Candidate for
State Senator; District 17

Dear Interested Citizen,

I have been honored to participate in the development of new teaching techniques, learning systems, and criminal justice models at the college and university level over the last 20 years. I am very exited about incorporating these remarkable findings and programs at the State level. My sincere hope is to bring to our communities and families our newfound wisdom. It is time to for California to lead the world in education and technology once again.

After listening to many opinions and concerns, I thought it helpful to review how I intend to create a safer, more prosperous, promising California for us all. Rather than list every issue discussed, I have isolated 12 of the most common concerns.

ISSUE 1: Aloof Politicians

Once elected, politicians seem to disappear until it is time for re-election. Typically, many politicians ignore requests from everyday constituents, responding by form letters or through a staff member who promises "to look into it," if there is any response at all. Politicians seem to say the right thing but nothing ever happens.

SOLUTION:

I am open-minded and spend more time listening than talking. I am not a politician and my only purpose is to serve you, your family, and our communities. We have created Volunteer Action Teams that invite your participation and ideas. Join me and select a Team. We can identify issues and implement solutions together. A lot of time and money is wasted by government agencies on what we can do ourselves. We already have the eyes and ears: it is time to effectively channel to government what we observe. We are setting up citizen monitoring and compliance teams that require commitment of 2 to 4 hours a week in the service of your community in areas to include:

The Environment Education Internet Fraud Automotive Repair Deceptive Practices Misrepresentation Health Care Civil Liberties Safety and Crime Local Issues (like water) Highways and Signage Tax Policy Student Mentoring Emergency Response Judicial Sentencing Efficient Energy Use Child Safety and Care Public Awareness

ISSUE 2: Fiscal Mismanagement.

In the last five years, California revenues have increased by 25%, while State expenses have increased by 43%. California has an accumulated debt of $22 billion from 2003 and faces another $14 billion deficit in 2004. This debt is what was left even after Californians voted to authorize a $28 billion bond only a few months ago.

SOLUTIONS:

I will never support spending at a level more than our State revenues, will never support borrowing the State "cash reserve," and will keep tax rates and State fees stable and fair. The national economy is always in flux: I will use surpluses from "good years" to earn interest and as a hedge against "bad years." Our volunteer and citizen organizations will improve compliance yet reduce the cost of government. I will act to apply communication surcharges on organizations that use long distance calls overseas to facilitate outsourcing. I will remove tax exemptions that currently protect the wealthiest individuals and enterprises, thus creating a more fair and equitable contribution by all who prosper. I will move to reduce the Justice Budget ($10 billion per year) by implementing programs that significantly curb the cost of habitual criminal behavior.

ISSUE 3: Court Injustice.

Over 95% of criminals who violate probation are sentenced to more probation. Probation violators are usually not charged with the new crimes (the new crime was simply a violation of the old sentence. 25% of all crimes are committed by the same small number of habitual petty criminals that fill our courts and jails. There are 200,000 sexual predators in the U.S. that have been released from prison. About 52% of those convicted of sexual assault commit sexual assault again after serving in prison. That means that the very predators we release from custody will endanger at least 120,000 innocent new victims.

SOLUTIONS:

I will promote expanded sentencing options to judges, to extended custody for those that pose a threat to society. I pledge to require mandatory incarceration for the term of probation violated and offer remedial programs for some inmates in custody to earn "early release." I will push to require consecutive sentencing for probation violators (serving the new sentence after the sentence for the new charge is completed). I will support creation of new legal classification categories for habitual criminals (five convictions within 5 years), life-style criminals (drug/alcohol/organized crime/gang related), predatory criminals, and incorporate appropriate sentencing guidelines. I will support continuous judge education on sentencing effectiveness and new methods of treatment.

ISSUE 4: Supporting the best teachers in the nation.

