| Pete Wilson | |
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| In office January 7, 1991 – January 4, 1999 |
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| Lieutenant | Leo T. McCarthy (1991–1995) Gray Davis (1995–1999) |
| Preceded by | George Deukmejian |
| Succeeded by | Gray Davis |
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| In office January 3, 1983 – January 7, 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Samuel I. Hayakawa |
| Succeeded by | John F. Seymour |
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| Born | August 23, 1933 Lake Forest, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican Party |
| Spouse | Gayle Edlund |
| Profession | Politician |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American politician from California. The Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the state government whose responsibilities include making annual "State of the State" addresses Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California Leo Tarcissus McCarthy ( August 15 1930 - February 5 2007) was a New Zealand -born American politician and businessman Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor Courken George Deukmejian Jr (born June 6 1928) is an American Politician from California who served as the Republican Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa ( July 18 1906 &ndash February 27 1992) was a Canadian -born American academic and political John F Seymour (born December 3, 1937 in Chicago) is an American Real estate investor and Politician. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lake Forest is a city known for its affluence located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Wilson served as the Republican thirty-sixth Governor of California (1991–1999), the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator (1983–1991), eleven years as Mayor of San Diego (1971–1982) and five years as a California State Assemblyman (1967–1971). The Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the state government whose responsibilities include making annual "State of the State" addresses The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives This is a list of Mayors of San Diego California. See also the list of alcaldes (mayors for the Pueblo of San Diego prior to statehood. The California State Assembly is the Lower house of the California State Legislature. On September 27, 2007, Wilson endorsed Rudy Giuliani for United States President. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. KBE Per, "Postnominal letters should be included when they are issued by a country or organization the subject has been closely associated with The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by On February 4, 2008, Wilson endorsed John McCain as candidate for U.S. Presidency in a recording disseminated by telephone call on the eve of Super Tuesday. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by In the United States Super Tuesday, in general refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold Giuliani dropped out of the race after the Florida primary.
Contents |
Early life
Peter Barton Wilson was born August 23, 1933, in Lake Forest, Illinois, an affluent suburb north of Chicago. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. His parents were James Boone Wilson and Margaret Callaghan. [1] His father was originally a jewelry salesman who later became a successful advertising executive. The Wilson family moved to St. Louis when Pete was in junior high school. There he attended St. Louis Country Day School, an exclusive private institution, where he won an award in his senior year for combined scholarship, athletics, and citizenship. Mary Institute and St Louis Country Day School or " MICDS " is a secular co-educational private school for about 1200 students in grades JK-12 which are separated In the fall of 1952 Wilson enrolled at Yale University, where he majored in English, earned his B.A., pledged the Zeta Psi fraternity, and received a Marines ROTC scholarship. The Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America was founded June 1, 1847 as a social college fraternity. Marines (from the English adjective marine, meaning of the sea, from Latin language mare, meaning sea via French adjective ROTC links here For other uses see ROTC (disambiguation A Reserve Officers' Training Corps ( ROTC) ROTC produces officers in all branches
After graduation from Yale, Wilson served three years in the Marines as an infantry officer, eventually becoming a platoon commander. Upon completion of his military obligation, Wilson earned a law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society The University of California Berkeley School of Law, commonly referred to as Berkeley Law and Boalt Hall, is one of 14 schools and colleges at the University The University of California Berkeley (also referred to as Cal, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) is a major research university located in Berkeley
In 1962, while working for Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard M. Nixon, Wilson got to know one of Nixon's top aides, Herb Klein. Klein suggested that Wilson might do well in San Diego politics, and in 1963 Wilson moved to San Diego.
