Steve Lopez: More worthwhile causes for Meg Whitman's $140 million

For $140 million, Meg Whitman could have bought every man, woman and child in Ojai -- population 7,800 -- a brand new Toyota Corolla.

Or, taking advantage of a deal now being offered by Domino’s, the GOP candidate for California governor could have sent two medium pizzas, with two toppings each, to every household in California.

Based on the latest polls, in which Whitman is dropping further away from Democrat Jerry Brown despite the huge investment of her own money in campaign staff and advertising, I’d argue that she might be doing better if she’d spent the $140 million on pizza.

Then again, since job creation is one of Whitman’s key promises, you have to wonder if she would have been better off handing out 140 $1 million grants to small businesses. In fact, it might have been smart to do that this year, establish some good will and a record of economic development, and then run for governor in four years.

Or she could have saved a state program that provides mental health services for 20,000 special education students -- a $132-million program that was one of the casualties in the latest budget cuts.

I’m wondering if you have your own suggestions on how, win or lose, Whitman might have put that $140 million to better use.

-- Steve Lopez

Photo: Whitman and Brown. L.A. Times file

Comments

[kuruc]

lopez hates republicans! he is a socialist, haven't you noticed?

[Jon D Toellner]

Or better yet, give the money to a small staff of people who would dole out $132 million in grants to political consultants, video production companies, print production firms, various personal travel agencies, and the media in return for ad time. Not all of it would stay in California but I bet most of it would.

[kuruc]

did most of you take writing lessons from lopez?

[polly]

How about an increase in the amount of money allocated to foster child services. If we take care of those children now, they will take care of us later (taxes, services). Meg could have helped secure the future of thousands of Californian's.

[IdiotsRule]

She could have set up a scholarship fund for underprivileged, minority students.

Posted by: Tiesha | October 27, 2010 at 11:59 AM

Why not a scholarship fund to help kids? Why does it have to be minority kids? Oh that's right...all white people are rich, even the homeless ones.

[Mike S]

I love how people accuse Whitman of buying political office with her money and ignore the fact that she's losing.

[David]

I wouldn't care if she spent twice that much if it meant we don't have to put up with the insufferable Jerry Brown for another 4 years. He is one of the reasons we are in the mess we are now in regards to transportation and pensions. was going to suggest she spend it to train Jerry to do something other than be a political junkie but it would probably just be a waste of money since he has no other apparent talents.

[blackone]

Ego tripping is not worth $140 million?

[avocats]

How about suggestions for better uses of the millions that the Mayor and City Council spend on campaigning, slush funds, "aides" and PR flacks.

[Mary Ann]

Why are all of you discussing what someone does with THEIR money??? Are all of you altruistic souls spending your dimes and nickels toward all these projects? We are not a socialist state yet. Why aren't you asking about Barbra Streisand, Oliver Stone, former SKG founders, other Hollywood moguls, et. al, to spend THEIR money on these "worthy" projects instead of fund raisers for Democratic candidates? It is this kind of garbage that keeps really good people from running for office in the first place. I just think it is odd the Dems are not held to the same standard as you put Meg Whitman on.

[RockyfromCali]

Yeah, how dare she spend her own money...the nerve.

If she was any kind of politician, she would obviously have spent a spectacular amount of money that was earned by others, and taken, via union dues, to support candidates who have already done damage to the interest of said union members.

[yoiamme]

She also could have saved a ton of money and just rented a copy of Citizen Kane. That would have also saved me a ton of year and tear on my remove control mute button. In the meantime, I would like 2 Dominos pizzas, extra cheese, fresh tomato. Nothing to drink, thank you.

[LAmom]

I disagree with the pizza suggestion. But $140 million would have saved many K-12 teachers' jobs...oh that's right, they have those FABULOUS pensions Whitman wants to remove. Sure, she take them away, but not until she's also spent 30 years in a public school classroom to see how those pensions have been earned. Ha. Believe me, public school teachers and their fabulous pensions aren't cackling all the way to the bank, they are trying to educate your idiot, illiterate 10-year-old in a world where people would rather watch cable or play on their XBOX.

