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Los Angeles County, CA November 7, 2006 Election
Smart Voter

PAMELA J. BROWN FOR CA STATE SENATE DISTRICT 20

By Pamela J. Brown

Candidate for State Senator; District 20

This information is provided by the candidate
PERSONAL FREEDOM, SMALL GOVERNMENT - FOR A BETTER CALIFORNIA!
As your State Senator I will vote "NO" on any legislation that raises taxes or adds new public programs. Our government takes too much money. Most government functions today exceed what government was originally intended to do. Government (and your taxes) should be reduced to support only the essential operations of police and fire protection, roads, and courts. State welfare programs should be cut. Charitable activities should be voluntary and provided through local community groups and church organizations which in fact historically have been demonstrated to successfully serve the needy and reduce social problems over time. Your tax money or a school voucher should be provided so you may use it for the private school or college of your choice. Many public school teachers today send their own children to private schools. You should have your public funds returned as a "school voucher," so you can make the same choice. Public sector unions are protected from competition. These unfair compulsory labor cartels should be eliminated so that taxpayers and college grads looking to exercise entrepreneurship in the public sector may benefit from free entry, greater competition, and more innovation in the provision of public services. 89% of our economy runs successfully without compulsory unionization and protected input markets. Our state government can too. The key to a better California is not to "elect the right official" or "increase spending on services," but to make government operations competitive and directly accountable to bring out the best in all of us. Defined-benefit pension systems (in which public employees are "guaranteed" a constant retirement payout) represent cruel-&-unusual punishment for taxpayers. Taxpayers are not financial wizards, yet we are expected to contribute taxes to support stable and high retirement flows to public employees even as our private economy fluctuates due to normal changes that are a part of a dynamic free enterprise process. Public employees certainly enjoy the benefits of competition (better technology and cost cutting), and should be willing to share the risks as well. Public employees need to manage their own financial resources, buy insurance, limit the number of children they have, and take care of their own retirement plans rather than asking taxpayers to "back fill" when the market fluctuates. The last thing our State Government should be doing is BORROWING to support defined-benefit public pension plans. Retirement is the time to use the SAVINGS (defined contributions) one has accumulated - not borrow money from future generations, our kids and young working adults, by raising state taxes or issuing more debt (state bonds). I will not "bring home the bacon" - give out corporate welfare and provide subsidies (tax money) to influential corporate groups. Nor will I go to Sacramento to continue to protect public sector unions from private competition. I have two goals. Increase competition (and cut costs) in provision of essential public services; and return your tax money so you can spend it on the school of your choice and support the local charity or emergency-aid organization you choose. If you want a Senator who will push for smaller government, much lower taxes, protection of personal rights, and greater economic freedom for both sellers and buyers (open markets, competitive opportunities), I would appreciate your vote. I am a long time member of the NRA and a strong supporter of 2nd Amendment Rights. I also support the right of any individual to use medical marijuana without state restrictions; and the rights of the terminally ill to exercise end-of-life choices and decisions without government interference. Finally, I am pro-choice on the matter of reproductive decisions, although no state funds should be used for this difficult personal choice. For more information on my positions, please visit http://www.CAWantsFreedom.com. Thank you, Pamela J. Brown

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ca/state Created from information supplied by the candidate: July 17, 2006 12:59
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