want to come off sounding like a campaign ad, but if you live in California and you believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger should have stayed in Hollywood making movies and not crafting policy in Sacramento, then I suggest you look closer at the Democratic gubernatorial candidate I believe will lead California into the future. That candidate is Steve Westly. Yup, the same Steve Westly who is the present State Controller for the state of California and the same Steve Westly who helped found the online conglomerate, eBay.
The facts and his record speak for itself. Steve is not a career politician. The man could be lying on a hammock in Tahiti overlooking a blue ocean like in those posh Corona ads on television not giving a care in the world about politics and Californians. But no! This Steve Westly actually entered the public arena to make a positive difference for the state of California.
How do you know, you might ask? I spent three days with the man on a bus tour down the heartland of California's Central Valley where unfortunately some of California's poorest reside. Why did Steve visit these people? The answer is quite simple, they're Californians too!
There Steve spoke to hardworking immigrant farm workers, shook hands with concerned community leaders and answered tough questions in non pre-scripted town hall meetings. I found his solutions sensible, pragmatic and optimistic all rolled into one. In immigration, Steve believes that undocumented immigrants are entitled to become citizens but also believes that they must pay their back taxes, learn to speak English, and show commitment to a country that they have come to love.
In education, Steve has a different approach from our current governor. Unlike Arnold who wanted to make teachers easier to fire, Steve believes that teachers are the heroes of public education. “They just need more resources and training to become great teachers,” he said. I can attest to that as a former public high school teacher myself. The problem is not with our first year teachers. Last year Californians showed they understood that very point when they voted against the Governor's teacher tenure initiative.
The problem in education lies in the curriculum and Steve understands that a cookie-cutter approach won't cut it. As such, he advocates for more local control in our school districts and understands that teachers should decide what is best for our students and not Sacramento.
Perhaps his most daunting promise is to make California community colleges free to all students who commit to do the following: earn a two-year associates degree, transfer to a four-year college or earn a vocational degree. While other politicians may make promises and move on without ever explaining how to pay for it, Steve actually described how he'll pay the $158 million cost.
Citing his record as State Controller, Steve told his audiences how he held California's largest companies accountable in paying their fair share in taxes. After a kind letter threatening an audit, the State Controller's office received four hundred checks from California companies amounting to $400 million dollars to fill California's coffers. Simply said, that amount could have paid for free community college tuition for California's deserving students three times over. "It's an investment worth making for California's future," Steve reiterated up and down the valley.
What has Arnold done with community college tuition fees? He's doubled it which forced 180,000 of California students to drop out from community colleges.
Why then should you vote for Steve Westly on June 6? He has a proven track record. He took eBay from a company made up of twenty young people sitting on folding lawn chairs in a one room office to one of the world's most successful online businesses employing over 11,000 employees and millions of online buyers and sellers.
We need a governor who understands California's future from a twenty-first century lens. From my experience as a guest on his campaign, I believe Steve Westly possesses the right vision for California and its people. But as Levar Burton would say in Reading Rainbow, don't just take my word for it, research it yourself. Visit www.Westly2006.com.
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