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S.F. Chronicle
| | Posted on Monday, October 16, 2006 - 02:13 pm: | |
S.F. Chronicle picks Steve Poizner over Pay to Play Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante
San Francisco Chronicle
Endorses Steve Poizner For Insurance Commissioner
An independent broker
CALIFORNIANS have seen the difference between having a consumer watchdog (John Garamendi) and an industry lapdog (Chuck Quackenbush) as insurance commissioner.
The most basic requirement for this elected position should be integrity and a demonstrable independence from the $115 billion industry the commissioner is charged with regulating.
The choice on Nov. 7 is clear: It is Steve Poizner, a Republican who made a fortune in cell-phone technology and has now turned his considerable energy and intellect toward public service.
Poizner seeded his campaign treasury with several million dollars of his own money, but has since proved fairly proficient at raising money from outsiders -- with the exception of the insurance industry. Poizner made pledge not to accept a dime from the industry and has backed that promise with an impressively throrough four-step process (which he has made public) to screen out contributions from anyone with even indirect ties to the industry.
His opponent, Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, got off to a bad start by scooping up more than $120,000 -- in addition to free meals and travel -- from insurance interests. Bustamante has since returned some of those contributions, but his coziness with the industry during his days in the Assembly suggests he is not the right politician for this job.
Their debate before our editorial board (available in full at cbs5.com; highlights at sfgate.com/politics) accentuated the differences between these two candidates. Poizner was clearer in his priorities, more conversant in the details of the issues and more persuasive in making the case that he will be an advocate for consumer interests.
We recommend a vote for Steve Poizner for insurance commissioner.
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