What do Meg Whitman, Steve Poizner, and Carly Fiorina have in common? Aside from their independent wealth, that is?
Each one prides themselves on their record of mass layoffs, plans to enact mass layoffs if elected – or both. All three are the true “job killers” in California. At a time when the state is still facing record unemployment, their emphasis on further job losses is bizarre, reckless, and a sign they are all interested in building corporate power instead of broadly shared economic recovery.
Let’s start with Meg Whitman, who is having even more trouble explaining herself to the public, this time about mass layoffs she presided over at eBay:
It’s true that there were regular, relatively small batches of layoffs at eBay during the dot-bomb when Whitman was CEO.
However, in 2008 the company laid off 10 percent of its employees. And though no longer acting as CEO, Whitman was on the board and still receiving paychecks. (The same board that provided lavish “golden parachutes” for executives while approving the layoffs.)
And, ironically enough, that same 10 percent number has been used by Whitman to describe how many state jobs she plans to eliminate if she becomes governor.
Let’s be very clear here – by serving on eBay’s board, she had responsibility for those layoffs. And as the NBC11 report noted, Whitman plans to make further mass layoffs if she becomes governor. She hasn’t explained why she believes an increase in unemployment is good for California – let’s hope someone asks her before she retreats to her lair in Atherton and spends several more months hiding from the public.
Steve Poizner also would like to initiate mass layoffs in California through his 10-10-10 plan, which would cut taxes and spending by 10%. The tax cuts would actually produce greater spending cuts, since the state would lose ongoing revenues. Poizner has targeted mostly health and human services for cuts, which will mean not only job losses for state workers who provide those services, but for health care workers as well. These cuts, of course, will cause children to suffer and more families to go under, but Poizner apparently thinks things like child starvation and untreated illnesses are somehow good for the state.
Finally, there is Carly Fiorina, who not only fired 18,000 people at a H-P before running that venerable company into the ground – she told Fortune magazine in 2005 that she should have fired more people more quickly. Fiorina compounded that by calling offshoring “right-sourcing” and claiming nobody had a “God-given right” to a job.
In short, Whitman, Poizner and Fiorina all represent the worst of CEO capitalism. They all believe that economic policy should be set for the benefit of the wealthy, no matter the cost. Even if it means mass layoffs of teachers and firefighters to ensure that we don’t raise taxes on the rich and on large corporations as Oregon voters did last month.
The message from the leading Republican candidates is clear: “A vote for us is a vote for unemployment.” We’ll see if Californians embrace it.
In 2008-2009, we saw 10% cuts to schools.
In 2009-2010, we saw 10% cuts to schools.
Now, they say they’d suggest doing it again for 2010-2011.
I’d like to know, is it their belief that all programs should be cut 10% every year?
It’s true that, thanks to the nature of percentages, you can continue to do so infinitely.
However, I note that the skills expected on the STAR tests have not been cut 10%. The amount of American history that our kids should learn during their k-12 education actually goes up by 10% every generation.
I am still troubled that Meg Whitman apparently has $39 million dollars of excess personal cash, and the highest and best use she can think of that money is to fund advertisements about how wonderful she is. That doesn’t sound like someone with sound financial priorities to me. If she cares about UC, think of how many scholarships or chairs she could endow for even $35 million.
a Pox on all 3 republican candidates, I won’t vote for any of them, I’m old enough to run for office and I’m not a former convict(of any type), But I’m not famous, rich or a lawyer and Lincoln I’m not, Although I do have something in common with the 16th President, He had a beard and so do I. It’s time to start looking at the loop holes to close the deficit and stop making cuts, Any Republican who doesn’t want to do this ought to be recalled, As their irresponsible and should be removed from office.
With Jerry Brown on record for no new taxes, he would do the same as the Republicans.
Who said you have to raise taxes to get more revenue for the state?
If you just increase demand in the market that would help just as much as upping taxes. Though we should raise the marginal tax rates on those that makes 5-6 digits.
Create an environment for demand and state revenue will go up.
What’s funny is how some polls have Meg ahead of Brown who hasn’t officially announce anything, if was Whitmann I would be very concerned…
Those layoffs are going to dog both Whitmann and iCarly, especially with high State unemployment.