Press Releases
There's an Out of State App for That
Oakland - Meg Whitman released an iPhone app today that allows her campaign to follow the movements of potential supporters by connecting to the GPS in their phones. Like her ads, the small businesses featured in her ads, and Whitman herself, the app is from somewhere else - in this case a company with offices in Canada, Whitman's home state of New York, and Georgia. Brown campaign spokesman Sterling Clifford released the following statement:
California is the home of Apple (founded when Jerry Brown was governor), and countless app developers, but it appears only a company based 3000 miles away could meet Whitman's campaign needs. Two million Californians out of work, thousands of California companies looking for business and trying to stay afloat, but Meg Whitman chose to take her business to Canada.
Whether it's jobs for Californians, experience cutting spending or building on California's environmental leadership, there is a vast gulf between what Meg Whitman says and what Meg Whitman does.
Californians deserve a governor they can trust - one with a record of helping the state create 1.9 million jobs. Jerry Brown is the only candidate in this race with real experience to get California working again.
MEG WHITMAN: CREATING JOBS, JUST NOT IN CALIFORNIA
Meg Whitman launched a new part of her jobs plan today - an iPhone application from her campaign, made by a company with offices in Ottawa, Canada, New York, and Georgia. Earlier this week, Whitman used one of her ads to highlight EasySale, as a small business she took credit for creating while at eBay. The problem: EasySale is a Texas company and isn't even registered to do business in California. From her flash-in-the-pan technology, to her ads, from her direct mail program to her ad producers, Meg Whitman is all about out-sourcing.
WHITMAN IPHONE APP: MADE IN CANADA. Today, Meg Whitman launched a new iPhone application for her campaign. PurpleForge, a company with offices in Ottawa, Canada, New York and Georgia, created the application that allows subscribers to view the latest propaganda from Team Whitman. [iTunes.Apple.com, accessed 8/27/10; PurpleForge.com, accessed 8/27/10]
WHITMAN ‘MADE SMALL BUSINESS DREAMS COME TRUE' - IN TEXAS. Earlier this week, Meg Whitman began airing a new ad touting her time at eBay and taking credit for helping small businesses grow. The ad features a business called EasySale. EasySale is based in Arlington, Texas. In fact, EasySale isn't even registered with the California Secretary of State to do business in California. The company was formed in and is registered to do business in Texas. [California Secretary of State, accessed 8/25/10; EasySale, Inc. Certificate of Formation, Texas Secretary of State, filed 3/4/09]
WHITMAN VOWS TO CREATE JOBS - SENDS MILLIONS TO UTAH, FLORIDA. Meg Whitman has made job creation in California one of her top three priorities. But with hundreds of millions to spend on her campaign, Whitman chose out-of-state mail firms when she awarded her campaign's business - sending work to Utah and Florida. Arena Communications, which has been paid at least $3.8 million, is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Majority Strategies, which has been paid more than $3.6 million, is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, according to the company's website. [Meg Whitman for Governor 2010, California Secretary of State Form 460s; Deseret Morning News, 6/26/05; Majority Strategies Website, accessed 8/27/10]
WHITMAN'S ADS PRODUCED IN TEXAS. Meg Whitman's ads are produced by Scott Howell & Company, with offices in Dallas, Texas and Washington, D.C. Howell has been paid more than $3.4 million for his work. [Meg Whitman for Governor 2010, California Secretary of State Form 460s; Scott Howell & Company Website, accessed 8/27/10]
Leading Women's Health Organizations Back Brown for Governor, Condemn Meg Whitman for Double Talk on Women's Privacy, Safety Issues
OAKLAND, CA - In recognition of California Attorney General Jerry Brown's record of strong and consistent support for women's health issues, NARAL Pro-Choice California, and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) today announced their support for Brown for Governor and condemned Republican candidate Meg Whitman for her cynical double talk on fundamental women's health issues.
"For those who believe in a woman's right to choose, the choice is clear," said Amy Everitt, State Director for NARAL Pro-Choice California. "Jerry Brown has always been an uncompromising champion of a woman's right to choose; having proven time and again his commitment to preserving a woman's right to a safe, legal abortion."
"Planned Parenthood only endorses candidates who are 100% respectful of a woman's right to make the very private, very personal decisions regarding her own reproductive health, 100% of the time," said Kathy Kneer, President of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.
"We know that Jerry Brown is 100% respectful of these fundamental rights. Based upon her record, and her refusal to answer our basic questions seeking clarity from her on these issues, we do not believe California women can trust Meg Whitman to respect their right to make fundamental decisions regarding their own reproductive health."
"During the Republican Primary, Meg Whitman's campaign web site prominently featured an op-ed written by a campaign co-chair, which attacked her Primary opponent as a ‘pro-abortion candidate,' and for his ‘100 positive rating from Planned Parenthood.' The op-ed also declared that Whitman supports the Hyde Amendment," said Kneer.
