Contenders and Issues: Highlights of the Debate

Following are excerpts on key topics covered in Sunday night’s Democratic gubernatorial debate in San Francisco between former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein and Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp:

ABORTION Van de Kamp: “When it gets to (a woman’s right to a) choice, I will not impose my religious values (as a Catholic) because I don’t want them to impose it on me. And I just have to ask Mrs. Feinstein because this has come up a number of times in this race, she’s implying that because I’m a Catholic I cannot truly be pro-choice.”

Feinstein: “John, I have no problem with your being a Catholic, I have the greatest respect for that. What I have a problem with is your record, your defense of the governor’s cut of Medi-Cal for abortions for poor women five years in a row, your defense of the governor’s cut for family planning clinics two years in a row. I just simply am saying that I believe that a woman’s right to choose is best protected by a woman who believes, personally, who will veto any legislation that infringes on that right.”

PERSONAL FINANCES Van de Kamp: “I think we’re entitled to know who is behind Mayor Feinstein, who the investors are behind her husband (investment banker Richard C. Blum), what the influences are and by the way, why no (personal federal income) taxes in 1985?”

Feinstein: “I do want to answer your question on why no taxes. . . . Why no taxes? Because we signed a joint return. My husband took a major loss with a series of ice cream parlors and that was the reason (no federal income taxes were paid). You know, you’ve been very sanctimonious, John. You tried not to reveal your own family trust and when it was revealed there were 14 companies doing business with South Africa as part of that trust. So if I were you, I wouldn’t be quite so sanctimonious.”

SAN FRANCISCO’S FINANCES Feinstein: “There was a $77-million shortfall (in city revenues). . . . Shortfalls are nothing new. They are not going to be anything new to San Francisco. They are not going to be anything new to the state. . . . I have certain ways I would have handled it, yes, and certain priorities. The city census hired 1,200 new workers. I probably would not have done some of that, hiring. . . . One of the things I’ve learned is key and critical is a reserve (fund). And that is one of the reasons I would insist on having a state reserve. . . . “

Van de Kamp: “There is a word that Mrs. Feinstein just can’t use. Apparently it’s not within her. Say the word ‘deficit,’ the ‘D’ word. It’s easy, and I think you’ll feel a lot better. All of us make mistakes. Mrs. Feinstein inherited a surplus, she spent it down, she raised the number of employees in San Francisco by 3,000 and she left Mayor (Art) Agnos in a deep, deep hole.”

GOVERNMENT ETHICS Van de Kamp: “All the while, as I’ve been attorney general, we’ve taken a great number of enforcement investigations, a great number of enforcement actions, against those in public life at the state, judicial and local levels. We’ve taken about 25 enforcement actions out of 100 cases where the evidence justified it. . . . By and large, it’s been a good record, hampered in large part by the failure of state laws. And that’s why I have an ethics initiative on the ballot in November.”

Feinstein: “My records indicate that in 1987 there were 25 bills, either on ethics or campaign reform, that were deemed significant and the attorney general took no position on those bills. I’m not familiar with any vigorous prosecutions, certainly of members of the Legislature. . . .”

LEADERSHIP Feinstein: “ . . . What’s most important, I think, is someone who can lead and change. If you want to do things just as they’ve always been done, take the insider candidate, I think that’s clearly the choice that exists in this election. I’m going to shake things up if I get there and I’m going to have the freedom to do it.”

Van de Kamp: “ . . . I believe in basic Democratic principles which represent the majority of the people of this state, and that is for equity, it’s for good government that delivers the goods. It’s for leading this state with real change. . . . We’re going to change California for the better.”

CLOSING REMARKS Van de Kamp: “Thank you for staying with us and not switching to ‘The Simpsons’ tonight. . . . Now, I’m not the favorite candidate of the status quo or the oil companies or the chemical companies or the gun lobby, because you can’t keep the California dream alive doing business as usual.”

Feinstein: “ . . . I never thought I’d be here on a Mother’s Day but here I am. . . . This election I think is really a choice between two Californias, it’s a choice between the California of diminishing dreams, the California of high school dropouts, of unsafe streets, of unmanaged growth, of increasing pollution, or it’s a California that is boldly going to take a step in to the future, and take its place as leader in the Pacific Rim and assert some new values.”