Tribes, Intuit Spend Big on GOP Controller Race

A group of casino-owning Indian tribes calling itself Team 2006 just reported spending $917,000 to purchase TV advertising time for Tony Strickland, the Republican candidate for controller. They also listed a $100,000 TV expenditure for Strickland's wife, Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (R-Moorpark) and her reelection campaign.

This makes the race between Democrat John Chiang and Strickland — both little-known to most Californians — competitive. Republicans believe they can take this seat away from Democrats, along with insurance commissioner and possibly lieutenant governor. If the GOP also retains the secretary of state office and governorship, it would be a huge victory for Republicans in California, while the rest of the country appears to be tilting Democratic.

Why would the tribes care about the Republican candidate in the controller's race? The state controller sits on influential tax boards, but Democratic leaders also believe the casino owners are sending a message to Democratic lawmakers: We reward friends, like the Stricklands. The Democrat-controlled Legislature failed to approve gambling compacts before they ended their 2006 session, angering the tribes seeking to expand their operations.

UPDATE: Dan Morain reports: In another indication that the controller's race is emerging as a major battleground, software giant Intuit reported today that it had poured $1 million into an independent campaign committee called Alliance for a Better Tomorrow, which in turn made an initial $66,000 television purchase for Strickland. The Alliance has taken five-figure donations from an array of other businesses, including tobacco companies, utilities and liquor interests.

And L.A. Times tax expert Evan Halper says that Intuit is hoping to kill off for good California's popular ReadyReturn program, which provides already-completed tax returns to some Californians. In surveys, taxpayers praised the program, which is managed in part by the state controller. But Intuit sees it as a threat to its TurboTax business. The Legislature opted not to renew the program next year after the company spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a lobbying campaign against it. Intuit wants to make sure it stays dead.

(Photo: AP)