Recall candidate to visit campus today after statewide debate airs

By Rory Sa

Fresh from her heated altercation with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger in Wednesday’s recall debate, independent candidate and self-described political gadfly Arianna Huffington will be at Fresno State at noon today to drum up support for her run for Governor.

Huffington, joined Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, Green Party candidate Peter Camejo, Republican state Senator Tom McClintock and Schwarzenegger at CSU Sacramento Wednesday evening to engage in a statewide, televised debate.

Huffington is the first candidate in the October 7 recall election to visit Fresno State.

Huffington plans to discuss the CSU’s tuition hikes, proposition 54 and her proposed initiative for “Clean Elections” in California.

Huffington took advantage of the debate to introduce her “Clean Elections,” proposal, which would create a fund to help publicly finance state elections.

If placed on next year’s ballot and approved by voters, it would prohibit politicians who volunteer to participate in the program from accepting contributions from private sources such as unions or corporations.

Funding for the new initiative would be paid for with a tax on oil extracted from the earth. The tax rate would be determined by the Board of Equalization, and would end after six years.

The proposal requires 600,000 signatures in order to be on the ballot for 2004.