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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.
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1. How will you prioritize the budget choices the Legislature must make to align the state’s income and spending?
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Answer from Patrick L. Marsh:
For me, the role of government is to work for the betterment of its citizens by protecting them, educating them, and caring for those in true need. All other expenditures are secondary to these goals. As such, budgeted expenditures should focus on these areas first.
I couple this with the idea that current state revenues must remain static. Tax increases are an understandable solution given the nature of the legislature, but we can't do increases forever.
Thus, our goal in the legislature must be to work to ensure government's core tasks can be funded with current revenue. To the extent we do not have additional revenue for special projects, those projects should wait until there is room within current funding.
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2. What types of changes or reforms, if any, do you think are important to make our state government function more effectively?
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Answer from Patrick L. Marsh:
The state government is largely a patchwork of laws introduced by members who do not share a common goal for California, and who may be serving the needs of specific individuals in the home district.
California needs a general direction, and my goal as a Senator in this area is to start a movement to attract future members who think broadly and positively about our state and the system under which we operate.
The direction of the state is too broad for one person to tackle, so I propose to start with one idea- the protection of freedom. For me, freedom is the ability of an individual to act, speak, think, write, and express in any manner desired, so long as those actions do not directly infringe the freedom of another to do the same. The addenda to this is the idea that such freedom will ideally not be used for malicious purposes.
This is a large topic in itself, but moving in this general direction is something the legislature can do, and is something that will likely make people happy, if done in a way that promotes positivity.
In addition to this, I believe that the state government must slow down its constant flow of new legislation. Each new law makes the patchwork more muddled and reduces the body's ability to work in a unified manner toward a general direction as proposed.
My task in Sacramento is to find out how to make the budget work with current revenue. I do not want to add more laws. I will gladly vote in a manner that pushes us toward freedom and no new costs to citizens. But I want to work specifically on figuring out how to make the government work with the current resources. If more legislators chipped in on this project, we would see a much more effective body.
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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?
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Answer from Patrick L. Marsh:
Fees for higher education are always a concern, as our system of society demands a steady flow of properly educated individuals to assume roles in the economy.
My main goals for using California tax money are protecting the citizens, educating them, and caring for those truly in need.
As with any use of state money, we should always have an idea of what the true costs of operation are, prior to budgeting funds. Education suffers here in the lower levels as a ballot proposition has established a simple percentage of the state budget (with some qualifiers), and thus does not look to need first.
At the higher levels, we must first start with need. It is the job of users of state money to be as frugal as possible while achieving goals. Salaries should be competitive, and I do not support reducing the ability of an individual to earn a reasonable living. Salaries are the last place I would look to cut.
However, there is ample room for budget adjustment for higher education, and I believe that we can find that space without resorting to tax increases. The most optimal solution for me would be to reduce first at the institution level, and then subsidize to some reasonable extent with the elimination of governmental programs that do not support education, protection, or care for the needy.
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4. What other major issues do you think the Legislature must address? What are your own priorities?
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Answer from Patrick L. Marsh:
In my mind, the legislature would be well served by taking on two big topics. First, campaign finance reform. I have a strong opinion here- I believe that all money should be removed from the political process, and all candidates should stand solely on their positions, and be judged by the electorate as such. This is one of few areas where I make a material departure from my beliefs on freedom. Although the freer option would be to allow any person or organization to spend as they see fit, there is just too much risk here in my opinion, to ensure that spending is not working to a socially negative end. I do not have enough faith in campaign contributors. So on this topic, I could be convinced to support meaningful limitations on campaign contributions.
In addition, I think the legislature should take a stand on the economy. Specifically, I believe it is time for the state government to get out of the way of the economy. Legislative action can do very little in this regard, and the last thing we want is the government propping up demand or hiring more individuals. Companies only hire when there is a pressing need, or someone is starting a new business. Government is already a buyer in the market. There is no need to take further action. Instead, we need to ensure that the market, as shaky as it is, can function under its own rules, and not make the cost of doing business to prohibitive.
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.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
