Unz Bucks Trend Again With Broadside Against "Sink Our State" Initiative

Unlike Unz?: After winning 43% of the Orange County GOP primary vote against Gov. Pete Wilson with a platform that criticized multiculturalism, political correctness and bilingual education, Republican entrepreneur Ron Unz has taken a strong stand against Proposition 187, the immigration initiative on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

“I came close to endorsing the initiative until I actually read the provisions carefully, and found that they were crazy,” Unz said in a statement. He said “no sincere Republican or conservative” should support the measure.

Instead of the “Save Our State” label used by initiative proponents, Unz called it “Sink Our State,” claiming it is immoral, would be costly to the state and would create an identification system that reminds him of “old Communist Russia.”

Local Republicans said they weren’t too surprised because they believe Unz espouses more of a Libertarian, rather than Republican, philosophy. A gleeful Democrat, meanwhile, wondered if Unz was taking the opposite position of Wilson because of their past rivalry.

“Ron Unz would take this position because he believes in it and I don’t think it has anything to do with any remaining animosity against Wilson,” said Jo Ellen Allen, the vice chairwoman of the local GOP. “It just shows that Republicans can disagree on more than the abortion issue.”

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But it plays well in Santa Ana: A poll recently conducted for Republican candidate Jim Morrissey in the 69th Assembly District showed that the candidate who backs Proposition 187 gets wide support in the central Orange County district, which has a large ethnic population and a 21-point Democratic voter edge. According to the survey of 600 voters, Morrissey’s position in favor of the measure was supported by 58% of those polled, compared to 27% opposed. (A recent Field Poll showed statewide support at 57%.) Morrissey will be playing up that issue since his Democratic opponent, Mike Metzler, opposes the initiative.



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