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.