League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 2, 2004 Election
	Margaret Abe-Koga Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Mountain View

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. Passing a balanced City budget each year has become a major challenge. What specific strategies will you promote in response to a continuing revenue shortfall?

I will first work on advancing economic development initiatives city-wide, understanding that healthy businesses lead to increased revenue for local government. I will also look to partnerships with federal, state and other local governments as well as with businesses and community-based organizations to maintain a high level of services. Also, we should explore investment opportunities and internal restructuring that will lead to long-term savings.

2. What would you do, if anything, to make home ownership possible for more families of local public safety workers, other City employees, District teachers and medical personnel?

Having public service employees living in the community is a great asset to strengthening our city. The Santa Clara County Office of Education which I currently oversee as a Trustee, has been a leader in bringing community leaders together to find ways to provide assistance for teachers to purchase homes in the communities where they teach, and I will continue to support such efforts. I would also look to applying some of those initiatives to other public servants such as providing assistance for down payments or loans for first-time homebuyers.

3. On which local and regional committees, boards, and task forces would you like to serve? If your personal views on issues before these bodies do not coincide with those of the Council as a whole, how will you handle this?

I would be interested in serving on the Council's neighborhoods, transportation, and youth services standing committees and regionally on ABAG, Santa Clara County Cities Association Legislative Action Committee, the VTA board, and Project Cornerstone.

Currently as a member of an elected body, I have a track record of successfully balancing varied viewpoints and working as part of a governance team to build concensus in order to advance sound policy intiatives.