Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 20; Democratic Party

My political philosphy is simple - I want to serve ALL the citizens of the 20th Assembly District with my lifetime of skills to improve quality of life for all.

I believe we need to work together and build consensus on critical issues like the budget, workers compensation, education and healthcare. I think the current polarization in Sacramento and continuation of "machine" politics is not what the citizens of the district need.

We need to prioritize PREVENTION programs. In Pleasanton, we invested modest money to fill the cracks in the roads and to repair the sewers so that we didn't need to invest huge sums in complete street replacement. This philosophy has allowed us to reserve $60M over the past 11 years and balance the budget every year - while continuing to hire fire fighters, police officers and city employees to provide excellent service to our citizens.

We need REGIONAL SOLUTIONS to our local problems. As chair of the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency, I worked closely with local mayors and Alameda County officials to adress the 880 and 680 corridors and create solutions that would work for the community. We cannot think of ourselves as "Tri-City" or "Tri-Valley" - we need to remember that we are all connected. Seasoned leaders with intercity and intercounty connections will be the most effective getting things done in Sacramento.

Finally - we need to protect and defend the rights of all in our community - especially children and the elderly. I am a strong believer in the First Ammendment to our Constituion. We all have a voice and that voice must be heard in public debate. To simply follow a "machine" is not in the best interests of our community.