CITIZEN'S QUESTION: Everybody talks about wanting a colorblind society, but what does that actually mean to you? In other words, how do we know when we have succeeded?
HUFFINGTON: Well, first of all, we will never know if we've achieved a colorblind society if we pass Proposition 54, because it would make it impossible to collect the kind of data we need to know whether we are making progress.
MODERATOR: Would you please explain what (Prop.) 54 is?
HUFFINGTON: Prop. 54 is basically racial discrimination without leaving a paper trail. I will be more explicit. It would make it impossible for government institutions to gather the data we need to establish where we are. But also, just let me say how we are going to know when we have a colorblind society. We don't have a colorblind society while people can get into Yale with a C average just because their daddy went there, like our president did. We don't have a colorblind society when you have minorities, especially African-Americans in this state, who have a much bigger chance of getting into jail than getting into college. We don't have a colorblind society when there's one-third more uninsured Latinos than whites. We don't have a colorblind society when minorities are more likely to be in dysfunctional schools with teachers who lack certification and with no textbooks.
MODERATOR: Thank you. For clarification of 54, and she did a rather good version of what 54 is. Proposition 54 does prohibit the state of California from collecting most race-related data.
HUFFINGTON: That's not what I said.
MODERATOR: Am I debating? Can we hear from Arnold Schwarzenegger on this? Let's get in on this one, gang.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I think that it's very important that we preach and practice tolerance, equality for everyone, and it starts with education. This why I got involved with after-school programs in the inner cities. I started the Inner City Games after-school programs that are now nationwide and we are reaching out to 200,000 children because I feel very strongly that the kids in the inner cities get disadvantaged, with education especially. Just recently, our governor and Cruz Bustamante has cut $122 million of textbooks for inner-city schools, which is unfair. (Interrupted, unintelligible) It's the same administration, it's the same mold. Don't tell me otherwise. Let me just tell you, we need to make sure that our kids get great education everywhere, and this is what I'm fighting for. It's the same thing in the job market. The people have to have the same right for work and the same kind of opportunities. Right now, for instance, we have a 6.6 percent unemployment rate in California. We have an increase of unemployment amongst women, 25 percent, among Hispanics, 20 percent, and amongst African Americans, 45 percent. Where is the equality here? We need to fight for equality, and I will fight for it when I'm governor. I think the governor sets the tone on that. We need equality here in this state.
MODERATOR: Thank you Mr. Schwarzenegger. I know that Cruz Bustamante wants a piece of this. Go ahead.
BUSTAMANTE: Arnold, I know that you probably don't know, but I'm the author of the textbook bill. During the entire time I was in the Legislature, I fought for textbooks for schools. In the last year I was in the Legislature, we got $1 billion for textbooks in schools. Because everybody had their great ideas about reforming schools and I went to schools and I didn't see textbooks. And so my great reform was to try and make sure that every kid in California had updated textbooks. I know you probably wouldn't know that...
SCHWARZENEGGER: Just so you know, you guys cut out $122 million, and the ACLU has sued the Los Angeles Unified School District because they have no toilets there that are flushing, paint is peeling off. If you call this equality in education, I think it is outrageous. You know what you guys do, you politicians...
BUSTAMANTE: Yes, Arnold, go ahead.
SCHWARZENEGGER: You go into the classroom, you do the photo op. You do the photo op, and then you leave and we may never see you again.
BUSTAMANTE: You're one to talk about photo ops, Arnold.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I'm providing the after-school programs, Cruz, and you know that.
HUFFINGTON: Hold on a second. Let me just counter that. You said that you were providing after-school care. You know, your crowning achievement, the passage of Proposition 49, has not provided after-school care for a single child in the state of California because there was no funding stream. It was nothing but a photo opportunity initiative. It was nothing but a springboard for your run for governor. And it is really irresponsible for you to stand or sit here and tell us that you're providing after-school care. Isn't it true that not a single child has gotten after-school care because of Prop. 49?
