League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA March 2, 2004 Election
	Warner S. Bloomberg, III Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 23; Green Party

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

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

1. Pass Proposition 56 to lower the vote threshold to pass a budget in the State Senate and Assembly to 55%, require an on-time budget, and discourage the accounting games used in past budgets.
2. Pass Propositions 57 and 58 which are necessary because of the existing 2003-2004 budget deficit.
3. Raise the state income tax rate for individuals in the highest tax bracket (gross income of $200,000 or more).
4. Require a minimum corporations state income tax -- pro-rated according to gross income regardless of deductions.
5. Eliminate corporate tax loopholes.
6. Adopt the Green Watchdog Report proposals to replace General Fund expenses with user and polluter fees.
7. Set a clear base for city and county funding.
8. Have voters decide whether corporate held real property should be reassessed at least once every ten years.

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

Vote Yes on Proposition 55. Ensure that there are uniform basic quality standards for all K-12 school buildings. Assure that curiculum and textbooks match statewide progress testing standards -- but curriculum needs to be more than just teaching to the tests! Afterschool enrichment programs need to be encouraged. Teachers should not have to pay for class supplies from their personal funds!

Access to Community Colleges needs to be assured for all students. That means there needs to be adequate funding for all aspects of operating these institutions -- without having tuition and fees so high that it prevents enrollment. Community Colleges should not be treated as overflow for excess enrollments to the State University and University of California institutions. Those institutions needed funded and managed to receive all eligible students.

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

Continued water conservation programs. Municipal water recycling / recapture programs. Reconstituting ecological waterways to replace concrete lined streambeds. Enforcement of buffer zones and watershed protection requirements in timber harvesting plans. Policies to encourage agricultural change from high waterto lower water consumption crops and practices. Inter-county joint powers authorities for regional development planning and policies. Fees and penalties adequate for polluter remediation of water supply damage (including siltation and agri runoff).

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

Adopt a Universal Healthcare (single payor) system (e.g., SB921). In the meantime, adopt legislation that prevents hospitals from charging uninsured patients higher rates than prices charged to insurance programs or government programs.