Tag Archives: eBay

California, Jerry Brown

Meg Whitman: California is NOT for Sale

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Meg Whitman truly believes that California is for sale. She has spent a record-breaking $140 million of her own money in an attempt to buy the state. But California isn’t just some eBay item Whitman can bid on.

Whitman has run 80,000 TV ads to promote her conservative version of a future for California. That one video above is fighting against the, at least, $60 million Whitman has spent buying up airtime and producing commercials for herself.

What else has Whitman spent her money on in this race? Here are some recent calculations. On staff and spouse travel, lodging and meals: $2,643,529. Fundraising events: $1,028,538. On campaign consultants: $11,085,653. On print ads: $4,247,724. On polling and survey research: $1,254,627.

In all of this tossing of money around like life is a game of Monopoly, Whitman’s true goal is an attempt to buy democracy. She’s acting on a belief that if she throws enough of her own wealth out to woe voters, she can buy their votes. As if California is up for auction and the deciding factor of who wins is who bids enough.

California is not for sale. Please share this blog and the above video with other Californians who cannot be bought.  

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Meg Whitman’s Rhetoric on Latinos Doesn’t Match Reality

In her quest for votes, California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is saying she’s a friend to Latinos.

“I want to involve Latinos in this campaign in a way that hasn’t been seen in Republican politics in a long time. It will be hard — it will not be easy. But it is a priority of mine and I’m very, very serious about it.” – Meg Whitman’s website

“I want Latinos to look at my whole record, around job creation… [Meg Whitman, as quoted in the Los Angeles Times, 2/24/10]

We took her up on it; and found that Whitman’s record as CEO of eBay tells a very different story.

 The San Jose Mercury News recently reviewed federal employment data for Silicon Valley technology companies.

And the report is telling.

From 2000 to 2005, Meg Whitman’s e-Bay hired 366 managers at its Silicon Valley offices.

And how many of these hires were Latino?

ZERO.

The Mercury News (2/14) reports:

“Take eBay, for example. While the San Jose company declined to make its executives available for an interview, or to share its most up-to-date employment information, eBay said it believes workplace diversity is crucial.

“But the numbers don't reflect that.

“As eBay's local work force swelled to accommodate the online retailer's growth between 2000 and 2005, eBay added 366 managers to its Silicon Valley offices.

“That net increase included just five additional black managers and no Hispanics.”

For Latinos, the record is clear. Meg Whitman’s rhetoric doesn’t match reality.