Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 68

Philosophy

I have always defined myself as predominately liberal, but with a large dose of realistic pragmatism, some fiscal conservatism and a bit of social libertarianism. I was raised and educated by a diverse assemblage of free thinkers. I was exposed to a wide variety of political and economic thinking, reading from publications ranging from the National Review to Ramparts. In my lifetime, we have seen the failure of extreme ideologies and policies from across the political spectra. I believe I have a rational and practical appreciation for what functions can and should be provided by government and what may or should left up to markets and individuals. I very much appreciate the desire for minimal government and taxes, minimal interference in individual liberties and for the minimizing regulatory burdens upon business. However, I would not allow any of those desires and goals to interfere with assuring that the government legally, effectively and efficiently provides those services which the people rightfully expect of it and those they depend upon it providing for the common good and for our collective welfare, safety and security.

Immediate Priorities

We need to get real working majorities in the state and national legislatures to undo some of the damage done (and still continuing) from wrong headed "conservative" policies that have effectively bankrupted the nation, have robbed the state, ignored our infrastructure, privatized key government functions, neglected the education of most of our youth, eviscerated much of the working middle class, damaged much of our environment (and threaten it with total collapse), allowed our technologies to be stolen and our jobs shipped overseas, saddled future generations with massive debt, and much much more.

First priority must be to get us out of the budget crisis that the state faces while restoring or rebuilding funding for the top priorities of education and the environment + while not negatively impacting business and public safety. We must provide our youth (and adults) with complete and world class educations. We must start building the water, transportation and energy infrastructure of the 21st century. We can, should and must lead the world to a sustainable future. It is easy to focus on these areas of great crisis, but that will not keep me from fighting the many other battles we face. Our justice system is out of control, imprisoning far too many at too high costs, not providing real justice or opportunity for rehabilitation and straining our state budget. The civil rights and liberties of the state' s citizens and residents are under attack from homophobic and xenophobic fanatics using fear to push their racist, fundamentalist and other harmful and hateful agendas. Our schools' curricula are under attack in ways that hurt individuals and the greater society and are highly dangerous. Parks and recreation opportunities for our citizens have been neglected along with much of the rest of our infrastructure. Our electoral and political processes have been attacked and damaged. There, for a start, we must restore confidence in our electoral systems (as Bowen has well undertaken), educate a large part of the public that has not received adequate civics instruction, enact public campaign financing and have rational redistricting. We must protect the populace from corporate excesses, unfair market manipulation and unsafe products. We need to fight to restore a more humane balance between labor and capital with productive cooperation, such that most of the population can find work at a living wage in a sustainably growing economy. The health care system (or lack thereof) not only neglects to provide everyone with the basic levels of health care that I believe everyone is entitled to, but is a major drag on our state and federal budgets and our overall economy. Lack of a single payer system creates vast inefficiencies in our economy harming our ability to compete, trade, innovate and provide everyone with basic needs.