Candidate for
Supervisor; County of Contra Costa; Supervisorial District 2

The four main areas of County importance that are of particular interest to me are:

Public Finance
ERAF
Transportation
Public Safety

PUBLIC FINANCE Fiscal responsibility is fundamental to good government. We must assure that every tax dollar is spent wisely in order to maximize the quality and quantity of services delivered.

As a community we need to support all responsible efforts to persuade the California State government to return a greater share of our property tax dollars back to this county for local needs.

Unfunded mandates imposed by Sacramento should be rejected! The State needs to pay its own way on state mandated programs.

Special service districts, such as Fire Districts, need to have a level of funding necessary to provide services at an acceptable level as well as the ability to invest in capital equipment.

ERAF - Return of Property Taxes Over $110 million of our Contra Costa property tax dollars which should be returned to local government has been retained by the state for 2002. Property taxes have traditionally been returned to local agencies to provide local services such as roads, libraries and police.

As our county's representative to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Board of Directors, I have been working at the state level to stop this practice. I believe the people should have a say on the practice of using your property taxes for general state obligations at the expense of local government. A ballot measure is the only way where the people can express their opinion as well as amend the State Constitution to prevent the further diversion of your property tax dollars from providing local services. Once our current fiscal crises has passed, I will continue to work for a statewide ballot measure on this issue.

TRANSPORTATION We are facing gridlock throughout Contra Costa County. Presently, commute hour levels of traffic are extending throughout the majority of the day.

Many of our highways and main arterials are unsafe. The western end of Highway 4 is an excellent example of the improvements that our transportation system needs.

Alternate transportation needs to be improved.

Growth policies for future development need to be evaluated regarding the impact on citizens' mobility and our quality of life.

PUBLIC SAFETY Police and fire services must be a top priority.

Industrial safety laws should promote safety measures in plants and encourage proper maintenance.

I support the use of paramedics in our fire departments and know that our people want quick, professional response when they are in need of emergency medical care.