Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 13

As I listen to the voices of our communities across California, their focus of concern is loud and clear; these are the top three issues I am devoting my energy to solving:

Jobs, jobs, jobs California's #1 priority must be fostering a healthy business climate which will create jobs and get our economy back on track. California state government must provide a more healthy and responsible business climate. Irresponsible fees and over-the-top taxes make our market uncompetitive not only on the state and national level, but also in the global marketplace. As the eighth largest economy in the world, we need to cut red-tape, so that our businesses can be innovative and entrepreneurial, can expand their operations, and thereby create jobs. We need a business climate that will keep California great! And yes, our educational school system also needs an overhaul. To excel in the 21st Century, we need a workforce with the skills to fill cutting-edge jobs and support our entrepreneurial economy. We need to upgrade our public and private educational system, vocational and technological training to generate such a world class work force. System-wide reform must start in our middle schools and carry through to our private technology schools and 112 community colleges throughout the State. This will not only help to keep jobs in California, but also create new jobs for our young people and citizens of all ages.

Rein in Run-Away Spending California has not been living within its means, and our spending is out of control + our fiscal house is verging on insolvency. We've got to bring it back. We need a cap on spending. Had a cap on spending been in place for the last 10 years, (adjusted for combined population growth and inflation), not only would the current deficit have vanished, but we could have built a substantial rainy-day reserve + up to 12% or 16% - which would have seen us through these difficult economic times. We also need to take control of unfunded pension mandates - these are a black hole which will eat up more and more of the General Fund of the State. At the state level, we need to shift the pension program for governmental employees from a defined benefit -- to a defined contribution system similar to the 401K tax deferred system widely used in the private sector. The defined contribution system should be instituted for all new hires to State government when the law is passed. Let's get our fiscal house back in order.

Protect Proposition 13 There is a move to repeal Proposition 13 or create a "split roll" where commercial properties are taxed more than residential properties. Seniors, small property owners and small businesses who own or lease commercial property will suffer the most. This is wrong! California has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. I will fight for San Franciscan homeowners, seniors and small businesses. No one should be taxed out of their home or their workplace because of the spendthrift habits of government.