He began his practice as a criminal defense attorney in San Diego, but found such work to be low-paying and personally repugnant — as he later commented to the Los Angeles Times, "I realized I couldn't be a criminal defense lawyer because most of the people who do come to you are guilty. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed " Wilson switched to a more conventional law practice and continued his activity in local politics, working for Barry Goldwater's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1964. Wilson's like for politics and managing the day-to-day details of the political process was growing. He put in long hours for the Goldwater campaign, earning the friendship of local Republican boosters so necessary for a political career, and in 1966, at the age of thirty-three, he ran for and won a seat in the California state legislature succeeding Clair Burgener. The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U Sinclair Walter "Clair" Burgener ( December 5 1921 – September 9 2006) was an American Republican Politician
Mayor of San Diego
As mayor of San Diego, Wilson helmed the city as it transformed from a quiet navy town to an international trade hub, credited with amending the city charter to make public safety the first and foremost responsibility of city government and leading an effort to manage San Diego's dynamic growth and to revitalize the city's downtown area. He substantially cut the property tax rate and imposed a limit on the growth of the city budget that became a model for California's subsequently adopted Proposition 13. Property tax, or millage tax, is an Ad valorem tax that an owner pays on the value of the property being taxed Proposition 13, officially titled the "People's Initiative to Limit Property Taxation" was a ballot Initiative to amend the constitution of the state of California Wilson was largely responsible for beginning the downtown transformation of the Gaslamp Quarter from a drug infested area to a highly business friendly and successful downtown. The Quarter is home to many events and festivals including Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp Taste of Gaslamp and ShamROCK a St Wilson coined the slogan for San Diego, which is still widely used today: "San Diego: America's finest city"
United States Senator
As a United States senator from 1983 to 1991, Wilson was a vocal proponent for a stronger, more military-based defense and U.S. foreign policy. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The foreign policy of the United States is highly influential on the world stage as it is a Superpower. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he called for early implementation of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, a national ballistic missile defense system. The Committee on Armed Services is a Committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI was a proposal by US President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect Missile defense is a system weapon or technology involved in the detection tracking interception and destruction of attacking Missiles Originally conceived as a defence against
Wilson also cosponsored the federal Intergovernmental Regulatory Relief Act requiring the federal government to reimburse states for the cost of new federal mandates. A fiscal conservative, he was named the Senate's "Watchdog of the Treasury" for each of his eight years in the nation's capital. Fiscal conservatism (also known as economic conservatism is a political phrase term used in North America to describe advocacy of lower governmental spending practices and a
Governor of California
Wilson's eight years as governor saw California go into a strong economic recovery. Inheriting the state's worst economy since the Great Depression, Wilson insisted on strict budget discipline and worked to rehabilitate the state's environment for investment and new job creation. His term saw market-based, unsubsidized health coverage made available for employees of small businesses and additional anti-fraud measures credited for reducing workers' compensation premiums by as much as 40 percent. A market economy is a realized Social system based on the Division of labour in which the prices of Goods and Services are determined in a The term health insurance is generally used to describe a form of Insurance that pays for medical expenses Workers' compensation (colloquially known as workers' comp in North America or compo in Australia) a form of Insurance that provides
Wilson also enacted education reforms focused on creating curricular standards, reducing class sizes, and replacing social promotion with early remedial education. Social promotion is the practice of promoting a Student (usually a general education student rather than a Special education student to the next grade Wilson also promoted additional programs for individualized testing of all students, teacher competency training, a lengthier instructional year, and programs focusing on a return to phonics and early mastery of early reading, writing, and mathematical skills.
Wilson led efforts to enact tougher, and often considered extreme, crime measures and signed into law the controversial "Three Strikes," (25 years to life for repeat felons) and "One Strike," (25 years to life upon the first conviction of aggravated rape or child molestation. Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person Child sexual abuse is a form of Child abuse in which a child is abused for the sexual gratification of an adult or older adolescent ) He also resumed the death penalty in California, after 25 years of moratorium, with the execution of Robert Alton Harris in April 1992. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Robert Alton Harris ( January 15, 1953 &ndash April 21, 1992) was an American career criminal and Murderer A total of 5 people were executed under his administration (first two by gas chamber, three by lethal injection). Capital punishment is a legal form of Punishment in the US state of California. A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing consisting of a sealed chamber into which a Poisonous or Asphyxiant gas is introduced
Wilson spoke at the funeral services for Richard M. Nixon in Yorba Linda in 1994. Yorba Linda is an affluent suburban community in Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Two years later, he became, to date, the most recent governor to preside over a gubernatorial funeral, that being of Pat Brown. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown Sr ( April 21, 1905 February 16, 1996) was the 32nd Governor of California, serving
In Wilson's 1994 successful campaign for re-election against Kathleen Brown, his two signature issues were his opposition to the billions spent by the State funding services for illegal immigrants and the race based quota components of Affirmative Action, and support for the overwhelmingly popular Prop 187, giving him a landslide win. Kathleen Brown (born 15 October 1946) is a Democratic politician from California. Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country Affirmative action in the United States|Employment equity (Canada|Reservation in India|Numerus clausus The term affirmative action describes many policies aimed at a historically California Proposition 187 was a 1994 ballot initiative designed to deny Illegal immigrants social services health care and Public education.
