Four candidates follow similar tracks in gubernatorial race

Tuesday, June 2, 1998

Four candidates follow similar tracks in gubernatorial race

ELECTIONS: Placing education, crime at forefront of campaigns,
Lungren, Harman, Checchi, Davis seem to have a lot in common

By Laura Luu

Daily Bruin Contributor

Of the 17 candidates hoping to advance through today’s primary
election, the four leading gubernatorial hopefuls seem to be
humming the same tune.

Although the candidates come from a variety of political and
professional backgrounds, all promise to crack down on crime and
revitalize education.

The leading Democrats in today’s election are businessman Al
Checchi, Lt. Gov. Gray Davis and Rep. Jane Harman. The leading
Republican candidate is Attorney General Dan Lungren.

Al Checchi

Known for turning around well-known corporations during his 25
years of business experience, Checchi plans to use his business
background to help him in the political arena.

In the education spectrum, Checchi hopes to "weed out bad
teachers" by supporting better teacher training and standards,
including mandatory competency tests for teachers.

In addition, Checchi plans to raise teachers’ salaries by 20
percent.

Checchi opposes Proposition 227 (which critics contend would
eliminate bilingual education in the state), saying that he will
"protect parental choice, but end the perverse incentive which
reveals, rather than punishes, failure in teaching children
English."

To combat uninsured (and illegal) drivers, Checchi plans to give
state drivers a 10 percent reduction in insurance premiums.

Checchi would support zero tolerance for gangs by expanding
injunctions, racketeering laws, early intervention and after-school
programs.

As for effective gun control, he will push banning the
manufacture and sale of "Saturday Night Specials," the most heavily
used firearm in crimes, and enforce the ban on assault weapons.

Jane Harman

First and foremost, Harman would seek to invest $1 billion from
the state’s budget surplus in education, specifically toward
reducing class size and increasing the number of charter schools.
She also wants to extend the school year.

Harman also supports raising taxes on cigarettes to fund early
childhood development, health care and social services.

Harman opposes Proposition 227 and wants to give the local
districts and parents the power to decide how they will serve the
needs of their students and children.

As for crime, Harman supports the death penalty and the "Three
Strikes" law. She also supports the ban on assault weapons and
"Saturday Night Specials." She proposes zero tolerance of guns in
schools.

Harman also supports anti-gang injunctions to crack down on gang
violence and supports building youth centers and improving school
mentoring and anti-drug programs such as D.A.R.E.

Lastly, Harman wants to ensure that health plans provide
services based on medical decisions made by doctors and patients,
not a company’s bottom line.

Dan Lungren

As the attorney general, Lungren has helped lead California to
the lowest level of crime in 30 years.

He believes in a top-to-bottom reform with the authority
returned to local educators, teachers and parents.

He wants to improve community colleges with extra state
funding.

He also believes that performance standards and proven teaching
methods need to be restored.

Lungren wants to work toward requiring criminals to serve at
least 85 percent of their sentences and to toughen gun
legislation.

He is also a strong supporter of the "Three Strikes" law.

Lungren has taken a stance against Proposition 227 but supports
Proposition 226, which would require labor to obtain members’
permission before using union fees for political contributions.

Lungren also wants to work on reducing government intervention
in business, and promises to tackle transportation, water, housing
and growth.

Gray Davis

Davis’ first priority as governor will be to fix the "broken"
public schools.

He addresses problems such as low test scores, crowded
classrooms, decrepit and unsafe buildings, inadequate textbooks,
unqualified teachers and drugs and violence on campus.

Davis is the only candidate to stress "responsibility and
accountability," and strengthen the parents’ relationship to their
schools through contracts.

He proposes placing a chief financial officer in every one of
the 1,000 school districts in California. This model would emulate
that of the inspectors general in the departments of federal
government. They would ensure the financial health of their
district by documenting important statistics in an annual
report.

Davis also proposes stricter auditing of the California State
Lottery to ensure funds are properly provided to the education
system.

Most importantly, he proposes a $3 billion fund to ensure every
California student has a current textbook.

He supports a state takeover of poorly funding schools.

Lastly, Davis promises implementation of a zero tolerance policy
for drug offenders and voluntary drug-testing program for
high-school students.

The Associated Press

(Left to right) The four major candidates for California
governor, Republican Dan Lungren and Democrats Al Checchi, Jane
Harman and Gray Davis, pose for pictures.