League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Los Angeles County, CA June 5, 2012 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues State Senator; District 35

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Budget, Government reform, Higher education, Major issues Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. How will you prioritize the budget choices the Legislature must make to align the state’s income and spending? Answer from Paul Butterfield: I will push for legislation that will end all unfunded mandates and bond measures, requiring that new initiatives that go before the voters have specific funding sources attached to them. I will also support an oil severance tax, similar to what they have in Oklahoma, Texas, and Alaska, that will raise $4 billion per year for offshore drilling. 2. What types of changes or reforms, if any, do you think are important to make our state government function more effectively? Answer from Paul Butterfield: Yes, in addition to my plans to cut the deficit, I will push for reforms to change Proposition 4, the Gann Limit, which forbids the state government from having a budget surplus. 3. Fees for public higher education have gone up dramatically and funding has been cut. Is this a priority concern, and if so, what measures would you propose to address it? Answer from Paul Butterfield: Instead of creating new jobs, the career politicians in Sacramento are laying off thousands of teachers in the Harbor area and South Central. As a teacher, I've seen it first hand. Instead of investing in education so students have the skills for the jobs of the future, the career politicians are forcing tuition hikes. I believe it's time that we begin to invest in California's future by fully funding education. 4. What other major issues do you think the Legislature must address? What are your own priorities? Answer from Paul Butterfield: In addition to fully funding education, we need to invest our economic future by modernizing the Port of Los Angeles so we can compete with the Panama Canal Expansion in 2014 and introducing targeted funding for important infrastructure projects that will give our construction industry a much needed boost I am also concerned about our health care system. Over 18,000 Californians died last year because they did not have access to affordable health care. My mother died from inadequate health care coverage and had to sell everything to pay for her treatments. I believe health care is a human right and should be available to everyone. I will support SB 810, which will create a single-payer health insurance system in California, helping drive down costs and expand coverage to all Californians. Not only is this the right thing to do, it is the most fiscally responsible thing to do since health care costs are the #1 contributor to our deficit. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.