Former eBay chief marks official launch of bid for Calif. governor, vows to cut state spending

Whitman to make Calif. gubernatorial bid official

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman says she wants to cut state spending by another $15 billion and reduce the existing state work force by 17 percent.

The former eBay chief executive will make those proposals in a speech Tuesday in Fullerton, where she will formally announce her bid for the GOP nomination in 2010. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must leave office because of term limits.

The campaign rollout will be accompanied by a statewide radio ad promoting her business experience.

In excerpts of her speech provided to The Associated Press, Whitman reiterates her goal of creating 2 million private-sector jobs by 2015. She says that can be accomplished by lowering taxes and eliminating business regulations.

Whitman’s spending proposals come after California has made deep cuts to core programs in recent years to address multibillion-dollar budget shortfalls.