Issues

Why are you running for governor?

When I first came to California 35 years ago, California was a place of dreams. This great state said to the people everywhere: Come here, work hard, play by the rules, and your dreams can come true.

But today, the dream - and the optimism that California represented to this nation and the world - has been shattered. I believe we can restore that optimism and the dreams that were once fulfilled here. Our people are good people - they work hard, they're paying their taxes, they're raising their families, and they're doing everything they can to provide their children with the tools to succeed.

We have everything we need here in California - except leadership.

California government is failing the people. The state government is not providing the leadership necessary to put people first - to put their hopes and dreams ahead of the special interests that have entrenched themselves in Sacramento.

The day I am sworn in, I will take action to deliver economic recovery in California. I will call a special session of the Legislature to reform our inefficient and costly workers' compensation system. I will order an outside, independent audit of the state budget so we can get a clear picture - uncluttered by politics and special interest influence - of how we can bring spending under control without neglecting our most important obligations. I will repeal the recent car tax increase. And I will send a message to the political class that it will no longer be business as usual.

How will you address the budget crisis in California?

It's disturbing to realize that after taking a close look at California's budget, it's hard to make any sense out of it. My Economic Recovery Council, comprised of the best and brightest among the state's economic and business leaders, recently drew this conclusion.

California's budget has become a patchwork of special interest give-aways draining precious resources from core programs such as education, public safety and health care. There are also hundreds of millions of dollars - if not billions - of documented waste, fraud and abuse in state spending.

Our first order of business is to get California's operating deficit - estimated at between $5 billion and $8 billion - under control. Runaway spending and structural deficiencies fueling this operating deficit are putting us deeper and deeper in debt every day. I will ensure that California government lives within its means - something working families manage to do everyday - and reins in spending to close the operating deficit.

I support a constitutional limit on annual spending increases and an unambiguous constitutional requirement that the state pass a balanced budget, so that California never finds itself in this mess again.

I will also restructure our inherited debt, estimated at between $12 and $20 billion - a very wide range that is itself another indicator of how difficult it has become to understand just what is going on in Sacramento. This includes the unprecedented $10.7 billion deficit bond and other borrowing in the current budget.

The bottom line is to make California competitive again so that businesses and entrepreneurs stay here and create jobs - which will bring new revenues to state and local government. I have formed an Economic Recovery Council, and they have already begun work at my direction.

How can you get your budget plan adopted through a Democrat-controlled Legislature?

I believe this historic election is sending a powerful message to the political class in Sacramento. Voters are demanding that their lawmakers work together to make our state a better place to live and work. They want real progress, and I'll see that we work together to make that progress.

What is your position on taxes?

I am firmly opposed to raising taxes. Californians are already overtaxed. California has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation, and just about everything a Californian does today is subject to one tax or another. From the moment you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night, the tax collector is there to take a share - at your home, in your car, at the gas station, at the restaurant, and just about everywhere else you go and everything else you do.

It's unfair to accept the notion that hitting taxpayers up for more money is the answer to our state's budget and economic problems. Politicians in Sacramento should find a better way to turn things around - not simply shift the burden of their mistakes onto the backs of taxpayers.

Do you support repeal of the recent increase in the car tax?

The car tax hurts working Californians who are already overtaxed. I will repeal the tax immediately upon taking office.

Do you believe Proposition 13 should be changed in any way?

Proposition 13 has allowed millions of Californians to realize the dream of homeownership for over 25 years, and I will fight any attempt to roll back its protection. Thanks to this measure, California homeowners are not burdened with the prospect of losing their homes someday because of a spiraling tax burden. Proposition 13 also protects Californians on fixed incomes, notably retired residents, from being priced out of their homes.

Should the current two-thirds voting majority requirement for tax increases be changed to 55 percent or simply majority vote?

I support a two-thirds vote in the Legislature to pass a state budget. The current system worked in the early 1990s to eliminate a deficit, and in the late 1990s when there was a surplus. It has worked in good times and bad. The problem isn't the California Constitution; The problem is the partisanship and lack of leadership in Sacramento. I will provide leadership to pass state budgets on time. If a budget is not passed on time, the Legislature and the Governor should not be paid.

Should commercial property pay higher property taxes?

State government places a heavy tax burden on business. Proposals to alter Proposition 13's protection and raise taxes on business property would make it worse - especially for small businesses that are the engine of our economy. Because of our unfavorable business climate, many companies are already leaving California - and taking jobs and tax revenue with them. That's why I will vigorously oppose any proposal to change proposition 13.

What will you have in your economic plan that will help make California a more attractive place to do business?

I have formed an Economic Recovery Council, co-chaired by Warren Buffett and former Secretary of State George Shultz. This bipartisan, independent panel includes some of the brightest minds our state and nation have to offer. Our goal is to set California's fiscal house in order and make our state competitive again.

I will address the workers compensation crisis - a self-inflicted wound that is driving away business.

I will address high energy costs. California has the highest commercial and industrial electricity rates in the nation. Therefore, I will renegotiate the energy contracts and take other steps to give California a reliable and affordable energy system.

I will push for laws curbing frivolous lawsuits - which cost every Californian $1,200 per year.

I will restore the state's credit rating and restore investor confidence in California as a place to start and grow businesses and create jobs.

What about the workers' compensation system?

I have pledged to aggressively address the workers' compensation crisis in California. We have the highest workers' compensation rates in the country - a third higher than the national average.

This year, the estimated cost of workers' compensation premiums, which has escalated dramatically each of the past few years, is more than $20 billion. That's nearly three times as much as the total amount of corporate taxes paid by California employers.