[Randy]

Steve Lopez is singling out Whitman because it's one of Brown's talking points.
And Lopez is unable to think for himself.

[Mike_SGV]

Donate to the public schools; or to homeless shelters or food banks; or fix all the potholes in LA County. $100 mil for a campaign is like burning money for no good purpose.

[Brett]

Has anybody actually tallied up the money spent by and on behalf of the Brown campaign? I know his campaign has spent less than a quarter of Meg's money, and he still has $10 million left. For everybody saying that the union money equals that spent by Whitman, you're simply flat wrong. Whitman's been spending money for the past 19 months; the ads for Brown didn't begin until he announced his candidacy very late in the game.

[Russell]

I agree here. She could have done much more good with this money than blow it trying to convince Californians she is something she's not. What it HAS proved however, is that Californian's votes cannot be purchased. She started bombarding us months before Brown ever bothered to respond and yet she's losing. Why? Because she is unqualified, vicious, nasty, dishonest and has the personality of a wet paper bag. Brown has only spent +/-$40M on his campaign. Even if you count what the unions and others have spent on his behalf it will pale in comparison to Meglomaniac's expenditure when coupled with the outside interests that supported her in the millions. Face it, she spent enough to provide care for disabled children in CA for year and she's going to lose. Were she a decent person this would embarrass her into leaving California altogether. I for one hope it does.

[Paul R.]

I don't know why anyone would want to be governor of this failed, apparently ungovernable state, let alone spend a fortune to pursue it.

[JCM]

Isnt that just what she has personally spent? How much has she also raised and spent.

Dont get me wrong, im not a huge fan of Jerry Brown and the unions either.

It's the age old choice of choosing between two evils..

I just consider Meg Whitman to be the worst of the two evil's

[PC818]

Attention Angry White Posters: Steve Lopez asks a rather interesting question, and if you look beyond the current passions of the election, it's a question that is applicable to our entire election process.

Let's be honest, this is a ego play for Meg. A personal $120M spending spree to buy the Governorship of CA, much as she could choose to buy an island somewhere, or a private jet. If her motives were to reform/repair the state of California, this $120M could have made major improvements, much as the Gates Foundation attempts to do with its expenditures.

Meg simply cut out the "middle man" and skipped demonstrating to the people of CA that she has any real passion for the state or it's people. She just wanted to power and ego boost. That's her downfall.

Brown is just the typical "hack" politician. Of course there is too much money in the political process, but that's exactly what Meg was banking on when she attempted to buy the Governorship without showing the people of the state that she truly cared (reference her previous voting record).

[mikey]

Meg W." ad budget is obnoxious in the extreme.

Apropos of vast amounts of do-re-mi disappearing at warp speed in the ether, I wonder how much moolah these companies are spending on advertising and have roughly the same degree of noxious odor emanating therefrom?

Can we have a vote from readers on the level of odor emanating from these companies' tv ads? (Thank the gods for tivo.)

1) Progressive Insurance. I may slit my throat f I have to look at this chinless, grinning monkey/woman one more time. Here's a case where the fast forward can never be fast enough!
2) GEICO geckos? Clunky carbuncles would be preferable (as well as horrible alliteration).
3) Next to listening to sensitive Neanderthals, boiling oil in my ears would be a treat.
4) ". . . or my mattress is freeeeee!" How many mattresses piled one atop the other would drown out this fishmongers screech?

*The next doesn't quite fit the theme, but deserves a place on the list, nonetheless.)

5) Leaving aside the suitability of Brown or MW to be governor, Jerry for another 4 years? And I thought Ah-nolt was ridiculous (and, well, he is)!

[Cormac Vaughn]

More worthwhile than trying to save CA?

We should have taken her up on it.

[sallie]

The moral of Meg's failed run for office will be:

Don't Bother To Run For Office If You've Never Bothered To Vote.

[Scott]

I looked at Meg's spending as a stimulus plan for advertisers and broadcasters. At least she spent it so that's better for the California economy than keeping it in the bank.

[al walden]

She should have donated $140 million to passing Prop 19.