‘Strong-Arming’ by Davis Decried

Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Simon Jr. on Monday lashed out at the fund-raising practices of the man he hopes to replace, criticizing Gov. Gray Davis for soliciting $1 million in campaign contributions from the state teachers union at a meeting in his Capitol office.

The president of the California Teachers Assn. told The Times that the solicitation occurred during a February meeting in the governor’s office at which legislation was discussed.

Davis reportedly repeated the request, which was turned down, during an event at a Compton school one week later.

“On two occasions in which the governor was supposed to be addressing the crisis in our public schools, he instead asked California’s teachers for a million dollars,” Simon said at a hastily called news conference in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.

“This mixing of policy discussions and campaign contributions is a clear and direct example of the strong-arm, pay-to-play policy discussions that are more apparent in the Davis administration every day,” said Simon, a wealthy investor who largely self-financed his campaign during the GOP primary.

The governor’s chief political strategist, Garry South, replied: “It’s easy for a rich kid who inherited millions of dollars from his old man to criticize someone who works for a paycheck and has to raise money to run for office.”

Simon, a multimillionaire investor who largely financed his campaign during the GOP primary, tied the teachers union solicitation to the unfolding Oracle scandal in Sacramento.

The software company, which contributed $25,000 to Davis, won a no-bid, $95-million contract.

State auditors have concluded that the deal favored Oracle and was of dubious value to taxpayers.

“They paint a very troubling picture,” Simon said of the two fund-raising cases.

The GOP candidate, who has never run for public office before, also accused Davis of mishandling the state’s finances.

Davis today will release a revised budget to close an estimated $22-billion deficit.

But Simon would not say how he would close the state’s shortfall. He said he had proposed a balanced budget when the gap stood at about $12 billion this winter.

Simon also said he would not cut education funding below the level mandated by Proposition 98, which secures support for schools.