Assembly District 9

Here are responses to the SN&R endorsement questionnaire from the candidates for the state Assembly in District 9.

Roger Dickinson

1. How did the state of California come to be in the fiscal crisis it is now perennially in? What do you think should have been done these past years to avert the current predicament?

The state finds itself in the current situation for two primary reasons.

First, when revenues were very good, the state both cut taxes and added programs without setting aside funds for a future downturn. The extraordinary reductions in taxes, such as the VLF, were especially shortsighted.

Second, the state has been battered by the recession, which has had a dramatic effect on income tax receipts, in particular.

These two factors have made it impossible to sustain state spending at the same level. In fact, the state does not have a spending problem; it has a revenue problem. If the state had not cut taxes so much, the budget could have been balanced with far fewer cuts over the last three years.

2. The field of candidates in this primary has been described as being “all good Democrats” who would probably vote similarly on most issues. What’s different about you? Why are you the better choice?

I have the widest and deepest breadth of experience both in terms of length and scope working with local state and national organizations to develop solutions to the challenges we face. I have directly dealt with every issue which comes before the Legislature. I was elected to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in a special election in 1994. Prior to elected office, I was a member of the Regional Transit board from 1983 to 1990, the Redevelopment Commission in 1982, and the County Air Pollution Control Advisory Board from 1978 to 1986, among other public offices.

3. In this time of budget cuts, where would you look for opportunities to increase state tax or other revenues?

The role of state government is to serve people by providing services to sustain and stimulate economic growth as well as maintain a safety net for the quality of life. I have long advocated increased investment in quality schools, expanded access to healthcare, investment in infrastructure and improved public safety and other essential services, and have supported raising additional revenues to do so.

It is not my preference to cut services. I prefer raising revenues. First we should eliminate the two-thirds rule to pass a budget. We should also institute a new tax on oil production and a broadening of the sales-tax base. I would advocate saving $3 billion a year by closing corporate tax loopholes and an additional $1.7 billion by avoiding new corporate tax loopholes scheduled to take effect in 2011.

Also, I would support raising the income-tax rates on upper-income earners to the same level as existed when Pete Wilson was governor. The state budget of California should not be balanced on the backs of working Californians.

4. What is your opinion about how state-employee unions representing prison guards, teachers and public employees are responding to the state’s budget crisis? Should specific unions be making more concessions? What precisely would you recommend?

The largest state employee organization negotiated a contract with concessions in it, which the governor walked away from. Collective bargaining in good faith is the forum in which terms and conditions of employment for state employees should be determined. State employees should not be victimized because Republicans are unwilling to entertain increasing state revenues.

5. What’s your opinion of the education reforms passed this year in hopes of winning federal Race to the Top dollars? What specific reforms would you support to improve schools and the lives of California students?

Charter schools have not been shown to increase student performance, nor do they typically serve the entire community that public schools do. It is irresponsible and unfair to remove comprehensive public schools from local communities. When schools fail, we need to work with the teachers and the community to identify why they fail so that we can improve them, rather simply hoping something better replaces them.

When the voters of California passed Proposition 98, it was to ensure that education spending never dropped below a basic level. Fully funding education is critical to the future of our state. It is essential to building an effective workforce to fuel our economy, to building healthy, safe communities, to controlling crime and to controlling public spending on healthcare, prisons and numerous other programs. I would increase per-pupil spending immediately to be among the top 10 in the country.

When we fully fund education, we will be able to adequately support such goals such as reduced classroom sizes, early childhood care and education, extra learning opportunities, and improved teacher and school employee quality through continuing education and professional development.

6. What’s your opinion of the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative on this November’s ballot, and on Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s legislation to legalize marijuana?

While I conceptually support legalization of marijuana, I have not reviewed either the initiative or the legislation in detail. Any legalization would need to be carefully crafted to ensure that the production, distribution, and sale of marijuana is appropriately regulated and that sufficient measures are included to protect public health and safety.

7. On A.B. 32, do you believe a cap-and-trade component is what is needed? Or would you prefer more direct regulation?

I have long been a vocal advocate for public transportation, serving for 19 years on the Regional Transit Board and on a host of other boards concerning public transportation. I would continue to be such an advocate in the Legislature. I would also work to allow local jurisdictions to have the authority to adopt tax increases for public transportation at a lower threshold than two-thirds, as currently required.

