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California State AssemblyCandidate for District 24
John M. Inks
Mountain View City Councilmember
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Candidate has provided information.
My Top 3 Priorities
- Structurally balanced state budget based on realistic assumptions. Expenditures should be no greater than revenues.
- Sustainable public employee pension and healthcare systems. More employee cost sharing. Taxpayers need protection from unsustainable pension and healthcare burdens.
- Economical housing development without regional mandates
Experience
Experience
Profession:Mountain View City Councilmember
Council Member, City of Mountain View — Elected position (2009–current)
Mayor, City of Mountain View — Elected position (2013–2013)
Commissioner and Chair, Environmental Planning Commission — Elected position (2007–2008)
Commissioner and Chair, Parks and Recreation Commission — Elected position (2002–2006)
Spacecraft Engineer and Subcontract Manager, Lockheed Martin (1975–2005)
Volunteer Mediator, City of Mountain View — Appointed position (2000–2001)
Lieutenant, U. S. Army, Ordnance Corps (1971–1975)
Education
Stanford University — Masters, Mechanical Engineering (1980)
Georgia Institute of Technology — Bachelors Degree, Aerospace Engineering (1971)
Community Activities
Member, Mountain View Historical Association (2002–current)
Who supports this candidate?
Featured Endorsements
Questions & Answers
Questions from The League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and California Counts, a public media collaboration. (6)
Climate changes and the continuing drought worry many in California. What new strategies do you believe would ensure that California is able to both satisfy its water needs and protect the environment? Please be specific.
Answer from John M. Inks:
Water needs can be satisfied with a combination of water management, conservation and recycling. Conservation will continue to be most effective. Advanced water treatment plants have been developed in recent years and is likely to serve future needs.
Policymakers need to have a fundamental understanding of environmental science, effective environmental protection, economics and practical decision making. Reduced fossil fuel consumption leverages resource conservation, air quality and traffic congestion. Some emerging green energy is becoming more popular and incorporated into newer developments. However, state mandates and newer and renewable local energy sources probably will not do much to significantly influence the reality of climate change in very energy intensive economies around the world.
Many Californians are concerned about the influence of money in politics. What can the state legislature do to ensure that decision-making by elected officials is not swayed by moneyed interests at the expense of constituents?
Answer from John M. Inks:
Politics and money are directly related. Political power to influence policies and laws attracts money from special interests. Campaign contribution and spending limits and reporting attempt to limit the influence of money and provide transparency. However, until voters elect politicians who favor more limited government instead of powerful political authority, money will still have influence.
There are a variety of proposals to raise California's minimum wage. Many of these proposals face opposition from business groups who are concerned that they would kill jobs. Do you support increasing the minimum wage in California? In your answer please explain your position on the relationship between wages and jobs with specific reference to the situation in your district.
Answer from John M. Inks:
I do not support olitically mandated wage and price controls and the minimum wage specficall for the following reasons:
1. Wage (and price) controls distort an effective, competitive market exchange for goods, services and labor. Generally, the minimum wage tends to drive up prices for customers and reduce the incentive to hire minimum wage workers. However, there is not a lot of employment and price data measure the effect of the minimum wage because mandated minimum wages are so close to or slightly higher than market rate wages that the impacts may not be that noticeable.
2. The minimum wage impacts market rate wages already paying higher than minimum wage. For example, when a low skill job paying $8/hr is mandated to $10/hour, that means a higher skilled job already paying $10/hour will create a demand for a higher wage for that job also. The effect is wage compression.
3. Minimum wage policies distract focus from the more familiar and practical methods for low skill workers to earn higher wages. Higher incomes are better achieved through job training, job experience, education, and English language proficiency, not the minimum wage.
4. Finally, mandated wage rates undermine individual right to choose. The market place is more effective when employers, employees and customers decide what labor rates to pay, what jobs to take and where to shop based on free choice.
What are your top three fiscal priorities, recognizing the need to balance the state’s income with its spending?
Answer from John M. Inks:
1. Structurally balanced state budget as first priority
2. Sustainable public employee pension and healthcare systems as second priority
3. Improve California's competitiveness nationally and internationally. Cut California's personal and corporate income tax rates.
If elected, what solutions do you propose to deal with the high cost of living in the Bay Area?
Answer from John M. Inks:
Local economies drive the cost of living in both affluent and less affluent regions of the state. Supply and demand drive cost of living. The cost of living in the Bay Area is higher than the central valley because the demand for jobs and hosting is greater here. However, the State government can mitigate the cost of living state-wide by cutting high income and corporate tax rates.
What steps are needed to improve region-wide transportation planning and the growing traffic congestion?
Answer from John M. Inks:
An outcome of a robust Bay Area economy is increased traffic congestion. Infrastructure improvements like additional lanes and metering can help manage traffic volume. Transit options provide some but not complete relief. Ultimately, motorists decide how much traffic congestion they'll tolerate.
Who gave money to this candidate?
Contributions
Total money raised: $14,670
Top contributors that gave money to support the candidate, by organization:
1
Employees of INKS, JOHN M.,
$10,000
2
Employees of Korchula Productions
$990
3
Employees of Spieker Investments
$950
4
Employees of Bahl Homes
$900
5
Employees of Farmers Insurance Group
$500
5
Employees of kabam
$500
More information about contributions
By State:
By Size:
Large contributions (98.09%)
Small contributions (1.91%)
By Type:
From organizations (0.00%)
From individuals (100.00%)
Source: MapLight analysis of data from the California Secretary of State.
