Excerpts From Debate Between 2 Democrats

Following are excerpts from Sunday’s Democratic gubernatorial debate between former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein and Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp:

Malathion spraying

Feinstein: “There are no circumstances under which I would resume urban (aerial) spraying. . . . When you had a reported Medfly, you’d go into an area, you’d ground strip, you’d remove the fruit. If the fruit is contaminated, you’d spray in that immediate area. . . . “You would do it by ground with the knowledge and permission of the property owner rather than through this massive invasion of spraying like ‘Apocalypse Now,’ which I think is very bothersome to people.”

Van de Kamp: “I’m against malathion spraying. I think we should stop it and if I’m elected it will be stopped. But I was very interested in something Mrs. Feinstein said the other day, and it gets to snooping. She suggested we inspect first-class mail for Medflies. Tell me that you’re against that.”

Reducing auto insurance rates

Van de Kamp: “My opponent and I disagree with respect as to how to go about that. She’s in favor of no-fault. She’s in favor of giving the insurance industry antitrust exemptions which would be expanded. . . . I want to see the new insurance commissioner get off to a good start, I want to see rate rollbacks, I want to see affordable insurance in California, I want to see the insurance companies brought to bear in a decent regulatory structure.”

Feinstein: “. . . I am not wed to no-fault. What I am wed to is a rate rollback, what I am wed to is providing insurance for Californians, one-third of whom in this basin have no insurance and are driving criminally.”

Their family wealth

Van de Kamp: “Our family’s been lucky, in fact our family in some ways in the last number of years has been representative of the American dream. . . . And I’ve stayed in public service all my life, one of the reasons because I have a deep dedication to the people of this state. . . . My family has a trust fund that’s been set up for my mother. I’ve never drawn a dime out of that trust fund.”

Feinstein: “My husband, incidentally, is totally self-made, he inherited no funds, he made what he had himself and that in a sense is the American dream and I’m proud of it.”

Abortion counseling

Van de Kamp: “For my own daughter? I’m sure I’d have a heart-to-heart with her and talk about the future of that potential life. . . . I’d counsel her to carry the child. . . . If another person who was distant from me came to me . . . I feel less comfortable making the kinds of arguments that I would to my own child.”

Feinstein: “Not too long ago I went to watch an Operation Rescue operation at a health clinic. And I watched women absolutely humiliated who couldn’t get through the line to get into a doctor’s office.”

State budget

Van de Kamp: “The one thing that’s clear tonight is Mrs. Feinstein would put the cost-of-living adjustments on the table for the needy, blind and the disabled. . . . I will not. And I will balance the budget through a series of cuts and revenue enhancements, taxes if you will, in some areas that will make sure we have a balanced budget.”

Feinstein: “ . . . As I said before, I think everything goes on the table. I think you protect the poor, the needy, the disabled in the negotiations once everything is on the table. . . . We have to look at the traditional ways, freezing things like travel, new cars, looking to see what can be eliminated.”

Death penalty

Feinstein: “I don’t ever see you being vigorous in terms of carrying out that law. . . . I think the thing that I have a problem with is if you don’t believe in (the death penalty) and the governor has broad clemency powers, why wouldn’t you just commute every single case?”

Van de Kamp: “With respect to the question of clemency, I’ve said repeatedly that the death penalty is a settled issue. . . . The death penalty, I believe, is here to stay for maybe upwards of the next 10 years.”

Opponent’s weaknesses

Van de Kamp: “ . . . Managerial skill, understanding of the state budget situation, obviously even tonight we’ve found that she is still pretty weak, she doesn’t have a program but she speaks in some generalities and some numbers that frankly are pretty far off base. . . .”

Feinstein: “ . . . John, you demean your opponent and puff yourself up. The fact is you’ve never really put together a budget, you’ve never really grappled with a shortfall. I have--nine years in a row. . . . Yet you’re so willing to sit back and criticize me. You know, John Van de Kamp, the D word is for distortion.”

Closing lines

Feinstein: “I think in this election you have a choice between a lawyer and someone who wants to be a leader. I want to represent women. I want to open the door. I want to see that minorities take their place in this society in a meaningful way.”

Van de Kamp: “I’m not the style candidate in this race. In endorsing me, the Sacramento Bee called me flagrantly unexciting. But if I’m governor, I pledge to you the most exciting period in California history.”