In addition, I would pursue legislation which would build on S.B. 375 by incentivizing smart growth planning and development by providing a boost in state transit funding. Finally, I would look at changing the formulas for allocation of state transportation funding to provide a greater share for public transportation.

8. What will you do to ensure that local transportation agencies get the money they need to preserve and expand public transportation in the state?

For over 30 years, I have worked to improve and extend public transportation throughout the Sacramento region. I led the effort to extend light rail to Sacramento Valley Station, the River District, and leading the effort to extend light rail to Natomas and Sacramento International Airport. I would restore the vehicle license fee to previous levels to help raise funds for public transportation among other things.

9. Do you think high-speed rail will ever come to Sacramento? Any ideas for getting it here sooner?

I supported and campaigned for the High Speed Rail bond measure. I believe High Speed Rail will come to Sacramento because it will prove to be both environmentally and economically advantageous. We must be aggressive advocates for having HSR come to Sacramento, we must ensure that we design a feasible alignment for HSR, and we should examine how we can reduce the costs of construction of HSR through the Sacramento region.

As a long-time member and former chair of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority board, I would note that we should not overlook the success and additional potential of existing intercity passenger rail service. The Capitol Corridor is the third most heavily used, and the San Joaquin is the fifth most heavily used passenger rail lines in the country. With relatively modest investments in infrastructure and equipment, we can continue to build ridership on these routes, which will significantly benefit the environment, ease congestion, and benefit our region economically.

10. Do you support single-payer health care in California? If so, how can it be accomplished? If not, what better ideas do you have for ensuring quality health care for all Californians?

I have spent a significant part of my time as a supervisor on expanding and extending health care and health insurance coverage to those who lack access to care and who do not enjoy insurance coverage. I support single-payer health care. We can accomplish this result by building on the federal health care reform legislation by extending insurance coverage to as many people as possible and then working to consolidate the administrative functions of health care insurance administration.

11. Please describe your position on marriage equality for Californians.

I am a strong advocate of marriage equality. I have campaigned door-to-door with my campaign literature that highlights my position on the cover. I have supported marriage equality for over the past decade. I have spoken out and contributed to the campaign against Proposition 8. Since the passage of Proposition 8, I have continued to attend and speak at events in support of marriage equality.

Chris Garland

1. How did the state of California come to be in the fiscal crisis it is now perennially in? What do you think should have been done these past years to avert the current predicament?

We are in this crisis because of shortsighted political decisions based on the easy political choice rather than the tough policy decision.

Even in good budget years, the Legislature and governor borrowed against our future, creating a toxic environment where our unfunded mandates and debt service have choked any flexibility the government has to budget. Combine this with the still unconscionable reduction in the VLF and the continued effect of Prop 13 on revenues, and we find ourselves on the precipice of an irreversible disaster.

As a member of the Assembly, I will focus my attention on the budget, dealing with our growing debt, unfunded liabilities and restoring funding to vital state programs. This will require an Assembly person with the policy background to understand these difficult issues and the political skills to navigate a toxic caucus structure that relies more on conformity than problem solving.

2. The field of candidates in this primary has been described as being “all good Democrats” who would probably vote similarly on most issues. What’s different about you? Why are you the better choice?

I am not a career politician. I am not seeking this office as the capstone of my political career or so I can prepare for the next step. I am focused on the issues facing California—jobs, education and the economy. I have the right mix of state and federal government experience to be a more effective legislator.

I also have national political experience and the skills to navigate a difficult caucus structure.

As I demonstrated as the statewide campaign manager for the No on 1A campaign, I have the fortitude to stand up to leadership when I know they are wrong.

3. In this time of budget cuts, where would you look for opportunities to increase state tax or other revenues?

While I agree we need to raise revenues, the voters of California will not accept the need to raise taxes without first telling them how much we need to raise, who is being taxed, how it will be spent and what accountability measures will be in place to ensure the money is collected and spent properly.

We must also resist the urge to make one-time, single-issue increases. Our entire budget is in peril, and picking favorites and pitting social services against each other will only breed additional problems. While it may be easier to sell funding to K-12 education, higher education, in-home supportive services or public safety, all of these areas need additional funding.

It is time that the Legislature has a frank and honest discussion amongst themselves and with voters about what kind of state we want to be and figure out what it will cost to meet that vision.

