Last month we talked to Mitch Zak, spokesman for the Whitman for Governor campaign. The conversation took place after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's order to lay off 5,000 state workers and before he proposed cutting state employee wages by 5 percent:
On charges that Whitman dislikes state workers or is pandering to conservatives who want to dismantle state government:Meg's committed to reducing the bureaucracy by 10 percent. We're not suggesting that these are bad people or bad employees, but that the government can't afford the bureaucracy.
On criticisms that making a 10 percent cut across the board would be difficult or impossible: There's a difference between difficult and necessary. It will be a tough thing to do but it's the right thing to do. ... We need to set aggressive yet achievable goals and then have the discipline to achieve them. It's not a matter of whether we can do it; it's matter of having to do it.
On how Whitman would cut payroll, including areas such as the university systems, that are outside the governor's control: She is talking about a total reduction to California state payroll. That's part of what a governor is supposed to do. Obviously, the first is your own team, making political appointments (that support the agenda), building legislative relationships and use of the line-item veto.
On Whitman's comments that Schwarzenegger's layoff order didn't go far enough: Every time she's asked about the governor, she says she has tremendous respect for him. ... That said, given that obviously she feels like state spending needs to be controlled as well as the bureaucracy's growth, that's not how she would have approached (the budget) as governor.
On whether Whitman thinks government can operate like a business: She does believe that government can operate more like a business. You have to tie revenue to expenditures and champion efficiency. There are ways the private sector can influence government.
On state employee labor unions: We're not for or against public unions. We're pro-efficiency and pro-effectiveness.
On the charge that Whitman is insensitive to the plight of state workers who would lose their jobs in a 10 percent across-the-board cut: She understands, but at the same time, she thinks about those 176,000 Californians who lost jobs in February and March who also feel terrible. The goal is job creation and economic expansion across the sectors. A 10 percent reduction is appropriate. California comes back only when the private sector rebounds. When private sector thrives, public coffers are well-filled.
On the charge that Whitman lacks the experience to be governor: The Capitol today is full of politicians presiding over the current disaster. Meg knows large and complex organizations. She's balanced budgets. She has the discipline and focus to execute a strategy. That's exactly what California needs at this time in its history.
PHOTO CREDIT: Hector Amezcua/Sacramento Bee
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