Asamblea Estatal de CaliforniaCandidato para Distrito 45

     I am a lifelong resident of the western San Fernando Valley, since 1961. I have been a Democrat since I was 18, but was politically active in various progressive causes since childhood. My bachelor of arts degree in political science is from California State University Northridge in 1984. I was very involved in campus politics, and once ran for president for the Associated Students. I also helped the campaign of Zeke Zeidler in 1984, the first openly gay president of the Associated Students. In addition, I was involved in the Mayor's Advisory Council on Transportation of the San Fernando Valley in the 1980's under Mayor Tom Bradley. At CSUN, I was involved with the Peppertree Alliance, an offshoot of the Alliance for Survival. I was a member of the Young Democrats, and president for the Students for Economic Democracy. The electrical outlet I was given I gave to the Native American Student's booth so they could make their maize and other food products. I refused money from a fraternity, but gave it to the Native American group for free. Since 1970, I have worked for and now run a small business, that made its name selling high quality audio tape at lower prices than everybody else in the 1980's and 1990's. At one point, my business sold more audio tape than any other non-manufacturer in the world with less than 4 employees. Since 2005, I have been a board member of the Southern California chapter of Americans for Democratic Action. I have donated the maximum amount of money to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. I also donated the maximum to Brad Smith, when he ran for Los Angeles City Council against Mitchell Englander. I also gave money and walked precincts for Mark Ridley Thomas's campaign for Los Angeles County Supervisor. I walked precincts for him the day Senator Edward Kennedy died. I ran for Los Angeles City Council in 2005, and 2009, both times being outspent 25 to 1, but got 31 percent in 2005 and 29 percent in 2009. I ran for Los Angeles City Controller in 2013. I was endorsed in all 3 races by the National Organization for Women. I have been a member of the Sierra Club since 1988. Public service is a high calling for me, and I have always taken it extremely seriously. My passion for helping people will never ebb if I am elected to the California State Assembly.

     I am a progressive on economic, social, foreign policy, and most other issues. there is a role for the government to do good. A safety net is needed to provide services and goods so people will not starve, or needlessly suffer. I am alarmed by the rising gap between the top one percent and everyone else. the super wealthy and the corporations must pay their fair share. as proposed in the concept of progressive taxation. Health care is a right, and should be part of a single payer health care system. I support expanded rent control and livable and affordable housing. The homeless need to be assisted, and a variety of solutions like livable housing needs to be addressed, but also help for mental illness and/or drug addiction, if applicable, rather than incarceration.  Public schools need to be of the highest quality and serve everyone, not cherry pick their students. Public colleges and universities need to be free in the long term, and tuition needs to be reduced as soon as possible in the short term. Development must be sensible and reasonable, and meet the needs of the local community. The war on drugs is a violation of our civil liberties, and must end. No discrimination should be tolerated in a civil society. Workers deserve a living wage, and unions are a positive force in society and are needed to counterbalance the reactionary influence of many large corporations and right wing politicians. Alternatives to big corporations need to be addressed in state politics, such as the establishment of a state bank, like they already have successfully done in North Dakota. Law enforcement agencies need to truly protect and to serve, not abuse its citizens or engage in tactics that are overly violent or abusive to anyone in the community. Policies need to be environmentally friendly at all times, and protect our valuable natural resources.Programs like these can be funded properly, and wasteful programs like the bullet train need to be eliminated.