Once we have laid out a vision and outlined the cost and accountability, I would favor first looking at closing corporate tax loopholes, implementing an oil severance tax, restoring the VLF to pre-Schwarzenegger levels and reinstating the Reagan-Wilson top income-tax bracket.

4. What is your opinion about how state-employee unions representing prison guards, teachers and public employees are responding to the state’s budget crisis? Should specific unions be making more concessions? What precisely would you recommend?

Some public employee unions are handling the state’s budget crisis better than others. It is easy to blame public employees for all the state’s budget problems, but the facts don’t bear that out. Unfunded liabilities like pensions are indeed a major problem for the state, but treating our employees like second-class citizens because they are employed by the state is wrong.

Many of the problems in the state workforce can be directly traced back to this governor’s unwillingness to meet in good faith with employee representatives at the bargaining table. His continued crusade to vilify public employees has proven ineffective and created a poisoned atmosphere in which to bargain.

Public employee unions have also made mistakes in dealing with the administration and misreading the public climate in which they are bargaining. Because Sacramento is a “company town,” we are uniquely affected by the plight of public employees. When elected, I will call for a public employee union summit with management to address the issues of open contracts, bargaining and pensions.

I will make it clear to both sides that rhetoric must be put aside and both should be prepared to put “skin in the game.” The only way we solve these problems is to do so collectively. Otherwise, the voters will decide these issues, and voters meddling in the employee/employer relationship serve neither side.

5. What’s your opinion of the education reforms passed this year in hopes of winning federal Race to the Top dollars? What specific reforms would you support to improve schools and the lives of California students?

The blatant and shortsighted attempt by the Legislature and governor to capture a small amount of money from the federal government was disgraceful.

I will champion reforms that are directed toward actually bettering our education system from top to bottom. These reforms will focus on fully funding education, retooling our curriculum to take education from a 19th Century farming model into a 21st Century technology-oriented model, and ensuring that our most capable and qualified education professionals are recruited and retained.

Additionally, as a former resident of Georgia, I saw firsthand the value of universal preschool and many of the other early childhood development programs adopted in 1993 under Governor Zell Miller. Study after study shows that early childhood programs like universal preschool give children much better odds of developing the cognitive skills needed to succeed throughout their educational career.

Studies also show that the return on investment is as high as seven-fold in states like Michigan and North Carolina where quality public universal preschool is the norm.

Given the amount of resources that our public schools must divert into remediation at every level, this type of investment could save the state millions annually and push resources spent on “catch up” work back into the classroom to close the achievement gap.

As a member of the Assembly, I will work to implement a universal preschool program. It is a crime that California has not done so already.

6. What’s your opinion of the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative on this November’s ballot, and on Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s legislation to legalize marijuana?

Neither the Ammiano bill nor the proposed ballot initiative will legalize marijuana—they would simply decriminalize it in California. Legalization can only be achieved on the federal level by removing marijuana from the federal schedule of the Controlled Substances Act.

While decriminalizing and taxing marijuana may relieve some of California’s problems, we will be opening Californians to federal scrutiny and criminal liability.

That said, I agree with the initial findings of the 1970 Shafer Commission that recommended the federal government decriminalize cannabis in small amounts.

7. On A.B. 32, do you believe a cap-and-trade component is what is needed? Or would you prefer more direct regulation?

I was proud to work on A.B. 32 as a member of the speaker’s office in 2006. I fully support the law and oppose Big Oil’s attempts at hijacking this landmark legislation.

8. What will you do to ensure that local transportation agencies get the money they need to preserve and expand public transportation in the state?

First and foremost, we must end the yearly raid of local transportation funds to help balance the state budget. Additionally, as I stated above, we must decide what kind of state we want to be and then pay for that vision.

I am a staunch supporter of local transportation and will work to insure that we are not short changing local agencies and increase funds to them.

9. Do you think high-speed rail will ever come to Sacramento? Any ideas for getting it here sooner?

Absolutely. While there are some that say we should postpone construction of the new rail system during these difficult economic times, I argue that this is precisely the time to begin construction. The potential economic stimulus in terms of jobs, infrastructure and local investment is something California needs right now.

Speeding up the arrival of high-speed rail to Sacramento will require cooperation and an understanding of the federal government and the acquisition of federal funds. I believe my unique combination of federal and state policy experience will help facilitate this process.

