more fuel for your Davis fire...

-----Original Message-----
From: The RMR INSIDER [mailto:rmrinsider@rmrwest.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2001 2:11 PM
To: rmrinsider@rmrwest.com
Subject: Gray Davis' New Radio Ads Continue Campaign of Lies and
Half-Truths


THE INSIDER: Political Information Network
THE AUTHORITATIVE GUIDE FOR SACRAMENTO INSIDERS AND POLITICAL LEADERS

M E M O R A N D U M

TO:  Sacramento Political Insiders & Interested Parties
FROM: Russo Marsh + Rogers, Inc.
RE:  Gray Davis Radio Ads & The Whole Truth about New Power
Plants
DATE:  July 9, 2001

GRAY DAVIS' NEW RADIO ADS CONTINUE CAMPAIGN OF LIES AND HALF-TRUTHS
DAVIS CLAIMS CREDIT FOR POWER PLANTS LAUNCHED BEFORE HE EVEN TOOK OFFICE

The launching of statewide radio ads by the Gray Davis campaign, a full 16
months ahead of Election Day, should not come to anyone's surprise.  Nor
should anyone be surprised that the new radio ads are full of the typical
Davis lies and half-truths.

Davis has made raising money for his re-election campaign the #1 goal of his
administration, and obviously that money will be spent to twist Davis'
failed record for those who don't know better. The real news in these ads is
the brazen half-truths that permeate these so-called "energy updates."

The ads are billed as almost public service announcements, but in a real
public service, we here at Russo Marsh + Rogers have to set the record
straight with the entire story:

"Of the 16 new power plants Gray Davis seems to be claiming credit for
almost personally developing and constructing, he actually deserves credit
for none!"

Here are the facts:  Of the 16 plants Davis takes credit for, every single
one was first planned for construction and siting before Davis even became
governor.

Ten actually began the licensing process or applied for state certification
before Davis' term in office began.

And the final 6 plants?  Building a power plant is a major undertaking.
Feasibility studies by the plant builder begin months before the first piece
of paper arrives at the Energy Commission.  If you assume that the builder
of a plant first started internal studies only twelve months before their
first license application, then guess what?  They were started under the
previous administration too!

Furthermore, Gray Davis did not appoint his third member of the 5-member
California Energy Commission until February 2001!  And even that third
appointee was a reappointment of Bill Keese, who was originally appointed by
you guessed it, Pete Wilson, "father of deregulation and all things evil in
California."

The truth is that while Gray Davis is boasting of personally licensing these
16 new plants - the heavy load was carried by the previous administration.
Davis is desperately trying to spin his way out of an energy disaster
created when he fiddled away precious time last year, denied utilities the
right to long-term contracting and falsely insisted he was on top of the
energy "challenge."

The Gray Davis spin machine now takes on a new phase with his $30 million
campaign war chest to rewrite history.   It's no news at all that his
desperate first campaign ads are filled with the same half-truths he's been
repeating since day one.

Fortunately, the RM+R Insider will be here for you, every time, to serve as
the "Truth Squad" against Gray's distortions.

# # #

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Russo Marsh + Rogers, Inc.
770 L Street, Suite 950
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 441-3734