This is an archive of a past election. See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/state/ for current information. |
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Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Member of the State Assembly; District 73 | |||||
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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Fiscal Choices,
Water,
Education,
Your Priorities
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
Answer from Anna Bryson:
This state-government park bureaucracy was saying it would have to close parks to the public. Meanwhile, it had millions in secret accounts known only to top bureaucrats.
California no longer has a central transparency website, and California departmental and agency websites are not searchable for spending data. California does not provide spending information on off-budget agencies and noncontract spending. California used to have a dedicated, one-stop-shopping transparency site where those interested could look at spending information from the various state departments.
From my Assembly campaign platform: "We need greater transparency and more accountability in California budgeting and spending. We need the wise stewardship and responsible use of the people's money.
California's government should be able to live within its means. Politicians and public officials shouldn't be able to turn to taxpayers' wallets whenever government spending gets out of control.
"As such, I support a balanced budget that puts taxpayer's priorities like education, law enforcement, and transportation first." Answer from Wendy Gabriella:
1) Establishment and maintenance of a Rainy Day Fund which ensures revenue growth is actually saved in good years.
2) Debt repayment: California is presently $340 billion in debt. Pursuant to the May 2014 revised budget, 50% of the reserves would be used to pay down the debt.
3) Revision of the statute under which the Governor can avoid placing money into the Rainy Day fund to include objective criteria. Under current law, Governor can simply issue a proclamation. Answer from Jesse Petrilla:
Answer from Jesse Petrilla:
Answer from Anna Bryson:
We need to take back control of water policy from opponents of storage and desalination and start building now. We need additional pipes and aqueducts to get water from Northern California to Southern California. We need rational pricing. In drought situations, we need policies in place that put farmers over fish. Answer from Wendy Gabriella:
Answer from Jesse Petrilla:
Answer from Wendy Gabriella:
Answer from Anna Bryson:
While the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) is an imperfect yardstick, California is near the bottom in the ranks of states in results on that test. We should be in the top ten. Here are some of the priorities that need attention:
1. Close the Latino learning gap.
We also need stable, predictable budgets for school districts. The existing erratic, up-and-down guessing game every year prevents school districts from planning ahead in a sensible way. This annual yo-yo of uncertainty is detrimental to schoolchildren and their parents, as well as unfair to administrators and teachers.
In communities across California, including many large urban areas, public schools are failing our children. Charter schools in these communities (and others) provide public school options for parents. There are many examples of charter schools providing transformational opportunities.
From my Assembly campaign platform: "A solid K-12 education is a civil right. Every child deserves the opportunity to have a good education. We need teachers who are successful in getting children to learn the subject matter. We can do better than the national Common Core academic standards and gain a competitive advantage for California schoolchildren -- by expecting Algebra I in eighth grade; emphasizing mastery of subject-matter content, not requiring unproven teaching methods; assigning great literature; and protecting student privacy. An effective preschool program should concentrate on children from disadvantaged families, providing aid where it is most needed. Both private and public preschool options should be available."
Answer from Wendy Gabriella:
Answer from Anna Bryson:
Reduce unfair and confusing state regulations that make it hard to start a business here.
Cut waste and pay down state debt so that we can actually
have a real balanced budget without raising taxes.
Hold schools accountable for results; make sure every California child has the opportunity to get a great education. Answer from Jesse Petrilla:
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page. |