We all knew Whitman had been spending a lot of money, but this is absurd:
Republican Meg Whitman spent $27 million on her campaign for governor in the first 11 weeks of the year, setting a record-shattering pace with a prime-time television ad blitz to introduce herself to voters and attack her GOP opponent, according to a disclosure statement she filed Monday.
Whitman, the billionaire ex-chief of EBay, has spent $46 million since joining the race early last year, seven times more than either of her main rivals. (LA Times)
This is a truly shocking amount of money. She’s basically spent what it cost Gray Davis to get elected governor in 1998 already, and working towards his 2002 numbers very quickly. She will surely shatter Arnold’s spending records. And an overwhelming majority of this money is coming straight from Meg Whitman’s pocket book. She truly is the “Buy it Now” candidate.
But the question remains, what is she trying to buy? And why?
A ton of financial details for the first 11 weeks of the year has now been released by the candidates. The LA Times link also has some information about the money for the LG and AG races. And, as always, you can always check out Cal-Access for the full finance details.
She wants to get rid of the capital gains tax. Level the Playing Field should be pushing that angle. I live in a very conservative area of the Inland Empire and people are impressed with her business savvy. When I bring up that she made all that money for eBay investors and her salary by raising fees on the mom and pop small businesses that sold on eBay, they raise eyebrows. When I mention that her tax plan is to keep taxes the same for those of us who work for a living and cut HER taxes through capital gains, they get incensed. I point out it is the same MO, take money from the little people who don’t have the power to say no and give it to the people at the top so they can have private jets and billions of dollars and suddenly it makes sense why she would spend so much of her own money to get into a position to save herself more than that in taxes year in and year out even if it makes a 20 billion deficit into a 30 billion deficit that means our kids don’t get an education. What does she care when she has no kids to educate and could afford private school if she did? People understand that and Meg lovers have gone to Meg doubters. We need to get the word out!