League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Contra Costa, Alameda County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Sam Kang Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 15

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. How would you prioritize the fiscal choices the Legislature must make to align the state’s income and spending?

Even with our budget surplus, more Californians are in poverty than ever before, and it's harder than ever for the middle class to succeed. Even after we passed Prop 30, California is 35th in the nation in per pupil funding for public schools, while the cost of attending our public colleges and universities goes higher and higher. This must change.

We must make California #1 in per pupil spending and make the cost of attending our public colleges and universities sustainable. Our future depends on it. That's why I fully support closing Prop 13 loopholes so that large, multinational corporations and the wealthiest 1% pay their fair share. We're also the only major-oil producing state in the nation that does not impose an extraction tax on oil companies. Doing so would produce billions of dollars a year for our public schools and universities.

2. Given our current drought condition, concern for water rights and usage is an important issue. What solutions would you support to address our water problems?

First of all, a huge threat to our groundwater supply is the unabated continuation of fracking in California. With water supply being such an imminent threat, fracking will exacerbate this scarcity to catastrophic levels should our drought-ridden winters continue. We must end fracking now.

Second, we must fully employ innovative water storage and re-use strategies that are currently being used all over the Bay Area. We are not fully deploying ideas and methods that are being used by ordinary citizens for rainwater capture and gray water recycling. The ideas are there. We just need the leadership to make it happen.

Third, the sustained drought is only further evidence of our need to fight climate change. It's time we do more to fight climate change by accelerating the use of renewable energy sources. Decreasing our reliance on dirty energy will create cleaner and healthier communities, and help stem climate change in the long run.

3. California high school students rank lower than many states in student performance. What do you see as the ongoing role of the Legislature in addressing this problem?

We must prioritize public school funding so that we aim to be #1 in per-pupil spending instead of 35th in the nation. Students need comprehensive support, including after-school programs, viable arts & music programs, access to healthy nutrition options, nursing care, and library services. Many of these services were cut during the Great Recession and have not been fully restored. We must restore, rebuild and rejuvenate these comprehensive services so that we provide students the environment to excel.

Also, it is not enough to tread water by just preventing schools from closing. We must strive for excellence through innovative solutions so that our kids can compete in a global economy.

As a community advocate, I helped pass legislation that will reduce truancy, give students a better environment to learn, and provide more resources to schools. I did this by realizing that California's public school students often swelter on hot days and shiver on cold days. This is because so many of our school's classrooms are dilapidated and energy inefficient. When students are uncomfortable, they don't learn well. When they're too hot or too cold, they might even skip class. That's why I helped pass legislation that invested in public school energy efficiency. That way, students can be comfortable when they learn. Having more comfortable classrooms will encourage them to come to class instead of skipping school. Schools will also save on energy costs, which frees up more money for teachers, librarians, and after-school programs. This is the kind of innovative thinking we need from the Legislature.

4. What other major issues do you think the Legislature must address? What are your own priorities?

There is no magic bullet to fix all of California's problems. The place to start is not with any one program, but with an approach. The Assemblymember of this district must have the courage to stand up to powerful interests and know how to get things done.

All of my top priorities need a leader who is willing to stand up to powerful interests:

• Bringing down the cost of health care, especially for seniors and underserved communities. This will require someone who can challenge health insurance companies from raising premiums at will. I've sponsored legislation for this in the past, and will continue this fight once elected.
• Increasing K-12 funding and bringing down the cost of higher education. Multi-national corporations, oil companies, and the wealthiest 1% do not pay their fair share. So the rest of us have been shouldering more and more responsibility. It's time to change that, and I can lead that fight. That's why I've been endorsed by the Small Business Association and the Executive Chairman of the Courage Campaign.
• Greater environmental protections, including banning fracking. I fought and defeated the attempts of Texas oil companies to roll back our environmental protections. I will continue this fight until we put an end to fracking in California.

As a civil rights organizer, community advocate and consumer protection attorney, I've written and passed state legislation on a variety of issues, including more education funding, environmental protections, greater access to health care, and consumer protections. Out of all the candidates in this race, I am the only one with the actual experience of writing and passing legislation to fight for our communities.

While we have many problems to solve, my top priority is to approach every issue with courage. Standing up to the powerful interests and getting things done is what I do best. I have the actual experience to know how to take on powerful interests and I know how to win.

I would be honored to have your vote.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 12, 2014 21:03
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