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Animal Blog

Gubernatorial Dog Hits Campaign Trail for Prop. 30

Lucky for Gov. Jerry Brown he's got a dog that's warmer and fuzzier than he is.

Sutter, Brown's corgie, is hitting 30 Democratic party offices in California this week as part of a final push for Proposition 30, the governor's proposed tax increase to raise some $7 billion. If the measure fails, K-12 education is poised for $5 billion in cuts, and the state's university and community colleges face $1 billion in cuts.

Sutter will be in Salinas then Monterey tomorrow, joining democrats in making phone calls to supporters reminding them to vote.

The visit comes just days after Brown himself showed up for a rally at Hartnell, where he urged supporters to vote yes on Prop. 30.

Brown spoke in Spanish and English, and criticized millionaires who don't support the 3-percent income tax increase Prop. 30 would impose on earners making a million dollars or more a year. The measure would also include a quarter-cent sales tax hike, and smaller income tax increases for household income in lower brackets.

"It's a penny on a sandwich for people like you and me," Brown said. "Those on top can afford 1, 2, 3 percent…Would you pay 3 percent on your income tax if you made $1 million this year? Who wouldn't?"

"People were excited about the governor, but the real excitement should be about Sutter," Monterey County Democratic Central Committee chair Vinz Koller says.

Sutter's staying at the Koller household in Carmel on Halloween night.

According to the corgie's facebook page, which has more than 6,800 likes, he likes long walks in the park and tummy rubs. Volunteers who show up to phone bank get a limited edition Sutter Brown trading card as a souvenir.

"We need it a little more light weight at this time, after all the nastiness," Koller says as the campaign season winds down.

But there's still work to do, and volunteers will be calling supporters and encouraging them to vote democratic and yes on Prop. 30. As to whether they're able to target voters who are dog-lovers, Koller says, "We're not that sophisticated yet. Maybe we should have a what's your favorite pet marker in the database."

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