After Arnold: California gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell.

California, once the land of endless promise, is now the land of endless crisis. Year after year, the once-Golden State lurches from one budget mess to the next. Sacramento Bee Columnist Dan Walters calls Sacramento's latest budget deal "another mélange of gimmicks aimed at once again postponing the day of reckoning," which means that whomever succeeds Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor must confront the massive task of pulling California back into the black.

Enter Tom Campbell, the former Stanford Professor, Berkeley Dean, State Senator, State Finance Director, and US Congressman. Campbell currently teaches law at Chapman University and has thrown his hat into the race for governor, where he will face ex-Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Poizner and former eBay chief Meg Whitman in the June 2010 Republican primary.

Reason.tv's Ted Balaker sat down with Campbell to discuss what would free California from its cycle of fiscal crisis (hint: limiting spending to the increase in inflation plus population), and why Washington DC's spending spree will almost certainly bring on inflation.

Campbell says he's friendly to libertarianism, and talks about studying under Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago. Campbell thinks the Nobel laureate would suggest a "don't just do something, stand there" approach to our nation's recession, and that he would worry about politicians doing something just for the sake of doing something. Campbell clearly shares that concern, especially when "doing something" involves printing huge amounts of money. "We have built up a tailwind for inflation," says Campbell of the yearlong flurry of stimulus packages and bailouts.

During this nine-minute interview, Campbell also explains his views on marijuana legalization, why he defends California's property tax-limiting Prop 13, and why he calls the anti-gay marriage Prop 8 "a mistake."

"After Arnold" is produced and hosted by Ted Balaker. Director of Photography is Alex Manning, and Associate Producers are Nate Chaffetz, Paul Detrick and Hawk Jensen.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• politics
• california
• governor
• reason.tv
• budget
• unions
• pensions
• congressman
• libertarian
• San Francisco

[slightlygone]

im voting for this guy

[vorbeigehende]

My friend, you're confusing libertarians

and neocons. Libertarian point of view

is that the government must be restricted.

(you americans have probably the best constitution in the world, although you don't use it very often)

Your government meddled in other people's business. It has absolutely nothing to with capitalism.

I don't disavowal evils of capitalism.

But evils of communism/autoritarism

are much worse.

sincerely yours,

asshat

[theamericaninfidel1]

Let me know when you guys become a red state so I can go there on vacation.

[SoldierCyfix]

dude if you want Arny's position you better start lifting big and juicing up

[gombet]

Tom Campbell seems to be a brilliant man who truly knows where we have to go in California.

Once again the republican party has fallen for a billionaire in Meg Whitman as with many of the other candidates who have spent a minimum of $25 million of their own money where Whitman has spent $68 million of her own money. The incentive is clearly patriotism towards her own special interests and not the people of California.

[NegativeNick]

@64eugenia he already dropped out

[jbond5150]

republicans would be alright if if they stopped with the antiabortion and antigay rhetoric and moderated their views, much like campbell, on fiscal issues.

[64eugenia]

For the first time in its history, productive people and businesses are leaving California -- and in record numbers -- because of choking and burdensome taxes and regulations. Radical wasteful spending from liberals in Sacramento -- and yes, Arnold is a Hollywood liberal! -- have ruined a once great state.

Let's restore it by voting for TOM CAMPBELL!!

[jameslrd]

So am I

[swankrecords]

Campbell is an idiot. But you knew that already.

[lenny380]

Good luck winning in California that plan of less Government - they have the Biggest funded state - hence the fiscal tragedy.

[bapyou]

There are so many contradications in what you've just written that I don't have time to list them all. Good-bye.