League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Napa, Solano, Sonoma Counties, CA November 2, 2004 Election
	Pat Krueger Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 7

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

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

Making California more business friendly is the best way to help. The State Legislature's attitude toward businesses in California is adversarial at best. Business has become the enemy... not a partner as it should be. The legislature cannot come to the realization that without better paying jobs provided by large and small businesses alike... they will never balance the state's budget. Running business out of the state instead of attracting them to California has to stop. The bleeding has gone on for far too long. California needs to return to its greatness when it was business friendly. In addition to the issues previously covered, I oppose shakedown lawsuits, sue your boss and split roll property tax.

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

I entered this race because I thought that my experience as a State Senator... in a state that is rated at the top nationwide in providing quality education to its children without either a statewide sales tax or state income tax... would prove helpful in dealing with the failure of the state's education system. Currently, there approximately 600,000 people in the state are employed in K-12. Only 296,000 (43%) are teachers in the classromom. We need to return more control to local school boards, consolidate school districts, eliminate the bureaucracy, and put more teachers in the classroom.

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

Meeting our state's water needs must begin and end with water conservation. The City of Santa Rosa has set a very high standard with their water conservation programs. Thier program would be an excellent template for our cities to follow.

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

First, we must get the state on a sound financial basis and stop running buinesses out of the state. Business provide health insurance opportunities for their employees. But, the State Legislature's attitude toward businesses in California is adversarial at best. A good economic climate reduces the number of people without health insurance