California State Legislative Election 2014 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No Answer

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- No Answer

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- No

8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- I support the right of every woman to make her own health care decisions.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Environment
- Greatly Increase

4. Health care
- Slightly Increase

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Greatly Decrease

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Greatly Increase

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- California should move toward a tuition free higher learning system like most European countries. College graduates shouldn't enter the real world with massive student loan debt. On the other end of the spectrum, our state prison system is a travesty. Prison guard unions and for-profit prisons funnel campaign donations to professional politicians to pass unjust laws incarcerating thousands of young people from low-income neighborhoods - predominantly black and Hispanic - and a life path as a convicted felon. When a corrupt social justice system monetizes human life, then our prison system encourages recidivism, not rehabilitation.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- No Answer

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

6. Sales taxes
- Slightly Decrease

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Greatly Decrease

8. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Slightly Increase

10. Other or expanded principles
- We need to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol. I support Prop 47 as a good first step as it reduces sentencing for non-violent crimes like petty theft and drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor. This action alone will divert over $200 million to education and social services. Finally, any discussion of taxes is inextricably connected to how and where the state is currently spending all tax revenue.

1. Tapping into California's "rainy day" fund
- No Answer

2. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No

3. Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining
- No

4. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No Answer

5. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No Answer

6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- Our state government has been corrupted by a pay-to-play culture that favors tax breaks for corporations and special interests over what is best for middle class and working families. California's budget should not be balanced on the backs of people, but by fair methods like a tax on oil extraction and strict penalties for pollution-emitting plants and factories that harm our health and the environment.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No Answer

1. Other or expanded principles
- The current system favors professional politicians who answer to their big money campaign donors and not the people in their district. Instead of a government of, by, and for the people, we have one of Big Oil, by Big Plastic and for Big Corporations.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- Yes

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No

5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- No

6. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

7. Do you support requiring labels on foods that have been genetically engineered or contain genetically modified ingredients?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- Our state prison system is a travesty. The US has 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's prison population. Prison guard unions and for-profit prisons funnel campaign donations to professional politicians to pass unjust laws incarcerating thousands of young people from low-income neighborhoods - predominantly black and Hispanic - and a life path as a convicted felon. When a corrupt social justice system monetizes human life, then our prison system encourages recidivism, not rehabilitation. Finally, we need to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol and stop sending people to prison who should not be there.

Economic

1. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

2. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

3. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

4. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

5. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- Yes

7. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- I support raising the minimum wage to $15/hr. When you give working families an extra few hundred a month, every dollar goes to buying shoes, school supplies, food for the table and necessary household spending. The increase in sales causes manufacturers and retailers to hire more workers to keep up with the demand. These new workers will then spend every dollar on necessary items which in turn helps to expand the economy. According to recent studies, states with higher minimum wages saw faster job growth in the first six months of 2014 than states that have not raised their wages.

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No Answer

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No Answer

5. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from California high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- Universal preschool and high quality early education are essential to a child?s learning development, creative enrichment, and future academic achievement. We must increase per pupil funding which is among the lowest in the country. When school budgets are cut, why is it that arts & music programs are the first to go? These programs and physical education activities are vitally important to the development of young children. Arts and music encourage creative thinking and a strong body is a necessary partner to a strong mind. The creative arts are options, but essentials.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to California's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

5. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- Hydraulic fracturing (aka "fracking") is bad for the ground, poisonous to our limited water supply, and unhealthy for our population. We should focus on clean and renewable energy, solar power and making electric vehicles affordable to the masses. A healthy environment equals job creation. One out of every forty-two new jobs is in the field of solar power. We must look forward to a clean future rather than continue polluting the planet and harming our health with fossil fuel consumption.

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No Answer

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No Answer

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- No Answer

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- Owning a gun and the freedom to enjoy it is similar to owning a car and enjoying freedom on the road. We agree to speed limits and appreciate safety elements like seat belts and air bags. We collectively understand that smog checks and anti-pollution measures are necessary for our health. The problem today is the lack of communication between and demonization of extreme ends of the gun debate to raise campaign donations. What is lacking is a willingness on both sides to agree on shared middle ground and work outwards rather than shout at each other from opposite ends.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- Yes

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- No Answer

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- No Answer

4. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No Answer

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- No Answer

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- I support single payer health care.

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in California's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

3. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in California's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- LGBTQ rights is human rights. I have a long history of supporting legislation advancing gay rights. I will continue to fight discrimination in the workplace and ensure fair treatment for same sex immigrant couples. I?m especially concerned about equality and dignity for the trans community, protection in the workplace, and social integration.?

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, on an attached page, or via e-mail, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- LA is a necklace of neighborhoods, each its own jewel. Let's create JOBS, assist entrepreneurs, and give small business the tools to succeed while retaining each neighborhood's unique culture and characters. ANIMAL RIGHTS is inextricably connected to fighting pollution, protecting the environment, and spreading awareness of the inhumane conditions in which animals are raised. Finally, my campaign is about clean air, clean energy, and CLEAN GOVERNMENT. We can't have the first two without the latter. I'll fight to end the pay-to-play culture corrupting our state government so it serves the people, not special interests & lobbyists.