Meg Whitman also has engaged in cynical double talk on public funding for abortions. In 2009, she told the Flash Report that she supported public funding for abortions. In 2010, Whitman attacked Steve Poizner for supporting public funding for abortions. That's right, Whitman attacked Poizner for a position she herself had espoused less than a year before.
"In light of her conflicted rhetoric, we asked Meg Whitman to meet with Planned Parenthood to clarify her views on reproductive health issues. She refused," added Kneer.
"What we have here is political cynicism at its worst: calling yourself pro-choice, while at the same time, attacking others for being pro-choice. Just like there's no such thing as being a little bit pregnant, there's no such thing as being a little bit pro-choice. You either are, or you're not."
"Meg Whitman disregarded NARAL Pro-Choice California as well," added NARAL's Everitt. "We twice invited her to attend our candidate forum to answer questions and elaborate on her views, and she twice declined. At the same time, Jerry Brown showed up and reiterated to voters his deep commitment to choice and privacy."
"California women just can't trust Meg Whitman," concluded PPAC's Kneer. "We sure don't."
As Governor, Jerry Brown signed the "Pregnancy Freedom of Choice Act" giving unmarried women under the age of 21 the opportunity for state-funded prenatal care and counseling; as well as a bill to require county health clinics to provide physicians and surgeons with lists of family planning and birth control clinics.
After the passage of the Hyde Amendment, the Carter Administration cut off federal funding which previously protected the right to safe and legal abortions. Despite losing federal funding and the Supreme Court ruling that states were not required to fund abortions, Brown continued to provide state funding for abortions for low-income women.
Jerry Brown also supports Roe v. Wade, the Freedom of Choice Act, and Medicaid funding of abortions. He opposes any Constitutional amendment outlawing abortion, mandatory parental notification/consent laws, and clinics that do not provide women with medically accurate information about all of their medical options.
NARAL Pro-Choice California is a statewide organization that works through the political and legislative systems to fulfill their mission: to develop and sustain a constituency that uses the political process to guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion.
Established in 1974, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California is an organization that supports public policies promoting education, counseling and clinical services for reproductive health and family planning. PPAC is the statewide public policy office representing the nine separately incorporated Planned Parenthood organizations in California.
Sterling Clifford Issues Statement on New SBAC Ad Attack
Oakland, CA - Brown Campaign Spokesman Sterling Clifford this morning issued the following statement in response to the so-called Small Business Action Committee's launch of a second false and misleading ad attacking Jerry Brown:
Meg Whitman, having now shredded her credibility with the voters through slash-and-burn, over-top-top attack ads, has apparently found someone to do her dirty work.
Whitman paid SBAC $10,000 to be included in its slate mailer. SBAC endorsed her two days later.
Now SBAC is running more television ads than Meg Whitman.
Who's paying for all of the ads? This week we got a partial answer.
The ‘Small' Business Action Committee is funded by BIG special interests.
SBAC's new attempt to distort Jerry Brown's record will fail just like all of the others.
It's time for Joel Fox to disclose all of SBAC's major donors. It's time for them to let the sunlight in.
The new SBAC ad is the second in a more than $3 million ad flight running throughout California. This week the Small Business Action Committee reported more than $1 million in funding from companies like Anheuser-Busch and Altria, the parent company of tobacco giant Philip Morris.
Among other things, SBAC's new attack ad misrepresents Attorney General Brown's commitment to defending the laws of the State of California, and in particular, AB 32, California's landmark anti-climate change bill - a law that Whitman opposes.
To get the Facts on SBAC's Lies, please see the Truth Box below.
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SCRIPT |
TRUTH |
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Male Voiceover: How did we get here? Ask the politicians |
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Jerry Brown is a 40-year politician. |
BROWN HAS MEG WHITMAN |
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As governor, he left California with 11% unemployment. |
AD FAILS TO TELL 1.9 MILLION NEW CALIFORNIA UNDER CALIFORNIA'S IN 1982 THE CALIFORNIA'S |
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As attorney general, Brown threatened businesses with |
BROWN SOUGHT TO |
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... bragging he has 1,100 government lawyers ready to sue. |
THE ATTORNEY BROWN'S |
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So are you surprised jobs are leaving California? |
CLAIM THAT |
130 Miles From Texas?
Oakland - Brown campaign spokesman Sterling Clifford today issued the following statement in response to Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's launch of a new ad, titled "130 Miles," which decries the distance between Sacramento and the innovation of Silicon Valley:
As part of her multi-million dollar campaign of falsehoods, Meg Whitman has launched another misleading attack ad.
