Whitman Sells Out

Anthony Pignataro:

The Los Angeles Times is really sticking it to Meg Whitman. Last night the paper ran this blog post reporting that Whitman, still on the fence over the anti-global warming measure Prop 23, has endorsed pro-redevelopment Prop 22:

“There is a proposition on the ballot in November that actually makes it illegal for the state to take money from cities and counties to balance the budget,” said Whitman, who is known for being disciplined in sticking to her talking points during campaign events and discussions with the press. “I think it’s the right thing to do. I’ll be supporting that initiative.”

Add to that this afternoon’s blog post that Whitman has been steadily modifying her old promise to reform the state’s public employee pensions, saying that all public safety and law enforcement personnel can keep their present benefits if she’s elected:

“New government employees, not public safety employees but new government employees beyond the public-safety realm, are going to have to come on under a different deal,” Whitman said at a campaign event earlier this year. “They’re going to have to come in under a 401(k) program, what we call a defined contribution program, as opposed to a defined benefit program, and this will get us a long way home towards reducing this huge unfunded pension liability.”

Ironically, the Times points out that her opponent Jerry Brown — who first allowed state workers to unionize when he was governor back in the late 1970s — has said that if he’s elected all new hires, including cops and firefighters, will have to face some kind of pension reform. Of course, he hasn’t said what that form will entail, beyond the fact that it won’t be a 401(k), which is what us private sector guys endure.

Did I say endure? I meant love. No idea why I wrote endure.

Posted Sept. 15, 2010