Distrito 15 — Senado Estatal de California

We as state leaders need to act where we can and also put pressure on federal leaders to stop diverting millions of gallons of freshwater into the sea to protect a tiny fish called the delta smelt. That water should be used for agriculture and treated so it can be delivered to homes as drinking water. It is unfair that Californians are asked to conserve water and pay higher rates when millions of gallons of good water are wasted in such a manner.

We should invest in better water storage projects, as well as look into reusing recycled water. Special care and oversight must be taken when dealing with recycled water to ensure contaminated water isn't delivered as drinking water.

Finally, we should invest in desalination. A coastal state experiencing a prolonged drought is a sign of failed leadership. We have an ocean full of water than we can access by removing its salt.

In 2012, we had a campaign finance initiative called Prop 32 on the ballot that most state Democrats opposed. It would have prohibited both corporations and unions from giving money to elected officials as well as prohibited automatically taking money from your paycheck to fund political campaigns. Something similar is needed.

I oppose raising the state minimum wage any further. The cost of living varies so much in different parts of the state that a one size fits all approach is unwise. Businesses will have to lay off employees, reduce employee hours, and increase prices on consumers to compensate for thier higher payroll costs. Businesses are fleeing our state in droves because we have made it so expensive to do business in California. We need to stop the bleeding of businesses and the jobs they provide.

See my response to Question 3 for my alternative plan to raising the minimum wage.

I will look at our spending habits and work to make serious cuts. We can especially look at our pension obligations and enact statewide pension reform similar to what was done in San Jose, as well as look to reform drug policy and criminal justice policy to stop spending more money on incarceration than education.

I pledge to vote against any unbalanced budget.

I pledge to vote against all tax and fee increases. California is the highest taxed state in the nation. If other states can balance their budgets without having nearly as high taxes, so can we. Santa Clara County's working families already send more than our fair share to Sacaramento. It's time Sacramento politicians learn to be better stewards of our hard-earned money.

We need to expand California's Earned Income Tax Credit. Right now, the state EITC is very modest at best. Taking into account the cost of living in the taxpayer's area compared to their income and family size when determining the amount of the refund they receive is also a good idea.

I also believe that we need to presereve our currnet affordable housing options, especially mobile home parks. San Jose has one of the highest number of mobile home parks for a large city in the nation. Developers are looking to buy up these properties to convert them to more expensive apartments and condos. We need to preserve them.

Expanding VTA Light Rail to South County, the Evergreen area of San Jose, Los Gatos, and Palo Alto should be considered. There should also be Light Rail or Bus Rapid Transit along the Alum Rock-Santa Clara-Alameda-El Camino as well as the San Carlos-Stevens Creek corridors. More express, rapid, and limited stop service is needed to cut down on long travel times that dissuade people from taking transit. Timed transfers should be implemented to improve ease of use of the system. Finally, residential areas need better service. If people don't have reliable service near their homes, they won't ride.

Making our core bus routes and Light Rail operate 24/7 is also a good idea. People won't ride if service isn't reliable at all hours, and this will also cut back on drunk driving. VTA is currently testing an on-demand transit option called FLEX. This can be used to fill in transit gaps in more remote areas where regular fixed route service during non-peak times is not feasible.

Ridesharing must also be protected. There have been a lot of attacks on Uber, Lyft, and other popular ridesharing services. These services can also fill transit gaps and provide more affordable transportation options. The competition they generate both amongst themselves and with the taxi industry lowers costs and increases quality of service for riders.