Candidate for
Member; California State Assembly; District 75

As a schoolteacher, I focus on the 3 R's. As your assemblyperson, I'll focus on the 3 E's - Economics, Education, and the Environment. I'm convinced the people in this district want common sense solutions to solve issues.

Economics

Traffic jams are more than just a daily annoyance, they are a serious drain on our state's economy. In fact, according to the latest statistics traffic congestion on our roads and freeways costs Californians more than 5.8 million dollars a day. It's clear to me that if we want our economy to continue to grow and attract new, high wage jobs, something must be done to get California's streets moving again.

As your representative in the State Assembly, I will make investment in new roads and improvements on our local freeways a priority. I will make sure that I-15, one of the busiest freeways in San Diego County, has the additional lanes, new on and off ramps and extended zipper/HOV lanes that it needs. I will fight for planning that anticipates future demand. And I will protect your tax dollars so that funds earmarked for road construction are never misspent. It's amazing to think that 1.1 million gallons of fuel per day are wasted because of regular urban freeway congestion.

By actively addressing this situation now, we can lower fuel costs, increase productivity and pave the way for future economic development.

Education

It's hard for me to understand why, as funding for California's schools slips to 48th in the nation, people are willing to play politics with the future of our children. California is the 5th largest economy in the world and yet right now, less than 2% of our students attend schools that meet national spending averages. Over 60% of our primary schools are over 25 years old. And in a recent survey of school resources, California received a "failing" grade. I think it is time our state legislators put aside their political differences and put the interests of California's schoolchildren in front of their own.

Once elected, I will not rest until every public school in our state meets national spending averages, every child has access to the latest text books and computer technology and every broken down classroom in California has the repairs it needs.

After all our schools are brought up to a national standard, I will work to reduce class size and make the kind of investments our children deserve. Vocational training, physical and musical education programs, after school activities, health services and teacher mentoring programs all need to be expanded. There is absolutely no reason California's schools should be anything but the best in the nation.

Environment

Environmentalism isn't about zero growth or limited business, it's about protecting our future. Right now, San Diego County imports up to 90% of its water from outside sources, cases of childhood asthma are at record levels, and over-development has strained our natural resources to their breaking point. As we enter into the 21st century, I believe it is important we recognize that the choices we make today will affect the lives of our children and the future of all Californians.

That's why as your representative in the State Assembly, I will work to fund "smart planning" policies like San Diego's Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP), require new buildings to take advantage of our state of the art water reclamation plant, and invest in cleaner burning fuel technologies. These ideas aren't far-fetched or even costly. San Diego County already has 45 miles of pipeline and the ability to distribute 30 million gallons of recycled water a day. We have access to natural gas and clean burning diesel cars and buses. And we have the talent to develop a sensible statewide policy that balances future development with the environment.

Although Sacramento is miles away, I want you to know that as your representative in the State Assembly I will always be available to the people of San Diego County. I will always put your concerns ahead of politics and I will never forget who hired me. To help keep up with the changing needs of such a large district, I will institute an open door policy at my office, form volunteer advisory committees from each of the different communities and encourage local leaders to participate in the policy decisions affecting their futures. I think it's important that our elected officials remember why they were elected in the first place, as your representative in the State Assembly I will spend every day working for you and the people of San Diego County.