For most of his time as governor, Wilson reduced per-capita infrastructure spending for California, much as he had done as mayor of San Diego. [1] Many construction projects - most notably highway expansion/improvement projects - were severely hindered or delayed, while other maintenance and construction projects were abandoned completely. [2]
While his decision to merge the California State Police into the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was applauded by some as a better way to spend money, the CHP was severely limited in enforcement capacity by a minimal budget, which would not be restored until successor Gray Davis took office in 1999. The California State Police was a Security police agency founded in 1887 which served to protect the State Capitol Building, the Governor and other The California Highway Patrol (CHP is a state agency that acts as the State police force of California. Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor Wilson remains a champion for tough-on-crime laws supported by state-wide law enforcement.
Term limits passed by voters in 1990 prohibited Wilson from running for reelection to a third term. See also Rotation in office A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office
Energy deregulation and the roots of the California energy crisis
As Governor, Wilson championed deregulation of California's electricity markets. The California electricity crisis (also known as the Western U Deregulation, a term which gained widespread currency in the period 1970-2000 can be seen as a process by which governments remove reduce or simplify Restrictions on Business The resulting law, AB1890, was unanimously passed by the Democratically-controlled State legislature and signed in 1996. The law guaranteed reduced rates for residential consumers through the end of Wilson's second term as Governor. The law required that utilities purchase electricity for sale to residential customers on the spot market, forbidding long term contracts to smooth out price spikes. The spot market or cash market is a Commodities or Securities market in which goods are sold for Cash and delivered immediately
Some analysts warned that Wilson's deregulation plan was a recipe for power outages and price gouging if new power plants were not brought online. Price gouging is a Pejorative term for a seller pricing much higher than is considered reasonable or fair During the energy crisis, as a Hoover fellow, Wilson authored an article titled "What California Must Do" that blamed Gray Davis for not building enough power plants. Wilson defended his record of power plant construction and stated that between 1985 and 1988, 23 plants were certified and 18 were built in California [3]. The San Francisco Chronicle contradicted this claim in a 2001 article that claimed that no new facilities had been built in the last decade [4]. The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H The graphs Wilson provided in his article showed that Davis had approved twice as many new power plant capacity in Davis's first three years as Governor as Wilson's eight years. The Governor Gray Davis Digital Library contends that Davis's energy policies during his governorship resulted in 38 power plants, totaling 14,365 MW [5].
Wilson acknowledged that he had not anticipated the large growth in energy demand [6]. Davis blamed Wilson for the energy deregulation plan [7]. In 2003, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) concluded that the energy crisis was caused by poorly structured energy deregulation and market manipulation that was allowed under deregulation. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales Wholesale [2]
Run for US President
Wilson also ran for President in the 1996 election, making major announcements on both the east and west coasts. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice Wilson announced first in New York City, at Battery Park, with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop. He completed a cross-country tour, with his west coast announcement at the Los Angeles Police Academy. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West
The Wilson campaign had problems from the start. After deciding to run, he almost immediately had throat surgery that kept him from announcing--or even talking--for months. His campaign lasted a month and a day and left him with a million dollars in campaign debt. [8]
Banking, teaching and corporate advisory career
After leaving office, Wilson spent two years as a managing director of Pacific Capital Group, a merchant bank based in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West He serves as a director of the Irvine Company, the U. The Irvine Company is a privately held Real estate development company based in Newport Beach, Orange County California. S. Telepacific Corporation, Inc. , National Information Consortium Inc. , an advisor to Crossflo Systems, and IDT Entertainment. Starz Media (formerly IDT Entertainment) is the Motion picture, Animation, Television, and Home video division of Starz He is a member of the Board of Advisors of Thomas Weisel Partners, a San Francisco merchant bank. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city He also served as chairman of the Japan Task Force of the Pacific Council on International Policy, which produced an analysis of Japanese economic and national security prospects over the next decade entitled “Can Japan Come Back?” Wilson is currently a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank affiliated with Stanford University, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation, the Donald Bren Foundation, is the founding director of the California Mentor Foundation and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National World War II Museum. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Hoover Institution on War Revolution and Peace is a libertarian Public policy Think tank and Library founded in 1919 by U A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization institute corporation or group that conducts Research and engages in advocacy in areas such Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in Wilson sits on two prestigious federal advisory committees, the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (or FACA) is a United States federal law ( 6 October 1972 which governs the behavior of Federal advisory committees The President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB is an advisor to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee (DPBAC or DPB is a federal advisory committee to the United States Department of Defense. He currently works as a consultant at the Los Angeles office of Bingham McCutchen LLP, a large, national law firm. Bingham McCutchen LLP is an international law firm with approximately 1000 Attorneys in eleven US offices and three international offices
Most recently, he was co-chair of the campaign of Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace Gray Davis as governor of California. Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( German ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ born July 30 1947 is an Austrian American Bodybuilder, Actor Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Wilson is married, has two step children and five grandchildren, and lives in Los Angeles, California. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West
He is of no relation to the late San Francisco television news anchor of the same name. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Peter James "Pete" Wilson ( April 5 1945 – July 20 2007) was an American broadcaster born in Wisconsin.
