League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Fresno, Tulare County, CA March 2, 2004 Election
	Juan Arambula Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 31; Democratic Party

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. What does California need to do to address the current budget crisis?

We must have a balanced, long range plan to improve California's economic health. The State budget must be balanced, the economy stimulated and revenues stabilized.

I have a track record of bringing people together to solve problems. I know how to set priorities and make the difficult choices necessary to balance a budget. In fact, I have passed a balanced budget, on time, each year for the past 17 years, even during tough economic times. The same thoughtful and reasoned approach I have used to address budget challenges while on the Fresno School Board and the Fresno County Board of Supervisors will be applied to the challenges currently facing the State budget.

I will continue to be a fiscal watchdog, who is ready to work with the Governor and members of both parties to solve the State's budget deficit and create real change in Sacramento. We must learn to live within our means, accept that we cannot afford to fund every program we want, and fund those essential services that have the highest priority.

Some say we can balance our budget with budget cuts alone, others believe we can balance our budget solely by increasing taxes, while others prefer to borrow our way out, and pass the cost on to the next generation.

I believe we must first set priorities and determine what services are essential for State government to provide. We must look at each department to determine that taxpayer dollars are being spent in the most cost effective manner possible and ensure accountability measures are in place.

In order to get out of our current budget problems, however, there will be many sacrifices and real cuts that have to be made. We must come to the realization that these are going to be difficult budget years, full of many difficult choices. We must make common-sense decisions about what is most important and what can be cut. The Legislature and the Governor must work cooperatively to make reasoned and necessary reductions in State expenditures, always remembering that we have been elected to solve problems and provide essential services.

2. What should the state's priorities be for K-12 education? For the Community College System?

Having spent nine years on the Fresno School Board, the third largest school district in the state, with over 100 languages spoken and a majority of students living below the poverty level, I am well aware there are no easy answers.

I strongly support adequate funding for K-12 public schools as well as for community colleges and state universities. I also believe the legislature needs to significantly reduce the costly and burdensome regulations that micromanage almost every aspect of public education while, at the same time, holding public schools accountable for their performance.

We must focus more on getting the results we need, and less on telling people how to do their jobs. We must significantly decrease the drop out rates and greatly improve the skills and academic achievement of those that graduate. We must also provide our instructors with the resources and the support they need to do their jobs.

Technical and vocational training programs can play a critical role in providing individuals with marketable skills to meet the demands of a changing economy. I would place a renewed emphasis on technical and vocational training, both for current students and adults wishing to re-enter the workforce or sharpen and improve their skills, and try to make sure such programs have the latest available technology. We also need better coordination been high school, community college and workforce preparation programs. A better-educated workforce will improve the state's economy.

As a member of the local Workforce Investment Board for the past several years, I have supported the creation and expansion of apprenticeship programs. The role of adult schools must be expanded, to provide more people with basic literacy and skills, and the role of community colleges must be strengthened to train and upgrade people's skills in specific areas. There is no reason to look outside the state or nation for technical workers when we have so many people who are unemployed or underemployed and with proper training or retraining could fill those positions.

3. What measures would you support to address California's water needs?

Because our water supply is finite, each drop of water in California is precious.

We must have a consistent and reliable water supply for all Californians, which will require expanded and better-managed storage and delivery systems. We must also increase conservation and reuse.

Groundwater supplies a significant proportion of California's drinking water. In rural areas, 90% of the population relies on groundwater as their only supply of drinking water.

California's groundwater resources are threatened by over-drafting and chemical contamination. The water level of the aquifer serving the City of Fresno has dropped 90 feet in the last 70 years, while over pumping has caused significant land subsidence over time throughout western Fresno County.

Water quality is of grave concern. Here in the Central Valley, numerous contaminated wells have been shut down or removed from service, mainly due to nitrates from now banned pesticides and inadequate septic systems. Among California counties, Fresno - the most productive agricultural county in the country - has the highest number of different pesticides and breakdown products found in groundwater, followed by Los Angeles. In addition, Fresno County also has the largest number of active wells since '97 exceeding maximum contamination levels. Our public water systems have been forced to invest substantial sums in expensive treatment systems to lower the concentration of contaminants to acceptable levels.

• The state should fully enforce state laws that govern construction and maintenance of individual disposal systems such as septic tanks.

• Oil companies must phase out the use of the gasoline additive MTBE, a possible carcinogen, which is highly mobile in water. MTBE contaminates 10,000 groundwater sites throughout California.

• When contaminants are discovered in water wells, the Water Board must promptly identify the source of the pollution and limit spread of the contamination.

Ensuring a stable supply of safe drinking water and water for agricultural and industrial uses is crucial to the health of our residents and the economic vitality of our Valley.

4. What should the Legislature be doing to address the needs of Californians without health insurance?

I support the goal of ensuring all Californians have access to affordable quality health care. We must strive to develop a high quality health care delivery system, which serves the health care needs of all Californians.

We must reduce the numbers of uninsured and underinsured, both from a public health policy perspective and because of the tremendous human toll. Far too many Californians, with limited access to health care, simply suffer in silence and eventually flock to our emergency rooms, which are ill equipped to handle the deluge. Our emergency rooms are overwhelmed with minor illnesses and uninsured people are caught in medical emergencies, caused by delaying necessary medical care until their medical condition has reached a crisis. Revenues can be saved by shifting treatment costs from expensive emergency room visits to less expensive and more effective early preventative treatment.

As a legislator, I would work with my colleagues who have taken a leadership role in bringing this critical issue to the forefront. Everyone benefits as more people are brought under the umbrella of healthcare insurance.

The workers compensation system still requires reform. Reforming the workers compensation system will provide needed relief to employers and could also free up additional funds for health insurance expansion.

I support increased state funding of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to health care providers, given the actual cost of providing care, to reduce cost shifting to private health care plans. I support effective outreach programs to increase enrollment in Medi-Cal and Health Family programs. I also support the use of technology and computerized systems to improve chronic disease management and care coordination, by targeting the 20% of the population that accounts for 80% of healthcare costs, to significantly reduce costs for those patients and taxpayers in general.

In summary, I support finding ways to ensure that all Californians have health care, and ensure the entire health care system is financially sound.