Controller Holds Summit in Simi

Like a stand-up comic facing a very tough crowd, state Controller Gray Davis stood before angry Ventura County business and civic leaders Wednesday and asked them how to revive California’s sagging economy.

Davis, a Democrat, kicked off his statewide series of economic summits in largely Republican Simi Valley and heard a barrage of familiar complaints about workers’ compensation costs, excessive regulation and feeble efforts to keep businesses from leaving California.

Dean Kunicki, a Simi Valley businessman and planning commissioner, told Davis there has been too much talk and too little action when it comes to jump-starting the economy.

“Meeting after meeting after meeting--we’re almost meeting-ed out,” he said. “We want to see something happen.”

Kunicki and several other participants said they suspected that Davis, a potential candidate for governor, was using the Simi Valley summit as a pre-campaign stop.

But the controller insisted that the meeting was a legitimate attempt to gather ideas and generate support for his economic recovery proposals.

“Because I took the time to come here, I’ve become an apologist for government--even those policies I don’t support,” he said after the meeting. “But I understand their frustration.”

Davis was steered to Simi Valley by Jim Dantona, a local political consultant who is now an aide to the controller. About 60 business representatives and elected officials from throughout the county attended the two-hour lunch meeting at the Radisson Hotel.

Organizers took note of Ventura County’s own economic woes: The county’s unemployment rate hit a 10-year peak of 10.2% in November, before dipping back to 8.7% at the end of the year.

Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton, who introduced Davis, described himself as one of the few aerospace employees still working. As he took the microphone from Stratton, Davis said he had just heard encouraging economic news about Lockheed.

The mayor quickly piped up that his employer is a rival aerospace firm, Teledyne Systems.

Later, Davis rankled Simi Valley Councilwoman Sandi Webb when, based on her critical remarks about state spending, he assumed that she was a Republican. Webb, a Libertarian Party member, quickly corrected him.

Nevertheless, Webb said she was glad that Davis’ economic summit took place in Simi Valley because top state leaders rarely visit the city. “I think any communication we have with officials like that is definitely not a waste of time,” she said.

Pat Plew, who owns a printing business in Oxnard, told Davis about inequities in his workers’ compensation insurance bills. The controller agreed that the state program must be reformed.

“I think any time you can express input so that it might get taken to Sacramento, it’s worthwhile,” Plew said after the summit. “But I agree with the people who said they’re tired of meetings.”

Although he was glad to get Davis’ attention, Plew admitted, “I’m not sure what the controller’s job is.”

Davis, 50, who was elected to his post as the state’s chief fiscal officer in 1986 and reelected in 1990, oversees state agency bank accounts and issues paychecks.

Previously, he represented Los Angeles in the state Assembly and served as chief of staff to former Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr.

Last year, Davis ran for the Democratic nomination for one of California’s U.S. Senate seats but lost to former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein.

Although some Ventura County business people expressed skepticism at Wednesday’s summit, Davis vowed to move ahead with his plans to reform workers’ compensation and create tax incentives to stimulate business.

“If I come back to you in ’94 and tell you I want you to support me for office X or office Y, (and) if I can’t tell you I’ve delivered those two things, then you can tell me sayonara ,” the controller said.

After the meeting, Davis said he will decide in April whether to run for governor next year.