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

[djmoldyb]

she could pay back craigslist for wasting their time and resources in legal defense to her totally underhanded attempt to take control and eliminate the most truely useful website ever created, or, to reimburse the millions of ebay users whom she fleeced by doubling & tripling their fees for no reason other than to make her more money and effectually ruin that website, or, to pay off employees she abused from pursuing legal action - oh yeah already did that, or, to pay back a court ordered sum of 120 million to ebay stockholders gained by insider trading - oh yeah already did that, or, to dontate to her kids college to build a new wing onto the school to assist in their being able to graduate - oh yeah already did that, or, for gas money for her nanny - oops! forgot that one... repulsive...

[greg]

she couldve bought the republican party some new ideas.

[epespinoza43]

She said she wanted to do something about Education in California: WHat about the $140mm to Dept of Ed with the stipulation that none of it would go to buildings, admin or teachers; only to students.

[Anna]

How do you keep your job with your drivel Lopez??

[EYEHEAR]

Meg Whitman can spend her money any way she wants
some millionaires die with the money hidden under their
mattress with nothing to show for it ok also she is not using
it to throw away to wolves in sheeps clothing either that
means giving it to programs designed to DESTORY CHILDREN
and FAMILIES by making ILLEGAL DRUGS legal!!!

So what if she wanted to run for office that is her business
since she did all anyone did in California do was come out and bash
her to pieces how awful maybe she picked the wrong state have you
ever thought of that? huh?

Alot of very foolish people have money and end up
dying of a DRUG OVERDOSE!!!
Money can either hurt you or help you in this case are you trying to
HURT her with her money? What is this article for anyway?

[dee]

I'm so glad for this column--the Whitman 'vanity tour' has preoccupied me lately. We know she has billions. She says she funds an educational foundation. So far her contributions have been $30M to Princeton (elitist? Her son got in...) and over $1M to a fund maintain open space near one of her homes (an elite community fighting middle-income housing being built on that land). To me, her run for office is 'vanity spending.' What would I do with $160.M 'excess' income? Shore up California dairy farmers while donating the milk products to schools/food pantries; fund six inner-city comprehensive healthcare clinics; subsidize immunization clinics for young/elderly indigents; fund rural health screening programs in concert with California medical/nursing schools; donate firefighting equipment to the hundreds of rural volunteer fire departments across California(no need for big ticket items, they'll take pagers or personal protective equipment like turnouts,respirators); fund Silicon Valley initiatives to bring computer networks into rural education... ... ... . There are so many things I would do, from buying/protecting open space to wildlife rescue on...guess I'd really need her billions to do them all, but any one of the above would be a good start for 'good citizen.' But then, 'good citizens' vote, don't they?!

[The Gunny]

May be she could buy The Times, restore some Journalistic Integrity to the paper. With The Times reporting so slanted towards supporting Brown, candidates are forced to spend these sums, just to get the word out. Of course Mr. Lopez you could help! Investigate the Allred circus! Investigate who knew what and when! No? I'm sure some reporter will break the story, after the election.

[Ramona]

Steve Lopez's opinion is like most liberal democrats that believe in hand outs. Whitman's position is to "give people the right tools to 'fish' and depend on their own abilities to survive instead of handing out pizza for one meal and be hungry again, and wait for another hand out.
WAKE UP AMERICA! WE NEED THE PROPER TOOLS TO MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN! WE MUST GO TO WORK NOT WAIT FOR HAND OUTS. Mr. Lopez... you are a shame to the Latinos, we don't come to the USA to depend on government, we come here to work! Mrs. Whitman has the abilitiy, the experience and the heart to make California prosper!

[Tom, Long Beach, California]

i admire her own financial commitment to the job....she did not get this by fund raising or any other means except earning it....how many other politicians can accurately claim that?
Wake up California, Brown will ruin this state for good, hi strack record speaks for itself.....while Meg is not my first choice either, we shoudl; give her a chance because she is the best we have right now....same for Fiorina.......cmon ladies, your chance to show the males how this should be done!

[Kevin]

Typical liberal spouting their disdain for people who worked hard and earned their fortunes.

[David]

I guess there is no problem with the current president spending nearly $1 billion to get himself elected is there?

[Mz.Am.Staff]

Frankly, on the collective front, combining ALL elections expenditures FROM ALL PARTIES, my queries are: would it be enough to bail California out of debt; how many other programs would be saved; speaking to taxation - How much in taxes was paid

[fayzie]

Oh, Steve, I love you! You are always right on. Thank you for your honesty and speaking out.

[BeenThere]

So many angry comments in defense of Meg Whitman. I was turned off by her from the primaries, with her negative campaigns. She doesn't come across as someone who negotiates or brings in various groups. CEOs like her like the power to fire people and be in total control. Well you can't just fire all the school teachers. So much anger against the unions. Now that the economy is down, all these bitter people want the rest of the employees to suffer. There was no complaints when the good times were rolling in. You're just bitter you didn't belong to a job with a union to protect you. You're not angry at CEOs like Carly Fiorina who outsourced the jobs, or the incompetent management of the Auto industry to not stay competitive. Or the absolute greed of Wall Street, no the unions are your scapegoat. Who happen to be your teachers, firefighters, police, civil servants. Sure, lay us all off, outsource our jobs too. Will that make you bitter people happy?

[c s]

im just glad she did not win....u cant buy yourself in.
she did not represent the working class people of california. also as a single mother of two,i felt she was not educated in whats its like to be on a middle class budget.