I am concerned about the constantly changing price tag on the project but feel the long-term economic and infrastructure investment far outweigh the shortcomings of the project. I do support increased accountability and oversight of the project as we move forward.

10. Do you support single-payer health care in California? If so, how can it be accomplished? If not, what better ideas do you have for ensuring quality health care for all Californians?

I fully support single-payer health care in California. California is a leader worldwide on many issues, and it is imperative we once again lead the country on this issue. Single-payer is the only way to guarantee quality, universal access and affordability to all Californians.

It may take several years to understand the effects of the newly signed federal law. Until we understand this, it may be impossible to reach my goal of health care for every Californian.

11. Please describe your position on marriage equality for Californians.

This century’s civil-rights issue is securing equality for the LGBT community in all areas of the law, but especially in marriage. Throughout my political career I have fought for extending equal rights to the LGBT community, and this position will not change when I’m elected to the Assembly.

In 2008, I organized the 23 CSU campuses efforts to defeat Proposition 8 for CFA. I was also involved on a state level in urging the repeal of DOMA. DOMA is an abomination of our nation’s equal protection right laws and must be changed. As CFA political director I was proud to work with Equality California and Human Rights Campaign to sponsor AJR 19 calling on the federal government to repeal DOMA.

Lauren Hammond

1. How did the state of California come to be in the fiscal crisis it is now perennially in? What do you think should have been done these past years to avert the current predicament?

I believe a combination of factors have caused the chronic budget crisis that our state is in, including the constitutional requirement that state budgets be passed with a two-thirds vote, increased partisanship in the Legislature, ballot box budgeting, an over-reliance on the volatile capital gains of the wealthiest taxpayers to balance our books, the failure to set aside a large enough rainy-day budget reserve during the good times, and the inability to find new revenue to pay for new programs.

There is no quick fix to this budgetary mess, but our state lawmakers must be candid about our state’s fiscal condition with the voters, be more judicious in drafting future budgets, and “right size” our state government programs.

2. The field of candidates in this primary has been described as being “all good Democrats” who would probably vote similarly on most issues. What’s different about you? Why are you the better choice?

I am a product of the district. I attended school here and have worked my entire adult life in the 9th Assembly District. As the only woman and person of color in this race, I am the most pragmatic progressive in the race. I am a straight-talker who doesn’t grandstand and who knows that it takes a coalition to move an agenda forward. I believe that is one of the primary reasons that I have been endorsed by both former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo and current Mayor Kevin Johnson.

3. In this time of budget cuts, where would you look for opportunities to increase state tax or other revenues?

The first thing I would do to increase revenue to the state is support repealing the recently enacted corporate tax giveaways that were leveraged by the Republicans into the most recent state budget “deal.” Next, I would support imposing an oil-severance tax. We’re the only oil-producing state without one.

4. What is your opinion about how state-employee unions representing prison guards, teachers and public employees are responding to the state’s budget crisis? Should specific unions be making more concessions? What precisely would you recommend?

State employees are important stakeholders in our state budget process and have valuable perspectives and insights regarding the programs they operate that must be considered. As a state legislator, I would welcome their participation in the budgetary process. Legislators must continue to make tough budget decisions, but they can also work with organized labor to design program improvements and efficiencies that would reduce the need for devastating cuts.

5. What’s your opinion of the education reforms passed this year in hopes of winning federal Race to the Top dollars? What specific reforms would you support to improve schools and the lives of California students?

Our state dearly needs the education dollars that are available from President Obama’s Race to the Top program. I generally support the reforms that were passed earlier this year. I support charter schools, and as a state legislator, would push for greater transparency and accountability in charter schools so that parents and others can better assess how well specific schools are functioning and providing education.

6. What’s your opinion of the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative on this November’s ballot, and on Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s legislation to legalize marijuana?

I haven’t made up my mind on the ballot measure yet. I want to hear the arguments. For example, I want to hear how the proposal protects our youth, who already face significant risks from exposure to drugs and alcohol at an early age. And I want to hear an answer to law enforcement concerns that drug cartels will turn it to their advantage.

7. On A.B. 32, do you believe a cap-and-trade component is what is needed? Or would you prefer more direct regulation?

I fully support implementing A.B. 32. I believe that we need both direct regulation and a cap-and-trade component to reach the ambitious goal of 1990 levels of greenhouse-gas emissions by 2020.