In the ad, Whitman says she made the dreams of small businesses come true. But the small business she chooses to highlight, EasySale, isn't even a California business. Not only is EasySale based in Texas; the company isn't even registered to do business in California.
Her ad also touts the innovation of Silicon Valley and notes that it is the home of companies like Apple Computer. But what she doesn't tell California is that Apple was founded in California when Jerry Brown was governor. Whitman also neglects to mention that Jerry Brown created an environment where businesses thrived, 1.9 million new jobs were created, and eight Fortune 500 companies were founded when he was governor.
If Meg Whitman ran California the way she ran eBay, what would it mean for small businesses? If past is prologue, her record at eBay would suggest continually higher fees, and less profit.
The facts are clear: Jerry Brown is the only candidate with the knowledge and experience to get California Working again.
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WHITMAN AD CLAIMS |
TRUTH |
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Sacramento and Silicon Valley are only 130 miles apart; |
MEG WHITMAN IS |
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Sacramento, mismanaged, ineffective.
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AND GOVERNED BY |
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Silicon Valley gave us Apple, Intel, eBay. |
APPLE WAS
AT LEAST 8 DURING BROWN'S Fortune 500 company, was also launched in California |
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Here, Meg Whitman started with 30 people, led them, managed |
MEG'S STYLE OF WHITMAN'S CLAIMS According to Randall Stross' book, eBoys: The First Inside eBay's own 1998 prospectus says, "The Company's total |
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Executed the plan that grew this main street company to |
"SMALL BUSINESS" EASYSALE NOT EBAY UNDER WHITMAN 'JACKED [San APPARENTLY MAIN COMPENSATION AT EBAY SKYROCKETED TO MORE THAN $120 As |
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To change California let's send Meg Whitman up the road, |
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Birthers, Meg Whitman Unite to Attack Brown
Oakland - The Small Business Action Committee (SBAC) - an organization run by paid Whitman endorser Joel Fox and right-wing "birther" James Lacy - today launched yet another round of false attacks against Jerry Brown.
"There are no surprises in this ad, just the same debunked distortions of Jerry Brown's record," said Brown campaign spokesman Sterling Clifford. "Joel Fox sold out to Meg Whitman and is trying to sell lies and distortions to California voters."
Fox and the SBAC accepted $10,000 from Meg Whitman in March of 2010, two days before the SBAC formally endorsed Whitman in a press release that included a quote from Fox.
Despite an overwhelming consensus that Meg Whitman's claims about Brown's record as Governor are false, the SBAC repeats the same falsehoods. The facts are that Brown decreased government spending as a percentage of State GDP, cut the state budget, and out-performed every governor who followed when it came to job creation.
Just who is it funding this most recent attack on Brown? Voters don't know, because the SBAC refuses to disclose the interests who funded the million-dollar ad buy. Is it the same Texas oil companies funding Proposition 23? Only Joel Fox knows, and he isn't saying.
We do know, however, who runs the SBAC with Fox. In addition to Fox, the SBAC is run by James Lacy, a well-known right-wing activist who is also a co-founder of the United States Justice Foundation, which has filed multiple lawsuits challenging President Obama's citizenship.
"I'm sure neither Meg Whitman nor Joel Fox want to admit their ties to 'Birthers', but there it is." Clifford said. "This ridiculous ad is right on the level of Lacy's absurd demands for the President's birth certificate."
Whitman Adds Another $13,000,000
On Friday night, Meg Whitman added another $13 million, bringing her personalspending in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign to $104,000,000. Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford's response is below:
Meg Whitman continues to pour unprecedented millions into a campaign of unprecedented dishonesty. Her ads have been proven false, her trickle-down tax breaks for the super rich are a proven failure, and the late night disclosure is all about keeping voters in the dark.
Brown Campaign Announces Launch of Meg-A-Myths Website
Oakland - While Meg Whitman continues her campaign of distortions and lies about Jerry Brown with a new, false radio ad, Brown's Campaign this week launched a new website to document Whitman's biggest lies and flip-flops. The site, www.meg-a-myths.com, went live Tuesday. In addition to a compilation of Whitman's biggest lies, you can read about the many falsehoods in her latest attack on Brown.
"Meg Whitman is either incapable or unwilling to tell the truth - about Jerry Brown, California or herself," said Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford. "If she won't, we will. And we'll put all the documentation of her lies in one convenient place."
Whitman's lies and distortions began immediately, as she falsely claimed in her first TV ad to have lived in California for 30 years. In fact, after moving to California to take one of the 1.9 million jobs created under Jerry Brown's leadership, Whitman returned to the East Coast where she was born, living in Boston for most of the 1990's.
From details like where she lived to critical issues facing California like worker furloughs (she was for them before she was against them) to immigration (she would let the Arizona law stand, but not in California) or the environment (she claims to support the goals of AB 32, but would repeal the law), there is no issue too large or small for Meg Whitman to lie about.