Test scores for the 2002-2003 school year indicated that 25 percent of California's public schools failed to meet their annual test score targets. K-12 public schools in the state of California experienced severe cuts in services in the 2003-2004 school year and race cuts in the 2004-2005 school year. At the national level, the No Child Left Behind mandate will be under-funded by some 9 billion dollars this year. New education programs have been recently developed that bring out the best in students and in teachers.

SOLUTIONS:

I hope to expand the latest education delivery systems that promote outstanding academic performance and citizenship of which we can all be proud. These teaching systems incorporate into school curricula new skills to include collaboration, information gathering, assessment tools, and strategic planning that enhance traditional education basics. Test scores and subject mastery improve in these education settings. Inspired teachers are the key to excellent education. I will move to Implement Optimal Teaching Programs that support motivated, inspired, effective teachers. I will always place the welfare and development of our children as my top priority. The welfare of children and our youth should never be at risk as a result of diverting funds to non-essential programs. I will support creation of a mentoring programs.

ISSUE 5: Safeguarding the Environment

Diesel exhaust has been proven to cause cancer. Public water sources contain carcinogenic chemicals. After only 8 years of city living, 7% increase of our youth experience at least a 20% drop in lung capacity from breathing our polluted air. In the name of greed and self-interest, many of us are being slowly poisoned.

SOLUTIONS:

I will never place greed or commercial interests over health of children and families. I will find effective ways to resolve these difficult issues to include cooperative consortiums that bring industry and technology together to create a healthier environment. I will always use wise and thoughtful examination that balances commercial and residential expansion and the promotion of economic growth, with preserving our limited resources and natural beauty. I will move to legislate emission standards that control diesel exhaust (currently unregulated). I will promote economic and infrastructure growth that preserve natural resources and that use alternate sources of energy (solar systems in homes/businesses). My staff and I will initiate a renewed focus on the development of new environmental technologies through academic programs, competitions, and scholarships. I will help create and support volunteer teams that can assess and monitor pollution and toxicity levels as a part of an expanded State monitoring and compliance network.

ISSUE 6: Universal Health Care for Californians

California is the fifth largest economy in the world, yet one in five of our residents have no health care coverage. That means that 20% of Californians depend on "free" health services that are already paid by the taxpayers, plunging health care providers and government into debt.

SOLUTIONS:

1) I support prudent and organized universal health coverage in California. We are already inadvertently paying for a Universal program. I support a fair distribution for the burden of these existing costs, reducing the direct expenses to taxpayers. 2) I hope to shift our vision of caring for our citizens by supporting continued health and prevention rather than only reacting to emergencies and predictable trauma. 3 I support funding for working families through employer participation and tax credit programs in State health care pools, employee investment programs (like life/health insurance where the unused portion is paid out at retirement), and partnering with local and County facilities. 4) I support Proposition 63. In the tax proposed, assessment is one percent of earnings above $1 million in income, affecting only the wealthiest Californians. I am concerned that the assessment format is arbitrary but feel it is a good short-term measure allowing some of our wealthiest to contribute.

ISSUE 7: Child Welfare.

California recently failed its Federal child welfare audit, indicating that some children under State care are actually at risk. Some judges are ruling that children in unsafe and unhealthy environments should remain in those conditions while other judges are sending children from unsafe environments into State care which in fact may be even more dangerous. The courts need to be sure that state-sponsored care is always safe, healthy, and supportive.

SOLUTIONS:

1) I believe that caring for our children and the less fortunate is one of the foundations upon which government rests. I propose to organize industry professionals and organizations to re-evaluate how better to provide care and start spending up-front instead of ten-fold later. Not only must we reduce caseload volume per social worker, but we need to help improve the quality of our support through a thoughtful modernization of our means and methodologies, such as databases, third party assessments (citizen volunteers), and college intern participation. 2) I will support the review and act to remedy the causes of unwanted parental behavior that lead to State intervention. 3) I will introduce new behavioral models that will enhance the ability of childcare professionals.

ISSUE 8: A Living Wage.