See also
References
External links
News articles
- March 27, 2008: The Eureka Reporter - Former Governor Pete Wilson to lead SCOPAC reorganization
- October 2005: Los Angeles Business Journal: Pete's points: former Gov. Pete Wilson misses politics. He keeps his hand in the game with advice--solicited and unsolicited--to Schwarzenegger.(Interview)
- San Diego Union Tribune: Ex-Gov. Wilson returning to Sacramento – as consultant
- San Diego Union Tribune: City calls on Wilson again for advice
- Time Magazine : Pete Wilson
- August 19, 2003: National Review: Working for Arnold — An interview with Pete Wilson
- September 13, 2005: Wall Street Journal: The Californian Way — Lessons for New Orleans from the post-1994 earthquake rebuilding. By Pete Wilson
- October 23, 2003: The Weekly Standard: Pete Wilson's Vindication
Campaign literature and videos
- Pete Wilson for President Commercial
- Reaffirming Liberty: Wilson for President Campaign Brochure
- Pete Wilson, Candidate for Governor, 1994 Platform Papers, Speeches and Endorsements
Miscellaneous
- Pete Wilson Biography and Inaugural addresses
- Hoover Institution Biography
- Cal Voter: Gov. Wilson's Record on Crime
- Undated speech by Pete Wilson on Affirmative Action titled "The Minority-Majority Society"
- January 7, 1991 Inaugural Address as Governor "A path to prevention: Expanding horizons, changing young lives"
- April 27, 1994: Remarks By Governor Pete Wilson Of California At Richard Nixon's Funeral
- June 23, 2004: Video of Gov. Pete Wilson at the California Manufacturers Summit speaking on Intel's investment in the state
- June 23, 2004: Video of Gov. Pete Wilson at the California Manufacturers Summit speaking on changing the business climate and keeping the pace with population growth
- March 23, 2006 KPBS Full Focus: The Politics of Pete Wilson Series
- PBS Uncommon Knowledge — The War on Drugs w. Milton Friedman and Pete Wilson
- May 4, 2004: California Chamber of Commerce, Remarks at Sacramento Host Breakfast
- June 12, 2006 Audio File on Illegal Immigration at the Hudson Institute titled: "Illegal Immigration: Past, Present, and Future".
- May 4, 1996: CNN/TIME All Politics with Wolf Blitzer: Pete Wilson Discusses Changing GOP Anti-Abortion Stance
- October 30, 2006 Video of Gov. Wilson, with Gov. Schwarzenegger, commemorating 40th Anniversary of Reagan Election
- June 12, 2006 Hudson Institute interview with Gov. Pete Wilson titled: Illegal Immigration: Past, Present, and Future
- July 12, 2007 From the ‘back of the line’ to the front, by Ward Connelly - Article mentioning Pete Wilson
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Clair Burgener |
California State Assemblyman 1967–1971 |
Succeeded by Unknown |
| Preceded by Frank E. Curran |
Mayor of San Diego, California 1971–1983 |
Succeeded by William E. Cleator, Sr. |
| Preceded by Samuel I. Hayakawa |
United States Senator (Class 1) from California 1983–1991 Served alongside: Alan Cranston |
Succeeded by John F. Seymour |
| Preceded by George Deukmejian |
Governor of California 1991–1999 |
Succeeded by Gray Davis |
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