8. What will you do to ensure that local transportation agencies get the money they need to preserve and expand public transportation in the state?

I will not support efforts to raid our state and local transportation accounts to balance the state budget. It’s that kind of shell game that has outraged the public and led to all-time low ratings for elected officials. I will sponsor legislation to protect the State Transit Account so that our public transit systems will have the resources that are so vital to their survival.

9. Do you think high-speed rail will ever come to Sacramento? Any ideas for getting it here sooner?

Yes. Sacramento may even get a connection in Phase I. Our regional transportation agencies have done a great job getting us to this point. Our alliance with Bay Area transportation groups has served us well.

According to state Treasurer Bill Lockyer, the state cannot go to market to let the bonds approved by voters to build the tracks. The state must improve the economy to make high-speed rail a real transportation option.

10. Do you support single-payer health care in California? If so, how can it be accomplished? If not, what better ideas do you have for ensuring quality health care for all Californians?

I have been a staunch advocate for single-payer and health care for all. More recently, I supported President Obama in his federal health-care reforms.

Now that it has passed, I believe California must fully embrace and implement the legislation. Unfortunately, some of the reforms are not scheduled to take effect for a few years. As a legislator, I will support state legislation to address any deficiencies and plug any holes that are found in the federal reform.

11. Please describe your position on marriage equality for Californians.

I fully support marriage equality for Californians.

Kevin McCarty

1. How did the state of California come to be in the fiscal crisis it is now perennially in? What do you think should have been done these past years to avert the current predicament?

As a former staffer to the Assembly Budget Committee, I know the structural problems with the budget, and know there’s not an easy solution. In the past three years, the Legislature has creatively filled the budget gap and made many tough cuts. We’ve seen too many cuts, however.

New revenues are the reality to continue funding our schools, colleges, and health and safety net programs. Heck, even Ronald Reagan and Pete Wilson signed off on revenues increases during tough economic times (both supported increasing the upper income tax brackets!) We also need to put revenue ideas on the table.

Lastly, we need to make politically tough choices/cuts in programs like corrections. We need a sentencing reform commission.

Here are other aspects of my budget plan:

• Responsible Budgeting with a Rainy Day Fund. Currently there is no incentive or real requirement for California to set aside funds during the boom times so that the budget can survive economic downturns. As a result, one-time revenues are allocated to permanent tax giveaways to the wealthy and unsustainable spending increases. No budget can survive such short-term thinking. No budget can survive such short-term thinking, and will instead craft a real rainy day fund that will set aside boom revenues that will alleviate the need for massive budget cuts and tax increases during tough budget years.

• Close Wasteful Tax Loopholes. The California Tax Code is littered with sweetheart tax deals that are great for narrow special interests but have no broad public benefits – despite the promises made when each tax break was enacted. We should conduct a top to bottom review of all tax loopholes to fight special interests to close the breaks that have little or no public interest and instead provide tax relief to the rest of us or make investments in our schools or other critical needs.

• Oversight and Accountability. State government has been run by Republican governors for 22 of the past 27 years. And while the Legislature has done its job passing budgets and considering thousands of bills each year, not enough has been done to review the work of state government and to hold Republican Administrations accountable for the job it does. I’ll advocate to expand the role of the Legislature from reviewing and crafting the annual budget, to a year-around process to review the administration’s implementation of the budget and will hold administration officials accountable immediately for failing to meet the budget requirements.

2. The field of candidates in this primary has been described as being “all good Democrats” who would probably vote similarly on most issues. What’s different about you? Why are you the better choice?

I have the experience to hit the ground running, which is key in an era of term limits. I have the tactical knowledge having worked in and around the Capitol for 17 years; as an Assembly budget adviser, policy director for a statewide officeholder, and now legislative advocate for Preschool California.

I reflect the district and the commitment to restoring the California Dream. I’m a lifelong Sacramentan (since the age of 2). I am the product of the California Dream; I am the son of single mother of four, and we benefited from the promise of the California Dream; free childcare/preschool, Medi-Cal, free lunch program, free after-school programs, and grants to attend college. I’ll never forget this as I govern.

