Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 63

A message from Jack M. Guerrero:

Why am I running and why now?

I am a corporate executive, investment banker, and certified public accountant with a successful career in the private sector. Until recently, I was quite happy to stay in the private sector and serve my community through Board membership in non-profit organizations and as a contributor to charitable organizations focused on education. However, like many of my fellow residents in the district, I have grown absolutely disgusted with stories of political corruption, betrayal of public trust, wasteful government spending, and atrocious public schools. And well, enough is enough! I have decided to participate in the public policy debate as a candidate, and with your support, transfer my private sector skill-set into government service.

My platform is clear and unwavering:

1. Government Accountability + I will demand transparency in all proceedings, and I will vote to eliminate perks and excessive compensation for all politicians, at every opportunity. Elected officials must serve the citizenry, not the other way around.

2. Pension Reform Now + As an economist and former pension auditor, I believe our state has a serious problem with approximately $500 billion in unfunded pension obligations for CalPERS, CalSTRS, and the UC systems combined. The unfunded obligations continue to accrue at alarming rates, and we can no longer afford to ignore this. We must renegotiate prudent contribution policies, manage assets in ways that limit volatility, and reset benefits to sustainable levels for current and not just future public employees.

3. Serious Education Overhaul + This issue is very personal to me, because I graduated from an underperforming public school. We MUST raise academic standards, demand accountability from schools and students alike, and empower parents to choose schools for their children. I support school vouchers, public access to standardized test results, charter schools, and parent trigger laws to demand reform. I also support a teacher evaluation process that values results over seniority, and a performance-based system that rewards exceptional teaching.

4. Private Sector Jobs and Economic Growth + At 12% unemployment and 1.2 million California jobs lost in three years, we need a better business climate to promote investment in the private sector. This means lower taxes, less regulation, and a reduction in wasteful government spending. California must attract more businesses, and encourage entrepreneurship.