Businesses cannot continue to suffer under skyrocketing workers' compensation costs. The day I'm sworn in, I will take action. I will call a special session of the Legislature to enact reforms to correct a system that imposes unaffordable costs on our employers, while denying decent benefits to injured workers. I will not sign a budget without workers' compensation reform.

What is your education platform?

Education is my passion and California is not where it should be. Our children are not where they can be. The academic achievement for California students must improve. Parents, teachers, principals, school boards and businesses know this. We have an achievement gap that leaves behind too many of our state's children.

This is unacceptable. I will take aggressive measures to improve our public schools. I guarantee to every Californian:
Schools that are safe and clean
Classroom instruction based on proven research
Quality textbooks for every student
Tests that measure student and school progress
After-school tutoring and public school choice when schools fail to make progress
Increased local control
My goal is to shift more power to local communities and give them more say over their budgets and get more money into the classroom.

You have spoken a great deal about the importance of after school programs. Why?

I believe the importance of a safe, academically enriching after school environment cannot be understated. That's why I authored and sponsored the passage of Proposition 49, the After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2003. Proposition 49 will dedicate funds for after school programs when additional revenue is available.

We know that after school programs make a difference in the lives of our kids. Among students, those who attend quality after school programs achieve higher test scores, graduate at higher rates, and are more likely to attend college. They also use drugs less, abuse alcohol less, commit fewer violent crimes and have fewer children our of wedlock.

Providing a safe, enriching environment for kids should be a priority for our elected leaders, and it will be when I become your governor.

What is your position on undocumented immigrants?

I came to California 35 years ago because I saw this state as the best place on earth to fulfill my dreams. Immigrants contribute to the richness of life in California, and I embrace them.

Border enforcement is a federal responsibility. However, state taxpayers currently bear the costs of providing public services to undocumented immigrants, such as incarcerating undocumented immigrants in the state prison system. I will work with other border states, the President, and the U.S. Congress to increase federal reimbursements for these costs.

Proposition 187 has been resolved by the courts. It is time to move on. More than 2.3 million undocumented immigrants currently live in California. They cannot continue to live underground. I will work with federal officials to address this problem.

Do you support the death penalty?

Yes. I believe it is a necessary and effective deterrent to capital crimes.

Do you support the Three Strikes law?

Yes, and I believe it should not be modified. It too has proven to be an excellent deterrent to violent crime.

You have stated that you are a friend of the environment. What does that mean?

I will be a passionate defender of California's environment, providing real leadership to protect our precious land, air, and water. I believe that part of California's greatness lies in its natural resources and beauty. It is an essential part of the California experience. It is much easier for an employer to attract talent to our Golden State with its majestic coastline, snow-packed mountains and limitless recreational opportunities.

I believe what we do in this state must improve our quality of life, and environmental damage runs counter to that. Even from an economic perspective, our environment must be protected. If we have beaches soiled by oil spills, tourists will not come to this state. If we log our forests irresponsibly, stream beds will be destroyed and our fishing industry will be damaged.

I believe we can improve our economy without impairing our environment, and will govern by this belief. I am assembling a team of environmental advisors that will elaborate on key issues in the coming weeks.

What is your position on offshore oil drilling?

California is identified for its beaches and magnificent coastline more than any other single feature. I am opposed to offshore oil drilling. I will urge the federal government to purchase the remaining offshore oil leases as has been done in Florida.

California has long been plagued with air quality problems. What will you do to address them?

Breathing clean and healthy air is the right of all Californians, especially our children, whose health suffers disproportionately when our air is polluted. California must be free of federal fuel additive mandates that increase pollution during the summer and affect California's ability to produce cleaner-burning gasoline and diesel at reasonable prices. As governor, I would bring together a coalition of industry leaders, community organizations, government agencies, and state legislators from both parties to work on reducing air pollution.

California's Clean Air Act was the model for the federal Clean Air Act and our state has always led the nation in clean air programs. As governor, I will direct the California Air Resouces Board to examine the impact of the federal decision to exempt new sources of industrial air pollution from "new source review" and to propose state regulations to ensure that new facilities do not worsen our air quality.

How will you protect California's drinking and recreational waters from pollution?

I will direct the State Water Resources Control Board to fully enforce all laws that protect our state's drinking and recreational waters from pollution. I will immediately take action to restore and protect our waters, beaches, trails, and wildlife.

22 million Californians rely on the San Francisco Bay Delta for the quality of their drinking water. Sacramento's lack of leadership in supporting state and federal cooperation on Delta water management (CAL-FED), has resulted in Congress not funding the CAL-FED program. As Governor, I will urge the Congress to restore CAL-FED funding now.

Our streams, rivers, lakes, and bays can be better protected by using watershed management. As Governor, I will direct Cal/EPA and the Resources Agency to fully implement their recent agreement to clean up California's watersheds. These watersheds feed Lake Tahoe and Santa Monica Bay that are among California's most precious natural gems.

It has been widely reported that you support a woman's right to choose.

I support a woman's right to choose. I support the state's current family planning programs, and as governor, would make no changes to this policy.

I do not support partial birth abortion. I am in favor of parental notification, but I believe there must be a mechanism available where an individual can seek counsel from an outside entity, perhaps the courts.

Where do you stand on gun control?

I am a strong supporter of the second amendment. The U.S. constitution allows for law-abiding citizens to own a firearm.

I also believe that there are responsibilities that gun owners must follow in owning a firearm. I support the Brady bill, I support the current assault weapons ban and I believe that guns must have safety devices or be stored as to prevent accidental discharge.

What does Maria think about your running for governor?

Maria is very supportive and shares my strong belief that I can make a positive difference for Californians. She is a bit distressed, however, that after 17 years of marriage she was unable to get me to change my party affiliation!