After 14 years on the Vacaville City Council, the last 8 as Mayor, I learned we can accomplish a lot more at the state and local levels of government when party identification is left at the door and we focus on solving problems.

Today, our state is leaving our children and grandchildren a legacy of debt.  We can and must restore the promise of the Golden State.  California has been the leader in research and innovation and can be the leader again in manufacturing by providing incentives for manufacturers who create jobs, invest in trade schools and expand their businesses.  We should encourage those who create opportunity and increase our state’s revenue.

Our education system is failing because we’re not empowering the classroom teacher and rewarding them accordingly.  My long service in the military and local government has taught me that greater accountability is achieved at the community level.  In Vacaville, I helped lead the effort to reinvest in our schools, resulting in improved facilities, higher student test scores and greater emphasis on financial management.

We must change our Capitol’s bad habits.  My first act in the legislature will be to introduce legislation requiring a two-year budget process, making government more accountable and predictable.  We will reward agencies that innovate and reduce debt instead of creating unsustainable new programs.  Reducing burdensome regulations will help create jobs and generate new revenue.

The promise of the Golden State is achievable again. Together we can succeed.

Creating Jobs/Manufacturing:

"For years we've ignored manufacturing jobs that have been a mainstay of our economy.  We must create incentives for manufacturers to stay, reinvest in trade schools and partner with the trades to ensure that we're creating both opportunity and revenue."

Education

"As for education, we struggle under bureaucracy, but I'd like to see us empower the classroom teacher and reward them accordingly.  My lifetime in the military and local government has taught me that you achieve more accountability the closer you are to the problem.  In Vacaville, we led the community effort to invest in our schools, the administrators responded and the result was improved test scores and sound financial management."

Debt/Finance

"California's single biggest challenge outside struggling families is the crushing debt.  In the long-term, the only cure is changing our bad habits.  As an Assemblyman, one of my first acts will be to support legislation requiring California to adopt a two-year budget process to make state government more transparent and accountable.  Each department will be forced to justify every penny it needs during every budget we adopt.  There will be rewards for saving money - not penalties for failing to spend everything, as exists today.  In a two-year budget we will be able to better plan for the long-term."

"We know the reason for California's long-term financial problems is the inability to resist creating new programs when times are good.  As an Assemblyman, I'll advocate for fiscal responsibility - we won't create new programs just because we have the money, we will only create them based on need.  We must focus on paying down our debt and saving for the inevitable rainy days."