League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
San Diego County, CA June 5, 2012 Election
	Sherry Hodges Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 76

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. How will you prioritize the budget choices the Legislature must make to align the state’s income and spending?

Government spending in California is completely out of control and must be reigned-in if our state is to have a future. With a deficit of $16 billion dollars looming over the state, California is in serious danger.

We must balance the state's budget and cut wasteful spending, but we cannot raise taxes. The only acceptable way to increase revenue is to add new jobs to the economy and that means getting government out of the way of job-creators.

In addition, bond debt needs to be minimized, spending needs to stay within the revenue limits and a 3% reserve should be kept to prevent cuts in funding for basic public services such as public safety and education during difficult financial times.

I will work with ALL legislators to find common ground on these and other taxpayer priorities and fight to regain control of our spending habits and to stabilize our state's finances.

2. What types of changes or reforms, if any, do you think are important to make our state government function more effectively?

We have to create a better regulatory environment for businesses who wish to start and stay in California.

Bureaucratic red tape, job-crushing regulations and burdensome taxes are obstacles to a flourishing business atmosphere, reducing opportunities for job-creation and growth; ultimately chipping away at a community's quality of life.

Ever-expanding state agencies should not have legislative authority. Many state departments need to be reduced in size and scope, limiting their power to over-regulate.

We must not continue to hurt producers while unaccountable government departments and agencies get a free pass.

For example, businesses should be fined only after 90 days warning and ample opportunity to correct issues - except in cases of life threatening neglect. In addition, fines should go to the general fund to be allocated to budgetary priorities, not to growing or preserving bureaucratic state agencies.

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?

All levels of education have to be a very high priority and, as I mentioned above, funding for education must be protected by responsible spending, and rainy day reserves.

Public safety and education should be the first priorities of our state goverment. It's imperative that these priorities not be neglected or used as pawns in the political games Sacramento plays during the budget process.

California is experiencing decreasing competitiveness at home and abroad. Our education system is one of the lowest ranked in the country. This is unacceptable.

We must improve the quality of our educational system in order to be competitive in the 21st Century. We need to focus on improving our curriculum and helping students succeed in K-12 education while giving parents the choice to put their children in public, private or charter schools.

Our higher educational institutions need more effective technology and vocational programs so that both young students and older workers can acquire the skills necessary to meet the demands of an increasingly technical work environment.

Education has always been my passion having raised four children in California schools and having served on the San Dieguito Union High School Board.

I will not play political games with our children's or our state's future. We can and must do better.

4. What other major issues do you think the Legislature must address? What are your own priorities?

The other issues the Legislature needs to address, and which I plan to focus on, include infrastructure, particularly transportation, and water.

Californians have more cars per capita than any other state in the U.S. The dollars received from gasoline and vehicle fees needs to return to our highways for maintenance and expansion.

I plan to focus on the 78 West to I-5 South interchange, an upgrade that is long over-due.

In addition, water is a lingering concern for California. Water needs to be made reliably available to our residents and farmers. Agriculture is a large portion of local and state industry, providing many jobs and much of the produce to markets and restaurants.

I plan to pursue the proposed desalinization plant for Camp Pendleton which could bring water to the base as well as to Northern Oceanside, Bonsall, Fallbrook and Vista.

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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.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 13, 2012 15:12
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