Bill Simon

By now even a few Republicans may think Bill Simon may not have been the best choice for a candidate to run against Gov. Gray Davis. Not because of his lack of experience; he could do as good or better a job than what we have seen since Davis took office. It's more a sense that in California no one could compete against the money machine Davis has assembled. But in Simon's favor, there is one thing for sure: He would spend the next term trying to run the state of California, not raising money to run for president of the United States.

Top 10 donors to political causes Individuals who contributed the most money to California political candidates and ballot-measure campaigns from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2009: Steve Bing , Southern California businessman... $58,050,783 Steve Poizner , state insurance commissioner, candidate for governor ... $43,205,282 Steve Westly, former state controller, 2006 candidate for governor ... $41,728,277 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ... $25,871,398 Jerry Perenchio , former owner of Univision Communication Inc. ... $23,267,738 Meg Whitman , candidate for governor.

I can't bear to watch this any longer. Republican Bill Simon is running against a Democratic governor nobody likes, and the poor soul can't get out of his own way. He's tried passing himself off as an environmentalist while blasting California's tailpipe emissions legislation, and he's mugged as a can-do businessman while the IRS investigates a possible tax shelter in his family's company.

The California Assn. of Highway Patrolmen donated at least $50,000 to Gov. Gray Davis on Tuesday, four days after the Legislature approved a new contract negotiated by his administration for the union's members. The deal substantially enhances health insurance benefits for CHP officers, and gives them one extra day per month of vacation or personal leave in lieu of a planned 5% pay raise.

I was not surprised by The Times' endorsement of Gov. Gray Davis (editorial, Oct. 15). However, it was not a very flattering endorsement. You highlighted his "obsessive pursuit" of campaign dollars and his inability and slowness to "grasp the lead on critical issues," including his failure to act in a timely manner to head off the energy debacle. You implore him to drop the "perpetual fund-raising" and take the lead in finding solutions to the many problems that have escalated during his term.

When William E. Simon and Preston Martin ran into each other a few months ago at a christening ceremony for the child of a mutual friend, it proved to be far more than just a chance social encounter of old business colleagues. As circumstance would have it, both were casting about for new careers.

Not since Gov. Earl Warren led the Republican sweep of 1946 has one party swept all partisan offices in California. After 56 years, that may be about to happen again, if a current Field Poll is to be believed. Since the March 5 primary, Gov. Gray Davis has gone from a two-point deficit against his GOP challenger, Bill Simon, to a 14-point lead. If the election for governor were held today among Field Poll voters who have made up their minds, Davis would be reelected by a margin of 60% to 40%, roughly the same as his landslide election in 1998.

Struggling to regain his footing in a race long seen as his to lose, gubernatorial candidate Richard Riordan found himself Tuesday trying to convince supporters he finds it exciting that his solid lead in the Republican primary has withered into a dead heat. Coursing across Southern California, territory that his backers presumed would be securely in his column by now, he pounded his chief rival, Pacific Palisades businessman Bill Simon Jr., and cast himself as a more loyal Republican.

Bill Simon Jr., a political novice and Republican gubernatorial hopeful, touts his experience and accomplishments in business as qualifications to run California, home to the fifth-largest economy in the world. As he has campaigned, he has commiserated with small-business owners, spoken of his many corporate investments and boasted of being an "oil and gas man from way back."

Please, please, is there any prominent politician willing to run as an independent (even as a write-in) for governor of California? Gov. Gray Davis or Bill Simon is a terrible, no-win choice. Former Rep. Leon Panetta, are you listening? Arlen Grossman Culver City

I never intended to make a habit of giving free advice to candidates for governor, but since they appear to be listening, why stop now? Bill Simon finally got the hint and dropped out of the race on Saturday, and when I told Arnold Schwarzenegger to bank on his celebrity and avoid specifics, not only did he listen up, but he boldly proclaimed voters don't give a hoot about specifics. My favorite moment at Arnold's press conference last week was when former Reagan cabinet member George P.

Re "Davis Concedes Mistakes but Fights 'Power Grab,' " Aug. 20: With two-thirds of the electorate firmly against Gray Davis continuing as governor of California, clearly there is no Republican conspiracy. Rather, the recall is about Davis' inability to effectively lead the state in difficult economic times, his incompetence in handling the energy shortages two years ago and, most important, his dishonesty about the state budget deficit during his reelection campaign last year. Davis is right about one thing: This recall may lead to more recalls here and elsewhere.

Re "Simon Retraces Steps on Campaign Trail," Aug. 18: The headline says it all. The same steps will lead to the same place: defeat. Bill Simon boasts of being conservative and does what conservatives always do -- he slurs people to the center and left with the word "liberal," just as the Republicans did with the words "communist" and "socialist" in earlier times. Simon cannot make the people forget, however, that many of the problems of this state were caused by the conservative agenda: pro-energy companies, pro-oil companies and pro-excessive deregulation -- the very path that got us here.

Nope, it wasn't us, they say. Supporters of Bill Simon for governor -- both last year, and now as a candidate in a probable recall election -- say it wasn't their loyalists who sent out an e-mail letter signed "Team Simon" volunteers and advising Simon to sit out the election to avoid splitting the party vote and worse.

It was amusing to read Steve Lopez's May 7 column attacking Garry South, chief strategist of Gov. Gray Davis' reelection campaign. All of the people Lopez quotes who say bad things about South are unnamed. Is this perhaps because they are people who are bitter from losing a campaign to him? I've worked with South on a number of campaigns and can tell you that he is one of the real stars of the Democratic Party. He is one of those rare individuals with a brilliant mind that is not constricted by conventional thought and practice.

Working behind the scenes, former President Clinton played a key role in the California governor's race, helping persuade Gov. Gray Davis to launch a devastatingly effective series of ads during the Republican primary. According to campaign insiders, it was Clinton who ultimately got Davis to launch the preemptive advertising blitz that helped torpedo former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan in the March race.

Top 10 donors to political causes Individuals who contributed the most money to California political candidates and ballot-measure campaigns from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2009: Steve Bing , Southern California businessman... $58,050,783 Steve Poizner , state insurance commissioner, candidate for governor ... $43,205,282 Steve Westly, former state controller, 2006 candidate for governor ... $41,728,277 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ... $25,871,398 Jerry Perenchio , former owner of Univision Communication Inc. ... $23,267,738 Meg Whitman , candidate for governor.

Here is a recommendation for dealing with the problem of uninsured motorists: If you do not have auto insurance, then you automatically forfeit your right to sue another motorist for damages in the event of an accident regardless of who is at fault. Although it is not a complete solution, it would reduce litigation and encourage those now uninsured, to get insurance. It would also bring a sense of fairness to those who do buy insurance. BILL SIMON Los Angeles

Democratic Gov. Gray Davis inched past Republican Bill Simon Jr. on Tuesday to win a grudging second term amid a wave of discontent that kept voters home and gave minor parties their best showing in years. His surprisingly narrow victory capped a gnawing night that saw the lead trade hands several times as the candidates hunkered out of sight with their families and strategists, nervously watching television and poring over election returns.

Gov. Gray Davis is inept, incompetent and sometimes just plain stupid in the way he has run this state. I haven't seen one commercial on television that would attempt to explain how he plans to get us out of the mess that his managerially bankrupt leadership has gotten us into. He has spent millions trashing his opponents. That probably explains his answer to how he will proceed if reelected. He has no idea. Bill Simon offers nothing to go by that would encourage me to vote for him. What has he done that I can put my finger on and say, "That is what we need"?