Many working Californian families find it hard to provide for their families on two full-time employment paychecks. Depending on two incomes is twice as risky as having one wage earner alone supporting a family. Studies show that lay-offs, a weak economy, and unexpected medical expenses destroy families savings that sometimes leads to instant poverty. In fact, loss of one job in a two-income family is the number one cause for financial failure in California, ahead of the cost of paying for catastrophic illness.

SOLUTIONS:

1) Hard-working Californians are at risk of losing everything. I support and will act to create a comprehensive, State sponsored insurance package that protects working families from both loss of income in multiple income families and from catastrophic medical situations. 2) I support keeping the minimum wage at levels that are commensurate with the changes of the economy. 3) I will submit legislative initiatives that will encourage technical training for members of working families that will improve personal incomes, job stability, and value to business. 4) I support collective bargaining and the right to organize among working Americans.

ISSUE 9: A Commuter Crisis.

Upwards of 100,000 commuters drive from the Antelope and Victor Valleys into Los Angeles and San Bernardino areas every workday. Even at only 50 miles per commute each way, this equals 10 million miles per day and at least 500,000 gallons of fuel consumed. The Los Angeles area was just rated as having the worst commute in the nation. The traffic situation is expected to only get worse.

SOLUTIONS:

I will promote building a "new downtown" in the Antelope Valley that allows professionals and technology to hire local talent that no longer has to commute into L.A. and San Bernardino areas. I will encourage the building of Telecommuting Centers that are fully built-out offices with phones, faxes, Internet access, and even on-site general supervision and support that provide spaces for lease to corporations and professional services. You can depend on my efforts to move the planned path of the high-speed train, planned to head up Interstate 5, through Palmdale and Lancaster before cutting over the Interstate 5, permitting a viable alternate commute to driving. I will seek to expand our higher education facilities and curriculum in the Victor and Antelope Valleys to offer new local courses and degrees not currently available, allowing our High Desert students to attend classes locally.

ISSUE 10: Inaccessible "public information."

Currently California's background and pre-employment checks are conducted in person and county by county. No statewide criminal conviction index is available to employers, private investigators, law-enforcement, or even the FBI. Criminals who lie on their applications are often not caught. Populations, like the elderly, children, and retail employers are in great jeopardy.

SOLUTION:

I will move to create a Statewide Criminal Database that is accessible via the Internet for a nominal fee. This information already exists, but is kept disbursed among as many as a hundred separate databases. I will propose legislation to consolidate and allow access of conviction records.

ISSUE 11: Empowering The Department of Corrections.

The United States houses over 2 million inmates, a number greater than every other country's inmate population combined. The California Department of Corrections currently operates under the policy of "Hold and Release." Criminal sentencing guidelines support about a 70% recidivism rate (return to crime after a conviction) which is in effect a 70% failure rate. No meaningful efforts to resolve the causes of criminal behavior are addressed while inmates are in custody. Much of the $500 million in over-budget spending by the Department of Corrections can be eliminated through criminal behavior reduction programs that can be conducted while inmates are in custody or on probation.

SOLUTIONS:

I will move to expand the mission of the Department of Corrections to include responsibility for "corrections." I intend to expand judicial sentencing options and coordinate these options with the Department of Corrections. I will push to implement Cognitive Enhancement programs that address and resolve the behavior patterns and personality profiles that are characteristic of habitual criminals. I will offer legislation to create Emancipation Programs that allow habitual criminals and life-style criminals the opportunity to earn a restoration of their rights if they prove worthy.

ISSUE 12: "Politics as usual"

Many of the Legislature vote on measures strictly along party lines. Politicians use labels like "liberal" and "conservative" to discredit each other. There is gridlock in government due to partisan bickering and political posturing.

SOLUTION:

The Democratic Party embraces my ideas and supports my campaign, but it is your vote that elects me. I understand that good ideas come from all parties and all perspectives. I am a problem-solver, I have a cooperative spirit, I work for the common good, and I support good ideas, regardless from which party or perspective they arise. As your Senator, I look forward to working with all my elected counterparts, and not just those with the same political party.