League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
San Diego County, CA March 2, 2004 Election
	Christopher Richard "Chris" Larkin Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 77; Democratic Party

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

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

We need to find and eliminate any over spending and redundancy in the budget. We must look to where the mandated money is being spent and be certain we are reciving the best delivery of services for our tax dollars. During times of financial uncertainty, when cuts are to be made, we need to be fair and equal in the execution of those budget cuts so that not any one program suffer greater than any other. After that we can then look to untapped resources of revenue that can bring new money to the budget without having to raise taxes.

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

Our budget should always place education as its highest priority and we should be placing our strongest efforts into K-12. This is where our children recive the greatest amount of educational information and social interaction. California's teachers are some of the most well trained and highly motivated in the nation and we need to tap deeper into their experience with regard to classroom teaching agenda on a community by community level. We should also work to create a renewed empahsis on sporting and after school programs.

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

We should work to create better communication between nieghboring counties in regards to water aquisition and distribution. A volunteer community water board could be one way to help ensure that water delivery and usage remains fair and equal among the community and business.

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

We need to address health issues at their earliest stage. Too much money is being spent on health problems in their late development which require more time and money to cure. There should be more emphasis placed on health education and prevention to help reduce long term health care costs. California families that are in need of assistance should be allowed access to the proper health care from prenatal to adult years in order to stem the tide of more serious conditions later in life. A healthy society is more productive and less apt to a prolonged conditions that ends up costing more to the taxpayer in terms of indigent hospitalization from preventable conditions.