On the city council, I’ve been a leader producing tangible solutions, not just producing words. Confronted with too much gun violence, I led the effort to crack down on illegal guns, and my local ordinance became the basis for a new statewide law. Seeing not enough programs for our youth in my district and the city, I led successful efforts to expand college opportunity, expand after school, sports, and mentoring efforts, and an innovative approach to tackle truancy. Seeing too many slumlords ruining neighborhoods, I led a rental housing inspection program, which has cleaned up more than 5,000 properties to date. I’m proud that these efforts were both successful and became models for others.

In sum, I realize in the Assembly I’ll be just one vote and can’t turn the boat around by myself. However, with the above mentioned reasoned, I’m well positioned to be an effective, progressive legislator. I certainly know what I can and can’t do, but have a plan on budget reform, and a few realistic innovative legislative ideas on preschool, career technical education, and clean energy/green jobs.

3. In this time of budget cuts, where would you look for opportunities to increase state tax or other revenues?

Yes, as mentioned [above], I would look at restoring the top tax bracket, increasing the VLF to 2 percent of the car’s value, implementing a tax on goods purchased on the Internet, and closing other tax loopholes that the Legislature has been resistant to doing in the past.

All revenue ideas need to be on the table for consideration.

But we also need to look at scrutinizing programs like corrections. I fully support sentencing reform and other efforts to make wiser decisions with corrections spending.

4. What is your opinion about how state-employee unions representing prison guards, teachers and public employees are responding to the state’s budget crisis? Should specific unions be making more concessions? What precisely would you recommend?

We have to bring the union leaders in to discuss concessions. I do support a little “prodding,” but efforts need to done through the collective bargaining process, not by grandstanding politicians.

Living in a state worker town, we know the furloughs and pay decreases devastate local businesses and families and are not the way to keep our economy strong. I vehemently oppose the ill-advised furloughs for non-general fund departments.

Union leadership also needs to help us create smarter solutions; if they’re not part of the solution, upcoming legislation/budget could be disastrous for their members.

5. What’s your opinion of the education reforms passed this year in hopes of winning federal Race to the Top dollars? What specific reforms would you support to improve schools and the lives of California students?

I was not in support of some of the Senate proposals that would have allowed certain schools to thrive while others would have floundered. I support sound, data-driven reforms, not halfhearted efforts to chase a few dollars.

We must work to maintain manageable size classrooms, and attract top-notch teachers. Money isn’t the answer to all of our school woes—but whacking $15 billion-plus out of the education system over the past few years doesn’t help improve our schools. We need to adequately fund our schools, as the Stanford “Getting Down to Facts” reports illustrated in 2007.

For a real difference-maker in helping close the readiness/achievement gap, universal access to preschool is a top priority. It would ensure our kids are ready to learn when they enter Kindergarten. My work with Preschool California will put me in a great position to be a leader on this issue.

6. What’s your opinion of the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative on this November’s ballot, and on Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s legislation to legalize marijuana?

I support the legalization of marijuana. However, I think the effort put forth by Assembly member Ammiano is more practical and thought-out.

7. On A.B. 32, do you believe a cap-and-trade component is what is needed? Or would you prefer more direct regulation?

First off, I am adamantly opposed to the misguided attempt to reverse this landmark law.

I believe cap-and-trade is necessary and a step in the right direction towards our overall goal of lowering greenhouse emissions. However, cap-and-trade is not a panacea, and needs to be implemented in a way that is real, and not just a windfall for polluters.

I also support more direct regulation, as is being discussed with the Cal Air Resources Board.

Lastly, we need to continue to show that these efforts don’t hurt the economy, but conversely help grow a new economy of green jobs.

8. What will you do to ensure that local transportation agencies get the money they need to preserve and expand public transportation in the state?

I would like to sit on the Budget Committee and work with our local advocates to increase state funding and expand local bus, light rail and train routes. Again, as mentioned above, increased revenue will lesson the demand to raid funds like these and hopefully allow some restoration of transit dollars.

I also support efforts to lower the vote threshold for local jurisdictions to raise revenues for public transit—both light rail and bus service.

9. Do you think high-speed rail will ever come to Sacramento? Any ideas for getting it here sooner?

Yes, I think high-speed rail will come to Sacramento, our state’s capital. However, we need to continue to be a strong advocate of working with our political leadership and local transportation advocates to ensure we have infrastructure and a plan to make it easier to bring it here. We also need to continue linking the project to efforts to adhere to A.B. 32, further helping expedite the development of the system.

