League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA June 8, 2010 Election
	Kevin Dowling Answers Questions Candidate for Supervisor; County of Alameda; Supervisorial District 2

The questions were prepared by the Representatives of the Alameda County Council League of Women Voters and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. How should Alameda County address the continuing budget crisis? Are there specific cuts that could be made? Ways to increase revenue such as stimulus or other federal money and/or grants?

Alameda County needs to tighten its belt like all families and businesses are doing. At the City of Hayward, all employees from the City Council on down took a 5% pay cut. We laid off 50 employees and asked our remaining employees how we could trim costs. At the same time, the County needs to be aggressive in getting all federal, state, and foundation grants that are available. At the City of Hayward, our employees have re-doubled their grant writing efforts, especially in the Police and Library Departments.

2. Please discuss how the Board of Supervisors can work cooperatively to ensure equitable distribution of County services to all districts of the County.

All parts of the County should receive services based on the number of people in need in each community. While Oakland has the majority of people in need in Alameda County, all cities in the County have people who are on welfare, without health care, or homeless. I will work with District 1 Supervisor Scott Haggerty to quantify the long held impression that South County does not get its fair share of County resources.

3. What is your assessment of the effectiveness of the death penalty? Do you think this is a useful criminal justice tool? Why or why not?

I do support the death penalty in a limited number of cases, primarily for the killing of a peace officer. There are a number of issues with the death penalty that need to be addressed, including assuring that defendants have competent defense attorneys and access to DNA information. It may not make sense for a large number of new death penalty sentences to be issued while California is not allowed by the courts to execute anyone.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates’ answers are presented as submitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 25, 2010 14:52
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