2006.10.13: October 13, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: San Jose Mercury News: San Jose Mercury News says: Garamendi best for lieutenant governor
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2006.10.13: October 13, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: San Jose Mercury News: San Jose Mercury News says: Garamendi best for lieutenant governor
- 2006.11.08: November 8, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: San Fransisco Chronicle: Garamendi new Lt. Governor of California Wednesday, November 08, 2006 - 10:30 am [1]
- 2006.11.08: November 8, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: San Fransisco Chronicle: Garamendi takes lead in race for California Lt. Governer with 62% of precincts reporting Wednesday, November 08, 2006 - 3:11 am [1]
- 2006.11.08: November 8, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: San Fransisco Chronicle: Garamendi slightly behind with 41% of precincts reporting Wednesday, November 08, 2006 - 2:33 am [1]
- 2006.11.03: November 3, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: Stockton Record: Garamendi, McClintock locked in dead heat Sunday, November 05, 2006 - 12:09 pm [1]
- 2006.11.02: November 2, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: Ethiopia Blog: The Ethiopian-American community in California is rallying behind Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi’s candidacy for Lieutenant Governor Saturday, November 04, 2006 - 7:42 am [1]
- 2006.10.19: October 19, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: Contra Costa Times: Contra Costa Times says: Vote for Garamendi Friday, October 27, 2006 - 11:21 am [1]
- 2006.10.23: October 23, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Ethiopia: Insurance: State Politics: CBS5: Garamendi, McClintock In Tight Race For Lt. Governor Friday, October 27, 2006 - 11:20 am [1]
San Jose Mercury News says: Garamendi best for lieutenant governor
"Garamendi, 61, has been successful throughout his career at bringing divergent interests together to solve problems. This has been most evident in his two different terms as insurance commissioner, where he has negotiated with insurance companies and pushed them hard for ratepayer relief. He can also act decisively. For example, he issued new rules in July that forced insurers to stop using ZIP codes as a primary influence when calculating auto premiums, a practice that had harmed safe drivers who happened to live in unsafe areas." John Garamendi is the State Insurance Commissioner for California. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia in the 1960's.
San Jose Mercury News says: Garamendi best for lieutenant governor
Garamendi best for lieutenant governor
Mercury News Editorial
Once again, we have very well-qualified and hard-working public servants in the running for the usually meaningless job of lieutenant governor. Unless the governor resigns or dies -- in which case the lieutenant takes over -- this $131,000-a-year gig doesn't have many responsibilities. It has become a holding pattern for termed out politicians waiting to run for the state's top post.
In the Democratic primary, we supported state Sen. Jackie Speier of San Mateo over John Garamendi but wished Garamendi could continue as insurance commissioner, a job he has done very well. He won the primary and now is facing off against well-known conservative Tom McClintock, a Republican state senator from Thousand Oaks.
Garamendi and McClintock are skilled legislators with a deep understanding of public policy. But based on their agendas, we support Garamendi.
Garamendi, 61, has been successful throughout his career at bringing divergent interests together to solve problems. This has been most evident in his two different terms as insurance commissioner, where he has negotiated with insurance companies and pushed them hard for ratepayer relief. He can also act decisively. For example, he issued new rules in July that forced insurers to stop using ZIP codes as a primary influence when calculating auto premiums, a practice that had harmed safe drivers who happened to live in unsafe areas.
He has a thoughtful plan for using the lieutenant governor's seat on the University of California Board of Regents and California State University Board of Trustees to require more accountability and transparency. He wants to ensure that the state university system is producing the best teachers it can and that research facilities are supported properly for the needs of the 21st-century economy.
Garamendi wrote one of the state's first solar, wind and energy tax-credit bills in 1978. He wants to use the lieutenant governor's office to advance environmental issues such as preserving and enhancing the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. And with his insurance background, he's willing to tackle the challenge of health care. He would bring labor, business and government together to try to find solutions to the spiraling costs.
McClintock, 50, has run unsuccessfully for state controller and governor. He is primarily focused on constitutional spending limits, tort reform and fighting illegal immigration. Like Garamendi, he would work on accountability at the state's university and college systems, but his approach to this and other matters is more geared toward saving money than toward people-oriented goals.
Being more collaborative and less dogmatic, Garamendi has the best shot at making something meaningful out of the lieutenant governor job. We recommend him.
When this story was posted in October 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: San Jose Mercury News
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Ethiopia; Insurance; State Politics
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