10. Do you support single-payer health care in California? If so, how can it be accomplished? If not, what better ideas do you have for ensuring quality health care for all Californians?

Yes, I support single-payer, and think it can be accomplished in the next decade, but might face more significant hurdles with the current federal health-care reform. I believe we are on the right track with the federal legislation, ensuring that insurance companies cannot cherry-pick clients, restricting profits and regulating administrative costs. In the interim, we must expand the safety net for individuals who cannot afford coverage, through the [insurance] exchanges, Healthy Families and Medi-Cal.

11. Please describe your position on marriage equality for Californians.

I am a strong supporter of marriage equality. I have spent my time as a public official promoting equal benefits and full equality for marriage. I have close family members who are directly affected and marginalized by the passage of Prop. 8. I led the city council to oppose Prop. 8 and join in on the lawsuits fighting for marriage equality. I’m proud that my campaign has been endorsed by Assembly member Tom Ammiano, chair of the Legislative LGBT Caucus.

Adam Sartain

1. How did the state of California come to be in the fiscal crisis it is now perennially in? What do you think should have been done these past years to avert the current predicament?

The state came to this crisis, I believe, through several factors. First, the Legislature as it currently is and has for sometime now, only thinks about the present and makes no plans for the future. Everyone who knows anything about economics knows that the economy goes up and down. In individual lives, people have “rainy days.” But to combat that, we have “rainy day funds,” saving in times of economic high points so we aren’t hit hard in the slumps. However, the Legislature, when presented with a budget surplus, proceeded to spend and expand beyond its means (including tax cuts), and are now wondering why now that the economy is down, they have such problems.

This is actually a pet peeve of mine with the Legislature and one of the main reasons I am running in this election. What we need to do now (as I explain on my website) is raise fees and certain targeted taxes on those that can afford them until the economy improves. Once we have a budget surplus again, we need to plan for the future and put some of the surplus away for when the economy tanks again. If we don’t learn from history, we are bound to repeat it.

2. The field of candidates in this primary has been described as being “all good Democrats” who would probably vote similarly on most issues. What’s different about you? Why are you the better choice?

Unlike my Democratic opponents, I sit a lot closer to the middle of the political spectrum. I believe this is because I haven’t been entrenched in politics like all of my opponents (even Garland is a lobbyist who works in the Capitol) have. The longer one is in politics, usually the more polarized they become, because they are no longer in the real world. I can offer a fresh perspective in the Capitol from someone who has seen firsthand (as a state worker) what works and what doesn’t work in our state government.

I have also brought to light an issue that none of my opponents has dared to address as of yet, the issue of access to representatives. I don’t know if you’ve tried to contact your Assemblyman, senator or Congressman, but I have tried many times, only to end up on a newsletter mailing list with no meeting and no personal response.

As a representative, being accessible to constituents is part of the job—a part that is sorely being neglected. Furthermore, as a result of this lack of accessibility, there has been a corresponding lack of accountability. If you’re not accessible, you don’t have to be accountable.

3. In this time of budget cuts, where would you look for opportunities to increase state tax or other revenues?

I’ve seen the budget mess we’re in and there is no way to fix this through cuts alone. But that doesn’t mean we should raise taxes on those who can’t afford it. A 5 percent across-the-board tax increase will mean some families won’t be able to pay their mortgage or their rent or even their electric bill. But a 1 to 2 percent increase on individuals making $1,000,000 per year or more will be more than enough to solve the problem and will mean what? One less trip to Cancun? One less ivory back-scratcher?

4. What is your opinion about how state-employee unions representing prison guards, teachers and public employees are responding to the state’s budget crisis? Should specific unions be making more concessions? What precisely would you recommend?

Personally, I think the unions have been doing just what they need to do, namely keep the Legislature from going overboard and keeping as many people as possible from losing their jobs. Unfortunately, the Legislature did not support the contract that was negotiated between SEIU and DPS and which was ratified by the state workers. There were many concessions in that contract that would have saved the state money. There are also many ideas from state workers that would save the state money if only they would listen to them. So the problem isn’t the unions, the problem is that no one listens.

5. What’s your opinion of the education reforms passed this year in hopes of winning federal Race to the Top dollars? What specific reforms would you support to improve schools and the lives of California students?

