Wilson Picks Sides
In 1980, Pete Wilson, then mayor of San Diego, led the fight against rent control here, even though it was the law in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Wilson considered it an attack against “property rights.”
But this year he supports spraying malathion on you and your property. No mention of property rights here.
The explanation for this turnabout is quite simple and it has nothing to do with principles. When landlords and developers financed his mayoral campaigns, he paid them back by being against rent control. Now that the farm lobby contributes to his senatorial and gubernatorial campaigns, he supports the spraying of malathion.
I expect that these issues will be buried by an avalanche of Wilson for Governor TV commercials, paid for by the usual “what’s in it for me” crowd.
MELVIN SHAPIRO
San Diego
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