Ex-eBay CEO Whitman May Make California Gov. Bid
Monday, January 05, 2009
Can she do for the Golden State what she did for the auctioneer?
In case you haven't noticed, California is broke in a big way. We don't mean just broken, as in things need to be repaired, roads re-surfaced, school retrofitted, etc. We mean broke as in OUT OF MONEY. Gov. Schwarzenegger hasn't come up with any answers to the state's fiscal crisis, which is the result of the unhappy confluence of tight credit markets (can't borrow their way out of it) low consumer confidence (sales tax receipts declining) and bad tourism. What to do?
One answer might be turn to a woman who has a proven track record of business success, someone like Meg Whitman. The ex-eBay CEO has been rumored to be eying a run at politics for some time and now word is that she has moved closer to a run for the California governorship.
More from the Associated Press:
Former eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman has edged closer to a potential run for office in California, with a spokesman confirming on Monday that she has resigned from three corporate boards.
Whitman has been considered as a Republican contender for California governor in 2010; GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is being forced out by term limits. The seat of Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer also will be up for election in two years.
Whitman's spokesman, Henry Gomez, said she stepped down from the boards of eBay, Proctor & Gamble Co. and DreamWorks SKG as of Dec. 31. He said it was for "personal reasons and time commitments" but would not elaborate.
A person who is knowledgeable about Whitman's potential political aspirations told The Associated Press that the 52-year-old Silicon Valley leader made a decision about her political future while spending time with family over the holidays but is not ready to announce it.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about her future on the record, says Whitman's resignations are "a strong indication" that she wants to get clear of any commitments that might interfere with a run for political office.
She will announce her intentions in four to six weeks, he said.
In a statement, John Donahoe, eBay's president and chief executive, praised Whitman's tenure as head of the online auctioneer.
"Meg's vision and leadership and her passion for the eBay community have helped create economic opportunity for millions of people worldwide and enabled us to build a dynamic portfolio of leading online businesses," he said. "Her experience and insights will be missed, but Meg will always be a part of the eBay family, and we wish her the very best."
Whitman retired a billionaire last March after 10 years at the helm. She retains a 2 percent ownership stake in eBay.
She most recently served as a national co-chair of John McCain's failed presidential bid.
Whitman is one of three Republicans who are considered front-runners in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. The others are state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell.
The GOP side of the race is wide open. A November Field Poll found that about 70 percent of registered California voters had no opinion of the potential Republican candidates.
But the poll found that Whitman had the highest favorable rating among the three, at 23 percent.
In case you haven't noticed, California is broke in a big way. We don't mean just broken, as in things need to be repaired, roads re-surfaced, school retrofitted, etc. We mean broke as in OUT OF MONEY. Gov. Schwarzenegger hasn't come up with any answers to the state's fiscal crisis, which is the result of the unhappy confluence of tight credit markets (can't borrow their way out of it) low consumer confidence (sales tax receipts declining) and bad tourism. What to do?One answer might be turn to a woman who has a proven track record of business success, someone like Meg Whitman. The ex-eBay CEO has been rumored to be eying a run at politics for some time and now word is that she has moved closer to a run for the California governorship.
More from the Associated Press:
Former eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman has edged closer to a potential run for office in California, with a spokesman confirming on Monday that she has resigned from three corporate boards.
Whitman has been considered as a Republican contender for California governor in 2010; GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is being forced out by term limits. The seat of Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer also will be up for election in two years.
Whitman's spokesman, Henry Gomez, said she stepped down from the boards of eBay, Proctor & Gamble Co. and DreamWorks SKG as of Dec. 31. He said it was for "personal reasons and time commitments" but would not elaborate.
A person who is knowledgeable about Whitman's potential political aspirations told The Associated Press that the 52-year-old Silicon Valley leader made a decision about her political future while spending time with family over the holidays but is not ready to announce it.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about her future on the record, says Whitman's resignations are "a strong indication" that she wants to get clear of any commitments that might interfere with a run for political office.
She will announce her intentions in four to six weeks, he said.
In a statement, John Donahoe, eBay's president and chief executive, praised Whitman's tenure as head of the online auctioneer.
"Meg's vision and leadership and her passion for the eBay community have helped create economic opportunity for millions of people worldwide and enabled us to build a dynamic portfolio of leading online businesses," he said. "Her experience and insights will be missed, but Meg will always be a part of the eBay family, and we wish her the very best."
Whitman retired a billionaire last March after 10 years at the helm. She retains a 2 percent ownership stake in eBay.
She most recently served as a national co-chair of John McCain's failed presidential bid.
Whitman is one of three Republicans who are considered front-runners in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. The others are state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell.
The GOP side of the race is wide open. A November Field Poll found that about 70 percent of registered California voters had no opinion of the potential Republican candidates.
But the poll found that Whitman had the highest favorable rating among the three, at 23 percent.
posted by Chris and Frank at 3:43 PM
1 Comments:
Meg,
Don't do it! We need someone who can fix this mess, not a someone who can't even ran ebay.
Jim, SF
Post a Comment