Skelton - Obscurity Allows Westly to Shape His Own Image

[realFedUp]

(this is a good start in getting to know Steve)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap21jul21,1,382731.column

Obscurity Allows Westly to Shape His Own Image
George Skelton
Capitol Journal

July 21, 2005

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking increasingly beatable if he runs for reelection next year. But as the old adage goes: You can't beat somebody with nobody.

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Westly, 48, was raised near Palo Alto, graduated from Stanford, built a dotcom fortune at EBay and returned to Stanford to teach business.

"I created thousands of jobs in a new economy company," he says. "It's a background that resonates with people."

He was a longtime Democratic activist before being elected state controller in 2002 — by just three-tenths of 1% over state Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks).

The smarter way, he says, includes paring waste and imposing efficiencies. And, of course, we've heard that before — including from the current governor.

Westly takes it another step or two. He wants to crack down on the "gray market" — the cash economy, where people avoid paying taxes.

"I don't want to clamp down on individual workers," he says, "but people who are hiring in mass, violating the law. And also go after offshore tax scams."

The controller claims credit for successfully implementing Legislature-passed tax amnesty programs that have netted the state $1 billion-plus. He believes another $1 billion could be seized from similar programs.

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