🚀 go-pugleaf

AP June 28,2003

With Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and his allies raising money to 
fight a Republican-led campaign to recall him, wealthy donors
are getting an unexpected chance at influence during an important
time in California's budget and legislative calendar. 

The committee formed to fight the recall is headed by a 
firefighters union whose members could face job cuts in
the budget Davis will sign in coming months. It has drawn
donations from companies and unions affected by other issues
being debated in Sacramento as lawmakers confront a $38.2 
BILLION {emp. added} budget deficit.  /snip/

"There is no greater expression of loyalty than to come to the 
aid of a governor who is under siege and is fighting to avoid
being removed from office outside the normal electoral process,"
said University of Southern California political  scientist 
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe. [ note: I DID NOT MAKE THAT NAME UP!]

/snip/

The group also has drawn from Davis allies who have lobbied the
state on various issues, including $50,000 from Sacramento-based
Ameriquest Capital. . .Ameriquest filed a report with the state
in April showing it lobbied during the first quarter of the year
on bills related to consumer loans, credit reporting and other 
issues.

/snip/

"I don't think there's any question that this has added a new 
mechanism for donors to exert influence," said Jim Knox, 
executive director of California Common Cause, a nonprofit,
nonpartisan group that advocates for government accountability.

article in full can be fouund at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/06/28/national1450EDT0547.DTL

  ===================================================
    Get a petition to recall Gray Davis here:
       http://www.rescuecalifornia.com/
   Fill it out at home, mail it in, easy as that!
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