The top-five Meg-A-Myths include lies about her position on immigration, her residency, voting history, history of assaulting employees, and her relationship to investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Meg-a-Myths on the web. Follow Meg-a-Myths on Twitter. Like Meg-a-Myths on Facebook.
Make What Happen?
Oakland - Following the release of the Whitman for Governor ad titled "Make it Happen," Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford made the following statement:
Meg Whitman today released the latest ad in her record setting assault on California's airwaves, full of lies and half-truths as usual.
Just what was the idea eBay had when Whitman showed up? An idea that by Meg's own admission had revenues growing by 70% a month. A business model so good that "even my pin-striped Harvard MBA classmates would have done a double take." A company successful enough to pay Whitman $145,000 in her first 10 months as CEO. Not exactly a start up in someones garage.
In her final three years and CEO of eBay, Whitman oversaw a crash in the company's value, as eBay share prices tumbled nearly 50%.
Whitman claims that at eBay she created 15,000 jobs. Of course she doesn't say that 40% of them were overseas. And she doesn't acknowledge that as a fraction of the 1.9 million jobs created in California when Jerry Brown was Governor.
If Meg Whitman ran California the way she ran eBay, what would it mean for small businesses? Apparently, continually higher fees, and less profit.
Meg Whitman's jobs plan? A California photo album, a tax cut for the wealthiest Californians that would blow an even bigger hole in the deficit, and a rejection of AB32 - California's world-leading climate change law that will protect our environment and help us capture the innovative clean-energy jobs of the future.
Jerry Brown is the only candidate with the knowledge and experience to get California Working again.
Whitman Goes on John and Ken, Comes Back with New Positions on Key Issues
Oakland – After dodging their questions for weeks, Meg Whitman finally appeared with conservative radio hosts John and Ken on KFI in Los Angeles, but she continued to flip-flop on key issues for California.
“Meg Whitman went on the radio to defend her past flip-flop and ended up back-flipping into more,” said Brown Campaign Manager Steven Glazer. “She gets a perfect 10 for political contortions, gyrations and summersaults. Her lack of truthfulness and her failure to talk straight to voters in English and Spanish is very troubling.”
After months of calling California’s landmark climate change law AB32 a “job-killer," Whitman refused to take a firm position on Proposition 23 – which would repeal AB32. “In all likelihood, I will vote no” on 23 Whitman said, seconds after calling for a suspension of AB32. The statement stands in stark contrast to her earlier assurances in the Ventura County Star that she favored an outright repeal. Recent polls show widespread support for protecting the environment.
“Political opportunism at its worst,” said Glazer. “Californians deserve leadership and honesty, not poll-driven pandering.”
Whitman also offered an emphatic “Yes” when asked if she would lay-off 40,000 state workers, a position quite a bit different than she’s held in the past – saying she favored reducing the state workforce through attrition.
Whitman went on the show in large part to defend her campaign taking one position on immigration in English, and another position in Spanish, and she promptly announced a third position – uninformed.
Whitman published an op-ed in Spanish language newspapers claiming she and Brown shared similar positions on immigration. Wednesday she told John and Ken that she didn’t know Brown’s immigration position when she “wrote” the op-ed.
“Whitman and her campaign team – which is staffed at a presidential level – monitors every statement put out by our candidate,” Glazer said. “To claim to be that uninformed at this point in the race is preposterous.”
Glazer called on Whitman to drop her misleading ads and tell Californians what she believes once and for all.
“There are too many serious challenges facing our state to waste time sorting through Meg Whitman’s discarded beliefs,” said Glazer. “Californians need answers, not more consultant-driven pabulum. Jerry Brown has a record of accomplishment, a consistent philosophy of frugality and honesty, and he’ll tell the truth even if Whitman never does.”
Brown Files First Post-Primary Finance Report
Oakland - Attorney General Jerry Brown 's Gubernatorial Campaign Committee today filed its first post-primary finance report with the California Secretary of State, showing more than $2.6 million raised in the six weeks covered by the filing period.
"Our fundraising demonstrates that we will have the resources to get our message out to voters about the experience, independence and authenticity of Jerry Brown. Meg Whitman is trying to use massive amounts of money and advertising to cover up her history of not voting and not caring about public affairs," said Brown campaign manager Steven Glazer."This campaign will offer a stark contrast between an artificial candidate with hollow promises and a proven problem solver who has the experience and know how to get California working again."
For this period, which covered May 23 to June 30 of 2010, Brown showed $2,685,732 in monetary donations, expenses of $130,799. The campaign has brought in $24.3 million through the end of June, with expenses of $377,333 in 2010.
While July is not included in the current filing, Brown has taken in an additional $1.1 million in the last four weeks.