League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Contra Costa County, CA March 2, 2004 Election
	Joe Canciamilla Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 11; Democratic Party

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

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

First it is vital that both parties recognize that there is a real budget problem that will not be solved by one approach alone. Last year Assmeblyman Keith Richman a Republican from Northridge and I authored a budget solution that would have almost completely closed the budget gap this year. It included both serious cuts, a temporary 1/2 cent five year increase in the sales tax and an economic stimulus package that contained workers compensation reform, business lititgaion and tax reform. That is the same type of approach I would support for this years budget gap.

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

Our priorities should be for flexibility in mandates and requirements so that local districts will have some flexibility in the design and operation of their schools. This needs to be coupled with increased accountability at the district level for those choices and actions. We need to continue supporting class size reduction with options that will reduce testing requirements that don't produce data that will be useful to local districts.

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

As the Chair of the Committee on Water,Parks and Wildlife I have worked to try and stabilize the water supply and quality of the state in general and the delta in particular. I have worked to develop an increased number of sources that will ensure a long term water supply including the expansion of market contracts, limits on the ability to transfer water to the south and increasing the markets for recycled water.

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

The legislature has started by expanding options for working families to qualify for healthy families programs and have expanded options for childrens services. The ultimate resolution to the health care crisis cannot come from the State alone, it is going to require a national policy that will permit states to work together with the federal government to design a truly uniform, workable and affordable national health care policy. In the interim the state has begun to address the problem by imposing requirements on large businesses, those with over 50 employees to provide insurance for their workers. This stop-gap measure will cover many but the larger problem will only be resolved by a larger national fix.