Governor, Bradley Bring Differing Styles to Farm Area

The southeastern California desert does not contain enough votes to swing a statewide election.

But the rich agricultural region provided a rare look at the progress of the gubernatorial campaign Friday and Saturday when Republican Gov. George Deukmejian and Democratic Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles campaigned over the same ground in separate appearances.

The Deukmejian visit illustrated his strong support--philosophical and financial--from the state’s biggest industry, agribusiness. Its contributions have helped boost Deukmejian’s financial lead over Bradley by more than 5 to 1.

Bradley’s campaigning illustrated how he is trying to unite California’s discontented and have-not groups in an under-financed populist attack on Deukmejian.

There were similarities. Both men discussed ways of helping the economy of a hard-pressed farm area in which one county official estimated unemployment at about 25%.

Deukmejian, in a speech Friday night to growers in El Centro, cited his $30-million “rural renaissance program” that offers tax breaks to hard-pressed growers and grants to rural communities.

Bradley, speaking Saturday at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Imperial Irrigation District, said, “We must increase jobs.”

Bradley told the audience, which included growers, that he would initiate programs to increase the overseas sales of California’s agricultural produce.

But there was a difference.

Deukmejian displayed his pull with the state’s powerful agribusiness interests, raising doubts whether Bradley can ever crack these circles.

There were about 400 growers cheering the governor at the grower reception and dinner in an old warehouse in El Centro. Their donations to his campaign totaled $75,000.

And he drew loud applause when he told the group that the “most innovative and unprecedented action our Administration is taking” is “for the first time ever” to establish “fairness and balance at the Agricultural Labor Relations Board.”

Interviewed by reporters after his appearance at the irrigation district event, Bradley would neither criticize nor defend the state agricultural board, which is appointed by the governor and handles farm labor disputes. It has been steeped in controversy with critics charging a pro-labor bias during the Administration of former Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. and a pro-grower bias under Deukmejian.

“I am in favor of a fair and balanced board,” Bradley said.

When a reporter said “that’s what Deukmejian promises,” Bradley replied, “Let the facts speak for themselves.”

Differences between the two were illustrated by their choices of sites for their major political speeches in El Centro.

Deukmejian chose the grower event. Bradley spent Saturday afternoon with the workers at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

Populist Theme

While pledging to push overseas sales of state crops, Bradley also sounded the populist theme that has marked his campaign from the beginning, attacking the governor for not taking action to stop pollution in the nearby New River.

“I think that is intolerable,” he said.

Just how the populist approach will work in this county of less than 100,000 residents remains to be seen. Aides of Bradley, who lost to Deukmejian here in 1982, say it will be an uphill fight.

“I don’t know if he’ll carry it, but we will give them an excellent run for it,” said Dilda McFadden, the local Bradley coordinator and president of the local branch of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People.

McFadden’s formula here is the same as that used by Bradley organizers in more populous parts of the state--to organize existing community groups of the poor and of consumers angry at state regulation of insurance and other businesses.

Deukmejian appears confident that Bradley will fail here as elsewhere, telling guests at his reception that he has “watched with a little glee and puzzlement” Bradley’s recent reversals on controversial issues, adding that he believes the mayor “is beginning to experience some saddle sores.”

But Bradley, cheered by an enthusiastic reception at the church and a Democratic barbecue, said he was confident his attacks and attempt at grass-roots organization will work, and he predicted victory in November.

Proposition 51 Stand

In Los Angeles, meanwhile, Deukmejian accused Bradley of letting down the people of his city with his announcement last week that he will not support Proposition 51, the June 3 ballot initiative that would limit liability in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Proponents of the measure say cities stand to gain if it passes; opponents argue otherwise.

Deukmejian said at a news conference that Bradley is “. . . totally out of the mainstream as it relates to other officials of local governments” on the issue and called the mayor’s opposition “. . . regrettable for the people of Los Angeles . . .”

Noting that Bradley had earlier sided with supporters of the initiative’s aims, Deukmejian added, “It is also one more flip-flop he’s made in this campaign.”

Bradley announced last week that while he had indicated he liked some of the protections in Proposition 51, he thought that it was too favorable to insurance companies, that it would not greatly ease the insurance crunch and that he believed he could devise a better plan of insurance reform.

Proposition 51 would partially strip away California law that makes all defendants in a personal-injury or wrongful-death lawsuit equally responsible for payment. If the initiative passes, defendants’ liability for “pain and suffering” would be limited to their degree of blame.

Support ‘Indicated’

Deukmejian spokesman Kevin Brett said the governor will take an official position on Proposition 51 later, “but he has indicated he will support it.”

The governor, who met with the press after addressing the annual convention of the California Republican League, also charged that Bradley’s announcement last week that he would seek 100 additional police officers for Los Angeles was a campaign tactic.

“Just last year he had vetoed those 100 police officers,’ Deukmejian said, “and I think he is now responding to some of the things I have said (about the need for more police in Los Angeles).”

Times staff writer Keith Love contributed to this story.