The third and final gubernatorial debate between Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman took place at Dominican University, Oct. 12.

The debate, hosted by NBC News, was moderated by Tom Brokaw. It aired locally at 6:30 p.m. on KSEE 24.

Candidates were given 90 seconds to answer a question and 30 seconds for a rebuttal or follow-up. Instead of an opening statement, Brokaw asked both candidates to comment on President John F. Kennedy’s famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

The candidates were asked to explain the relevance of this quote and to describe how citizens can do their part to improve the state.

Whitman was given the opportunity to respond first. She said that everyone must make a sacrifice to get California back on track.

Brown responded by stating that Californians must make some tough decisions and live within their means, and that people must take the blame and stop pointing their fingers at state legislators. Whether this occurs at a local level or in Sacramento, citizens must rise above partisanship to make change, he said.

State budget

The effectiveness of the California budget process was also brought up during the debate. Both candidates said they believe the process is not sufficient, and that the budget should be determined much earlier.

Brown said that if he is elected governor, he would start the process two weeks after entering office. He also said that the budget must be discussed among all levels of the state government, not just in Sacramento.

Whitman said that a two-year budgeting cycle is what California needs. She also stated that, through her experience as CEO of eBay, she has learned how technology can make things run efficiently. As governor she would utilize technology to streamline the budget process, she said.

Capital gains tax, pension reform

The next topic was Proposition 13, which was enacted in 1978 to stop the rising of property taxes. Whitman was asked if she, as governor, would keep the current amendment or revoke it.

In response, she said she would not revoke the amendment because she believes that it is essential to the livelihood of Californians. Like Whitman, Brown said he supports the proposition and would not repeal it.

After Brown’s initial response, he added that he would keep the capital gains tax because it is a major source of revenue for the government. Whitman opposed this, saying that the tax is not just for the wealthy but also for businesses and business owners. She believes the elimination of the capital gains tax would benefit the economy, she said.

Both candidates claimed pension reform must take place in order for California’s government to run more efficiently.

Proposition 23

AB32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, and its counter legislation, Proposition 23, were the next subjects to be discussed. Enacted in 2006, AB32 aims to curb emissions from industry.

Whitman said that AB32 is unfair to those who work outside the clean-energy sector. If elected governor, she said she would sustain the bill but reform it to benefit businesses.

In contrast, Brown said he supports AB32 and, if elected governor, intends to generate one-third of California’s energy from renewable sources in future years.

Immigration

The final question concerned immigration. Brokaw asked both candidates about their views on immigration and how they might go about reducing border penetration.

Whitman said that California should implement an E-Verify system. She also thinks businesses and employers should be held accountable for whom they hire.

In addition, she said that border patrol agents are often underfunded and need more resources in order to secure the border. Whitman said that a “guest worker” program would be appropriate for California, allowing immigrants to come into the state and work only during certain seasons, then return back to their homeland.

Brown said that border patrol should be left to the federal government, since the border patrol agency is federally operated. He also stated that police chiefs could not take on the extra task of border security. Brown said that better communication between the federal government and state authorities is needed to further restrict border-crossing.

In addition, he said that a path to citizenship should be available to immigrants already in the country, whereas Whitman said that immigrants should not have this option.

This was the final debate in a series of three. Election day is Nov. 2.

For more information on the gubernatorial debates, read the Sep. 30 article, Brown, Whitman debate at UC Davis, and the Oct. 8 article, Gubernatorial candidates debate in Fresno.

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