Angelides, Westly Go Negative in TV Debate

The two Democrats running for governor in the June primary jousted over taxes, schools, immigration and character Wednesday in a debate that marked a sharp negative turn in the race between state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly.

The tart back-and-forth on Univision’s “Voz y Voto” television program came as Angelides mounted a broad new offensive against Westly, abandoning months of restraint that defied the treasurer’s reputation for brass-knuckle campaign tactics. Just before the debate, Angelides delivered a scathing speech on Westly that set the tone for their first face-to-face encounter of the race.

In the debate, Angelides portrayed Westly as a wobbler who often acts on political expediency, not principle. Over and over, he chided Westly for forging close ties with Republican incumbent Arnold Schwarzenegger when the governor was popular. “When young students of immigrant background were being turned away from college by Gov. Schwarzenegger, I stood up,” Angelides said. “Mr. Westly stood by.”

Westly said he had, in fact, “stood up to Arnold Schwarzenegger” when the governor tried to withhold money from colleges and universities. He also went on the attack, describing Angelides as too quick to support higher taxes, a topic that offered one of the debate’s sharpest contrasts.

“The difference between myself and the treasurer is that the treasurer has never seen a tax he doesn’t like,” Westly said. “He supports raising the income tax, the sales tax, taxes on alcohol, [the commercial property] tax, taxes on farm equipment. And, my friends, the list goes on.”

Westly took credit for producing a $3.5-billion windfall for the state by cracking down on tax cheats, while Angelides, he said, just “stands up and complains” about corporate tax loopholes.

Higher taxes, Westly said, should be a “last resort” for California, which faces multibillion-dollar budget shortfalls in the years ahead.

Angelides said he could overcome the budget gaps -- and generate billions more for schools -- by closing those loopholes and increasing income taxes on the wealthy. He cast those proposals as a testament to his values and political courage -- and a sign that Westly lacks both.

“He says he’ll only raise taxes on multimillionaires as a last resort,” Angelides said of his rival. “When? When we’re 48th out of 50 states in education achievement? When we’re turning thousands of more young people, particularly Latinos, away from college? When the dropout rates go from shameful to abysmal?”

The debate, produced by KUVS-TV in Sacramento, will air Saturday on Univision television stations statewide. In Los Angeles, it will be shown -- with a Spanish translation dubbed over the candidates’ remarks in English -- at 10:30 a.m. on KMEX-TV Channel 34, a Univision spokeswoman said.

Both candidates used the program to appeal to Latinos, who make up a growing share of California voters -- 14% in the November 2002 election for governor -- and are at the center of an emotional national debate over immigration. Westly peppered his remarks with phrases in Spanish. (Twice, he responded to questions by saying, “Absolutamente.”)

Both candidates reeled off lists of their top Latino supporters -- among them, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez for Angelides and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante for Westly. And both reminded viewers of the immigrants in their family -- Westly’s wife (China), and Angelides’ mother (Egypt) and grandparents (Greece).

On immigration, the candidates’ views were virtually identical. Both voiced support for granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, putting them on a path to citizenship, starting a guest-worker program and toughening border enforcement. Both also criticized Schwarzenegger -- whom the winner of the primary will challenge in November -- for praising the Minuteman Project, a citizen border-patrol effort.

But Westly jabbed Angelides for saying last week that he was not familiar with a bill in Congress that would classify illegal immigrants as felons. “This state needs a governor who understands immigration policy,” Westly said. Angelides told reporters later that he did not recognize the bill number when he was asked about it, but added: “I have a long history of opposing anti-immigrant actions.”

The debate, hastily arranged after Angelides agreed to participate on just 24 hours’ notice, came at a difficult juncture for the treasurer. To save money for the final weeks of the race, he has suspended television advertising -- even as Westly this week broadens his by running spots for the first time in Fresno and San Diego.

Westly, a dot-com mogul, has put more than $22 million of his personal fortune into the race, giving him a wide financial edge over Angelides at a time when both candidates are trying to introduce themselves to voters who know little about either.

“When you’re trying to define who you are, the three most important things you can do are television, television and television,” said Larry N. Gerston, a San Jose State political science professor. “It’s all about reinforcement right now. You create the image, you reinforce the image and you cash in on the image.”

By campaigning now with a sharper edge, Angelides could attract more free news coverage to make up for at least some of the lull in advertising. In his speech Wednesday morning to supporters in a Sacramento theater, he offered a caustic assessment of Westly.

“On the tough fights that have faced this state, too often Steve Westly cuts and runs,” he said.

“He does what’s easy, not what’s right.”

After the debate, Westly told reporters: “It is too bad my opponent has kicked off the negative campaign season,” adding that “desperate candidates do desperate things.”

He also said he had been “consistent and clear on issues” over 25 years in Democratic politics.