SCHWARZENGGER: First of all, our after school programs...
HUFFINGTON: Yes or no?
SCHWARZENGGER: Like I told you already...
HUFFINGTON: Yes or no?
SCHWARZENEGGER: (Unintelligible)... has provided after school programs for 200,000 kids. Proposition 49 was the responsible way to go about it to get after-school programs. Because what the initiative says, it has a trigger mechanism. Only when the state makes an additional $1.5 billion in revenue, then the program can get funded. Right now we have a financial crisis, that's why it's not getting funded. If the Cruz Bustamante/Davis administration had done that since the year 2000 with all of the programs, we wouldn't have a budget deficit right now. (Interrupted, unintelligible) That is correct because I don't want to use money from other programs.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Mr. Schwarzenegger. We have gotten off point and I'd like Cruz Bustamante to finish his comments on this issue of colorblindness.
BUSTAMANTE: Thank you. Just to complete the thought, however, in the call that Arnold had presented. If you go to any school in California and you ask them the name of the author of the textbook bill, they'll tell you, Arnold. All you have to do is ask. But in terms of the issue of equality, I think Arianna in this particular case is absolutely right. We cannot get there if we're going to pass Proposition 54. It's bad, it is a bad proposal. In fact, we believe it will jeopardize the health care. And all you have to do is ask all the doctors and all the nurses, ask any health organization in the state. They are opposed to Proposition 54. I hope people make sure they do not vote for Proposition 54.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I totally agree with you, Cruz.
BUSTAMANTE: And the last thing is that equal opportunity doesn't come from tolerance. I'm going to tolerate somebody? No, it comes from acceptance and making sure that everyone is accepted and that we embrace our diversity. We don't attack immigrants, we don't attack Native Americans, we don't attack people. What we do is accept people and try to have everyone have an equal opportunity in California.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Cruz. We need two more comments on this issue and those comments will come from Senator McClintock and then Mr. Camejo.
MCCLINTOCK: Well, thank you. In respect to Prop. 49, I don't think it's fiscally responsible to obligate to spend money when we don't have it. But, getting to the main point, and this is something that I think everyone has lost sight of, disadvantaged children come in all colors. It is their condition of disadvantage that we seek to compensate. It is not a question of race. Proposition 54, I believe I'm the only candidate on this platform who supports Proposition 54, simply says that our government has got to stop classifying us by race. It doesn't matter what race you are. The government should treat everyone exactly the same. And again, when you talk about disadvantage, it's the disadvantage itself that we should be correcting and compensating. I think that this nation's best when we are all one race, an American race. And this business of government classifying us according to different ethnic groups, different racial categories, that is foreign to the whole concept of one great American people.
MODERATOR: Mr. Camejo, go ahead.
CAMEJO: Well, you know, the issue here is this is a proposition that promotes ignorance. It says we will not know. Look, if you made a poll right now and asked people what your income level is between right- and left-handed, we all know it would be about the same, or education level. But it isn't on race. If you ask the Latinos, do they have the same education? They have less. They have less income and they pay a higher tax rate. Do you know that? Latinos in California pay a higher tax rate than European Americans. But Prop. 54 doesn't allow us to know that. We're not allowed to ask the questions. So how can we correct problems that exist in our society, which are complex? And I welcome what Tom says and Arnold says that they are for equality, but if you're for equality you have to be willing to have the information so we can take the necessary action to change this. And Prop. 54 is a very dangerous bill because what it does is leads the people to begin to think that these problems are behind us. They are far from behind us. We still have enormous problems to solve in our society.
| Go back for the rest of the Associated Press (via San Francisco Chronicle) transcript of last night's California gubernatorial recall debate
posted in articles on September 25, 2003 3:18 AM | t (5)
« Previous phile: Continuing to treat its creators as if they were worthless.
» Next phile: Lawal and order.
Return to top of page