League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda, Contra Costa County, CA November 2, 2004 Election
	Tom Condit Answers Questions Candidate for State Senator; District 9

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. What does California need to do to address the current budget crisis?

Reinstate the 2% vehicle license fee. Reinstate higher income tax brackets on high incomes. Legalize marijuana and tax it. Call off the failed "war on drugs" and release the prisoners.

Assess commercial property at real value. Repeal Proposition 13.

Bring back the California estate tax.

Tax capital gains and dividends at the same or a higher rate as earned income.

2. What should the state's priorities be for K-12 education? For the Community College System?

End the testing mania and put teachers in charge of developing curricula. Fix the bathrooms and water fountains in all schools.

Make school board members and superintendents file state economic disclosure forms, so we can see who's making money off the testing and computer expenditures.

Eliminate community college student fees.

Make community colleges the bedrock of the higher education system, putting money into them before the University system.

3. What measures would you support to address California's water needs?

Institute strict limits on residential water consumption and tiered billing for residential and commercial usage.

Stop building in desert areas.

4. What should the Legislature be doing to address the needs of Californians without health insurance?

Institute a "single-payer" universal health system, without insurance company profits.