Common Sense Leadership-- for a Change

By Virginia Chang Kiraly

WHAT KIND OF CALIFORNIA ARE WE LEAVING OUR CHILDREN?

Our future depends on our ability to compete in the global economy. Our challenge is to balance our high standard of living with economic realities.

MANAGE THE COST OF GOVERNMENT

Will the legacy we leave our children be increased debt and taxes, or will it be an efficient, affordable government? The Legislature must act responsibly so that operating costs of government do not bankrupt our state. We need:

• Pension reform in the public sector so that our hard-working civil servants receive reasonable benefits commensurate with model benefits in the private sector--not the upward spiraling benefits the unions demand
• Honest disclosure of long-term liabilities, including pension and retiree healthcare benefit costs at all levels of government
• A published annual debt ceiling and a two-year budget produced in a timely manner
• Utilization of creative fiscal and service solutions, such as public-nonprofit partnerships
• A mandatory percentage of state budget set-aside for needed infrastructure improvements

Will the legacy we leave our children be a crippled education system that does not prepare them for the future, or will it be a robust education system that enables them to reach their potential and compete in the global economy? Quality public schools are critical to the long-term success of our state and region. A three-step program is needed in California:

1. Reduce the number of categorical programs and create block grants that allow schools to target their needs, such as art education classes, math and science enrichment classes, or remedial reading and writing classes
2. Reward and empower great teachers to ensure that the best teachers are in the classroom
3. Develop model programs to provide unique opportunities for students who do not fit the traditional four-year university track

PROVIDE A VIBRANT BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Will the legacy we leave our children be a community that cannot support basic services, or will it be a thriving full-service community? Balance between first-rate schools, equal opportunity for economic prosperity, and our environment is crucial to maintain our high standard of living. We must:

• Actively promote legislation that removes the tax barriers to business, particularly start-up companies, that are critical to our area
• Encourage municipalities and counties to agree on higher density residential and employment uses along transportation corridors (CalTrain and Light Rail)
• Encourage and promote application of technologies created by state universities and centers for excellence for energy efficiency and conservation to lower our dependency on fossil fuel

ABOUT VIRGINIA CHANG KIRALY

Virginia Chang Kiraly is one of the leading Republican candidates re-building the Republican Party in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a first generation Chinese-American whose parents immigrated from China over 40 years ago. After 15 years of working at some of the world's leading financial institutions, concluding at The Nasdaq Stock Market, she considers her community work with children, particularly in education, one of her most important qualifications for Assembly. She now focuses her time on her family and community organizations as a past board member of The Tech Museum of Innovation and the Asia-America MultiTechnology Association (AAMA), board member of Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley, President of the Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo, President of the Las Lomitas PTA, and a sustainer of the Junior League of Palo Alto*Mid-Peninsula.