Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 68

Budget

California's budget process reminds us every year that politicians can't help themselves to more and more spending. They are like the big plant in the play "Little Shop of Horrors" that constantly bellows "FEED ME!" This has got to stop.

I intend to make it clear to Sacramento that the state must live within its means, just like families do every month. I'll stand up to wasteful spending, budget gimmicks, and political handouts.

Taxes

Sacramento politicians believe that they can tax California into solvency with the highest personal income tax rates in the country. This is ludicrous. Instead of chasing businesses out of state and punishing people working to make a buck, I will work to lower tax rates and reform our tax structure to make it less expensive to live in California. I'll also keep a watchful eye on efforts to do away with Proposition 13 that has helped keep property taxes from ballooning out of control.

Local control of schools

Our children deserve great schools. But so much of the resources intended to keep them strong are re-directed to outside of the district. In fact, "feel good" programs and special interests groups gobble up so many dollars before they get to the classroom that our kids have to sell wrapping paper, candy, and who-knows-what to afford books and equipment. Let's prioritize our kids and what they need in their classrooms by demanding local control of our schools. Let's cut out the bureaucrats and wasteful programs and focus on making the schools in our neighborhoods succeed.

The Long Arm of Sacramento

We all know our state is broke. But something is fundamentally wrong when the state reaches its greedy hands into city revenues to pay for Sacramento's wasteful and irresponsible spending habits. As a city councilman and mayor, the last thing cities need is for the state to raid our budgets and place their burdens on city inhabitants. As an Assemblyman, I'll stand up for cities and work to make Sacramento clean up its own mess before imposing upon cities.

Crime and Illegal immigration

Keeping your family safe from harm is a fundamental duty of government. As a Deputy Sheriff, I have worked in the jails and on patrol to protect the citizens of Orange County. One of the realities of law enforcement is understanding the enormous impact our porous border has on crime. I'll fight gangs, drugs, and illegal immigration to make sure our families can live in peace.

For example, my track record includes putting a proposal forward to enforce immigration laws locally. As a result, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) placed a full-time agent in our jail, resulting in the removal of more than 1300 criminals from our city. In the Assembly, I'll continue to work on stopping illegal immigration and the crime it brings to our community.

Traffic

It's no secret that everyone wants better roads and reduced traffic congestion. I know how frustrating sitting in traffic is and how much it reduces our quality of life. As mayor and as a Director on the Orange County Transportation Authority, I supported local control of your tax dollars to make sure infrastructure and street repair projects are funded. As your Assemblyman, I'll work to clear the bureaucratic road blocks and get promised infrastructure funding moving. I'll work to prioritize this funding and see to it that what we voted on and paid for is built.

Pensions-unfunded liabilities

One of the reasons our state is in its current financial mess is that we have promised to pay far more in retirement benefits than the private sector receives and far more than we have the ability to pay. As a public employee, I believe we should be compensated fairly and I believe the public supports that. At the same time, government cannot promise to pay for pensions at an unsustainable rate and obligate funds we simply don't have. Unfortunately, the state has created a balloon payment in the form of pensions and retirement benefits that California will be unable to bear. We need to reform these over-generous programs and bring them in line with more reasonable retirement benefits. More importantly, we need to address this issue before it wreaks more havoc on our state's financial circumstances.