By Town Crier Staff Report

Making his first public appearance in Silicon Valley since winning the March 5 primary, GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon is scheduled to speak at a meeting at Hyatt Rickeys in Palo Alto this evening.

Sponsored by SPARC, the South Peninsula Area Republican Coalition, the address is part of Simon’s statewide campaign. He will discuss his meeting with President George W. Bush at the White House last week.

Simon won 49 percent of the GOP vote in the March 5 primary and faces incumbent Gray Davis in November.

In earlier speeches this month, Simon, making his first run at elective office, said, “I talk a lot about quality of life issues. Important among those issues is a respect for local government.

Local government is closer and more responsive to its constituents - mayors and council members understand the fundamental needs of their communities better than Capitol politicians.”

Speaking before the California Taxpayers’ Association, Simon warned the group that the impending budget debate would tempt lawmakers - with the implicit consent of the governor - to raise taxes.

Simon has also outlined a broad vision for health-care reform that would use incentives to empower patients and renew the doctor-patient relationship, while reducing the role of bureaucrats, HMOs and lawyers.

Simon told a statewide physicians meeting that California’s health-care system faces a crisis equal to the energy crisis.

Simon warned that the system is “on life support, beset by numerous maladies, and too embroiled in politics instead of sound medicine.”

The wine and hors d’oeuvres reception is scheduled 6-8 p.m., tonight, at Hyatt Rickeys, 4219 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Admission is $25 for SPARC members, $30 for nonmembers. To make a reservation, call 917-9125 or e-mail sparcgop@att.net.

SPARC is a 2-year-old grass-roots organization of mainstream Republicans based in the South Peninsula.