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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Budget Crisis,
Education,
Water,
Health Insurance
Click on a name for other candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. What does California need to do to address the current budget crisis?
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Answer from David P. "Dave" Silva:
We need to pass SB 921 to encourage business to come to California and to stay here. This will reduce the cost of health care for business and provide more good paying jobs to increase the tax base. We need to increase taxes on those making over $200,000 and close corporate loopholes. We need more revenues from indian gaming and we need to spend less on prisons.
Answer from Tom Harman:
Approve the $15 billion bond issue on the March ballot. Reduce spending to eliminate the structural deficit. No new taxes are needed.
Answer from Norm "Firecracker" Westwell:
We do not have a budget crisis.
We have a SPENDING crisis.
We must reduce government to solve the SPENDING crisis.
The current funding crisis could be mitigated entirely by simply decriminalizing, taxing and regulating California's number one cash crop, marijuana.
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2. What should the state's priorities be for K-12 education? For the Community College System?
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Answer from Norm "Firecracker" Westwell:
Education should not be funded or controled by govenment. We need to get government out of education.
Answer from David P. "Dave" Silva:
We are in danger of losing the progress we made in education by lack of funding. We need to make Community College more affordable and have more grants for low income students. We need more after school programs, especially at the high school level, because those programs are proven to reduce crime.
Answer from Tom Harman:
K-12: Maintain existing small class sizes and expand the program to other grades. Make students, parents, teachers and administrators accoutable. Approve school equalization funding. Let local school districts decide how to spend their money without Sacramento telling them how to do it. Eliminate State imposed mandates. Reduce the current of amount of performance testing. Community College: Should act as feeder schools for the CSU and UC systems.
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3. What measures would you support to address California's water needs?
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Answer from Tom Harman:
Conservation, conservation and more conservation. Increased surface water storage capacity, but without any new dams on any major rivers. Support desalination development. Increased use of reclaimed water.
Answer from Norm "Firecracker" Westwell:
I will support all reasonable measures to increase California's water resources.
Answer from David P. "Dave" Silva:
We need a comprehensive long-range plan for affordable water in the future. Right now agriculture uses a disproportionate amount of our water resources. If we privatize water resources it will be a disaster for California. With our growing population we need to encourage conservation now.
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4. What should the Legislature be doing to address the needs of Californians without health insurance?
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Answer from Tom Harman:
The issue is best addressed by the federal government. Forcing small and moderate sized businesses to provide health care insurance to employees is unworkable and should be stopped. Increased use of HMO's will help control costs.
Answer from Norm "Firecracker" Westwell:
Nothing. It is not the responsibiity of the Legislature to provide health insurance for everyone in society. Socialism did not work in the Soviet Union. There is no reason to believe socialism will work in California. Health insurance is a personal responsibility.
Answer from David P. "Dave" Silva:
The Legislature needs to pass the same bill the Senate did; SB 921 that establishes a single-payer system that contains costs. This is good for business and good for the public. Thinkering at the edges with half measures will only allow health care costs to rise.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
