League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Alameda County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Member of the State Assembly; District 16

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Budget Crisis, Education, Water, Health Insurance Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What does California need to do to address the current budget crisis? Answer from James Faison: Allow off shore drilling, taxing oil companies in the form of fees for each lease, similar to that of Alaska. Reduce Sales Tax on each gallon of gas, to a standard 25 cents per gallon. Allow for more power production, such as nuclear plants, peaker plants, and reduce the per month expense to power users, thus reducing objections to any temporary sales/income tax increases 2. What should the state's priorities be for K-12 education? For the Community College System? Answer from James Faison: Encouragement of students to enter vocational fields and allow the Community College System to teach 'blue collar trades and skills' eg. auto repair, welding, painting, carpentry, animal husbandry, roofing, plumbing, electrician courses 3. What measures would you support to address California's water needs? Answer from James Faison: Dam more rivers, repair the levee system in the Delta, create a peripheral canal to supply water to the Central Valley and Southland, so that prices charged individual water districts will be reduced, due to water availability 4. What should the Legislature be doing to address the needs of Californians without health insurance? Answer from James Faison: Disallow use of the system by 'temporary immigrants' from other states, such as the 'homeless', and others who travel to California for treatment then return to their home states. 'Urgent Care' clinics should be established, especially for pediatric illnesses so that Emergency Rooms will not be inundated with 'sore throats', 'insect bites', 'poison ivy', 'minor abrasions', 'ante-partum pain and emesis issues' and STD issues. Misuse of 911 system must be punished; reduction in paperwork for healthcare providers. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.