Denham deserves our support
It’s often said that the shortest path to the truth in politics
is to follow the money.
Anyone who has paid a whit of attention to the scandalous effort
to recall state Sen. Jeff Denham can see the money trail. Even more
troubling is the shadow of self-interest and partisan politics.
Denham deserves our support
It’s often said that the shortest path to the truth in politics is to follow the money.
Anyone who has paid a whit of attention to the scandalous effort to recall state Sen. Jeff Denham can see the money trail. Even more troubling is the shadow of self-interest and partisan politics.
The recall effort is a tawdry tale of opportunism, money game and abuse of power. Denham should not be recalled from office.
Denham, whose district stretches from the heart of the Central Valley, through San Benito County to Salinas Valley, is a good fit for his district. He has a deep understanding of the agriculture industry. He is an outspoken advocate for public education. He guards the public’s money as if it was his own.
The story stretches back nearly a year, to when the Legislature was deadlocked over the state budget.
Faced with a damaged economy, the Legislature split along party lines. Republicans demanded a balanced budget. Democrats sought to create a budget that would force Gov. Arnold Schwarzenneger to make the hard decisions.
This is where Denham’s bipartisan history begins to hurt him. Then-Senate leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, sought to call in a favor. He had appointed Denham chair of the powerful Senate Agriculture Committee. The payback would demand that he break ranks with the GOP to endorse the Democratic budget.
True to his fiscal conservatism, Denham refused.
The result is the recall effort, one that Perata has reportedly admitted to be political payback. It’s probably no coincidence that Perata revels in his nickname – the Don – and all that it implies.
That’s not what we elect legislators for. Voters have already made it clear: they want progress over partisanship.
Perata is no longer in the state Senate. Termed out, he’s spent an estimated $1 million on lawyers fighting corruption allegations against him that go back more than five years.
Keep following the money. The recall effort was doomed from near its launch, but it is a ham-fisted grab at Denham’s own campaign war chest. Denham has made no secret of his interest in a statewide office. If Perata can make that more difficult by emptying Denham’s bank account, then he wins in the twisted value system that is Sacramento politics.
Is this what the recall provision in the state constitution was intended for? There are no charges of criminal misconduct against Denham. There are no credible charges of malfeasance. By all accounts, the effort targets a decent, hard-working legislator.
As tired as we are of having Bay Area legislators call the shots for San Benito County, a place we suspect many could not find on a map, this attempt to rob us of the legislator we elected is bigger than that.
This is about right and wrong. We all should do the right thing.
