CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS / LT. GOVERNOR : Davis, Wright Engage in Spirited Debate

In the first face-to-face clash of the major contenders for lieutenant governor, Democrat Gray Davis and Republican Cathie Wright staged a spirited debate Friday on issues such as immigration policy and Davis’ record as state controller.

From the outset, Wright, a Simi Valley state senator, came out swinging at the better-known, better-financed Davis. Wright needs to score points in these kinds of forums and in television commercials if she is to overtake front-runner Davis in the race to succeed the retiring Leo T. McCarthy.

Before a lunchtime business group at a Beverly Hills hotel, Wright zeroed in hard on Davis’ performance as the state’s chief financial officer.

She questioned whether Davis has been properly tending to his job during his two terms as controller. She contended that for the past five years Davis has only attended 2% of the meetings of the State Board of Equalization, of which the controller is one of five members.

“I honestly believe that if someone is not there on your job 98% of the time, you would have fired him,” Wright said.

“Now, once again Mrs. Wright is wrong,” Davis replied, emphasizing that he is a member of 63 boards and commissions.

“But you don’t attend 63 boards, sir,” Wright snapped.

Davis replied that he is empowered to send deputies to fill in for him and that their votes count as his vote. “So, I have not missed a single meeting of any of the 63 boards on which I serve.”

Later, half-jokingly, Davis said he would wind up in the grave very quickly if he tried to go to all the meetings of all the boards. He said he attempts to regularly attend sessions of the State Lands Commission and the Franchise Tax Board. On the State Board of Equalization, which collects most of the state’s taxes and hears appeals of income tax cases, Davis said his attendance practice is standard. Like his predecessors, he said, he usually sends a deputy to attend meetings.

A spokesman for the board said Davis typically attends the annual meeting at which utility property taxes are set but usually dispatches a representative the rest of the time.

During the debate, another sharp difference was reflected in the views of Davis and Wright on the anti-illegal immigration measure on the state ballot, Proposition 187. Wright favored passage, saying that voters need to send a message to Washington about their concerns over illegal immigration into the state.

The measure would bar illegal immigrants from public education and non-emergency public health care, and require schools to expel children who cannot prove they are in the country legally.

“I think it’s the wrong answer to a very real problem,” Davis told the luncheon sponsored by the Southern California Business Assn. and the Los Angeles County Hotel and Motel Group. Davis urged federal authorities to beef up the Border Patrol to block illegal crossings and funnel more money to the state to pay for services for illegal immigrants.

Throughout the debate, Davis, who is making his fifth run for statewide office, sought to ignore the attacks by Wright and not make a misstep that would undermine his commanding lead over Wright. A recent Field Poll showed Davis leading 2 to 1, and he recently reported having $1.7 million in cash in his campaign treasury compared to Wright’s $73,000.