I admit I am not that familiar with the education reforms passed this year, but I will say this: If we keep putting music and arts education aside as an expendable elective, we will continue the downward spiral we’ve been seeing in education.

We need to spend more money on education than on prisons for one thing, and for another, we need to take a look at student interest. If kids aren’t interested in learning, it doesn’t matter how much you spend or how great of teachers there are. Kids won’t learn if they don’t have the ambition. I don’t know how, I only know that it is necessary.

6. What’s your opinion of the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative on this November’s ballot, and on Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s legislation to legalize marijuana?

Frankly, at this stage in the economy, the state needs a new revenue stream. I don’t believe that marijuana is too dangerous to be legalized as long as you have the proper structure. I would like to see it taxed and regulated as sort of a mix between how tobacco and alcohol is regulated. Like with cigarettes, there should be stiff taxes and limited areas of use, and it should be illegal to drive under the influence of it like with alcohol, for example.

If we sit down with the knowledge of its effects (which many of us who have been to college should know) and think about things logically, I think it can be done right.

7. On A.B. 32, do you believe a cap-and-Trade component is what is needed? Or would you prefer more direct regulation?

Although I believe that we should be good stewards of our planet, A.B. 32 goes too far. A cap-and-trade component would be much better than the strict regulations that there are now, and maybe even a tiered “step down” system for the caps that gradually lowers emissions rather than all at once, which is unreasonable.

8. What will you do to ensure that local transportation agencies get the money they need to preserve and expand public transportation in the state?

Public transportation is an essential part of any urban city, especially Sacramento. I can’t say what I’ll do to ensure they get the money, because I don’t know what I can do. One of the rules I set for myself early on in my campaign was that I will not promise anything if I don’t know that I can do it. I will only promise things that I know I can do and the rest will be things I want to do. I will say this, that when I put my mind to a problem, I research, I analyze and I find a solution. I can’t guarantee that I will ensure that the local transportation agencies get the money they need, but I will do my best and I will certainly not sit on my laurels and just say no. One idea that comes to mind is earmarking money to localities from the state, specifically for public transportation. Another idea is to encourage alternate revenue gathering (such as advertising in mass transit, etc.) by helping those localities that put out the effort to help themselves.

9. Do you think high-speed rail will ever come to Sacramento? Any ideas for getting it here sooner?

The question is will publicly funded high-speed rail ever come to Sacramento. And the answer is no.

However if we create a public/private partnership, it might just be possible. And I would definitely like to see it. It will provide a cheaper alternative to flying and it will bring jobs where we are hurting the most, in construction. And with both my father and brother working in construction, I am all for more construction jobs.

10. Do you support single-payer health care in California? If so, how can it be accomplished? If not, what better ideas do you have for ensuring quality health care for all Californians?

In theory, both the extremes of “government run” health care as well as the current “capitalist” system will not work. We already see oversights and mishandling in the Medicare system and too many insurers that know finance, but not medical practice keeping people from getting the care that they need. A state or even localized system might work as there are less people to work with and thus less oversight is required. Certain things work to allow capitalism, but certain things just don’t work from a “market controlled” standpoint. When people’s health and very lives are at stake, you cannot leave it to a free-market system.

All sides of the health system (doctors, admins, insurers and the government) need to work together and find a way to make it work so that health care is affordable and available to all. Maybe doctors need to ask themselves, are they doing this for the money or to save lives? Insurers need to ask themselves, is this in the best interest of the patient?

Whatever it is, it can’t be too complicated, or no one will ever get care due to all the paperwork.

11. Please describe your position on marriage equality for Californians.

One of my main differences in opinion with my opponents is my stance on Prop. 8. I don’t think that Prop. 8 should have been on the ballot in the first place.

Marriage began as and always has been a religious institution. Marriage should be defined by religion and not by the government. I personally am against gay marriage because of my spiritual views, but who am I to say that two people who love each other can’t get married?

The way I see it working is that when two people want to get married, they go to their place of worship (whatever their religion) and have the ceremony and then they are issued a certificate from their place of worship (could even be a standardized form that the pastor/minister/rabbi/etc. fills out). The couple then takes that certificate to the city or county who validates that it is from a recognized religion and issues an official marriage certificate. There are many religions that recognize gay marriage.