Whitman, Poizner have close encounter in Fresno

Published online on Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner found themselves in the Fresno Convention Center's New Exhibit Hall on Friday.

Their paths didn't cross, but they managed to give very similar afternoon speeches to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley's annual summit.

"I thought both speeches were the standard primary stump speech about cutting taxes, reducing welfare, and both had in there trying to improve education," said Jeffrey Cummins, a political science professor at California State University, Fresno, who attended the event. "There were no real significant differences between the two."

Poizner, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and the current state Insurance Commissioner, and Whitman, eBay's former chief executive, are battling former Rep. Tom Campbell for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

A Field Poll released earlier this month found that about half of Republican primary voters are undecided. The poll also showed Whitman receiving 22% of the vote, Campbell 20% and Poizner 9%.

Friday's speeches from Whitman and Poizner -- both about 20 minutes long -- likely did little to change that, Cummins said.

Neither tailored their speech to the San Joaquin Valley audience they were addressing, other than short mentions of water.

Poizner's speech touched on K-12 education, streamlining state government and cutting state spending, and improving California's business climate so it can more effectively compete with not only neighboring states that are trying to lure companies, but also foreign nations such as China and India.

It was heavy on gloom, mixed with Poizner's ideas to solve the state's myriad problems.

"We need to make changes or we are going to get steamrolled," Poizner said.

In a nod to the state's water crisis, Poizner said that more above- and below-ground storage is needed.

"No matter how much it rains, it won't solve the water crisis," he said.

After a panel discussion, Whitman took the podium and talked about her plan to create jobs, cut spending and improve K-12 education.

Whitman said she favors targeted tax credits -- for instance, increasing the research and development tax credit and making it permanent.

She wants a temporary moratorium on new state regulations, and also to streamline existing regulations. "This is the most difficult state in the country in which to do business," Whitman said.

Whitman started her speech by noting the Central Valley's agriculture industry, its oil and natural gas reserves and "the essential role you play in contributing to California's strength and economic success."

She also mentioned her recent visit to the Big Fresno Fair.

Both Poizner and Whitman said they want to expand charter schools.

Cummins, the Fresno State political science professor, said both speeches were geared toward the conservative Republican voters who dominated the party's primary.

Said Cummins: "I did not see anything in either speech that will attract anybody new to them."