Spending

It’s no secret that government spending is out of control.  That is why California’s budget is over $20 billion in deficit and its financial rating degrading. What is truly sad is that our fiscal circumstances were not always this way.  In fact, California’s economic power was considered to be among the top nations of the world.   Unfortunately, it seems that the Democrats in Sacramento refuse to do what everyone else is required to do – live within their means.  

As your Assembly Republican Leader, I have worked tirelessly to shrink government spending.  I’ve stood up to the political establishment and the special interests to remind them it’s not their money!  Instead of feeding the leviathan of government spending, waste, and special interests, I am fighting so that you can keep more of your money and send less of it to the state.  I don’t support gimmicks to balance the budget and have identified hundreds of spending programs that can be eliminated, cut, or privatized. As your representative in Sacramento, I’m working to reduce the size and cost of government so that California can return to its rightful place as a world-class economic power.  

Taxes

Californians are overtaxed and shoulder the highest tax rates in the nation.  Our state is losing employers because it is cheaper to do business in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas and this is causing state revenues to decline.  Faced with a huge budget deficit, I will fight the liberals in Sacramento and refuse to raise taxes on income, retail sales and cars.  In fact, I have voted against every new tax – every time.  

As your Assemblyman, I’ll continue to fight to cut the tax burden of Californians because it is the tried and true method of creating jobs, increasing revenues, and stimulating the state’s economy.  My vision is to reduce onerous economic and regulatory burdens so that raising our families, earning a living, and enjoying our beautiful state is less expensive.    

Jobs

Too many of our neighbors and friends are out of work.  They make up the 12% unemployment rate of California.  This is not simply due to the national economy; the liberal Democrats in control of Sacramento have erected barriers to employment, job creation, and business retention that have made our situation markedly worse then the rest of the country.  Since many of these job killers were the result of short-sighted liberal politics, they need to be eliminated so California can start attracting employers and creating jobs.  

In the Assembly, I have challenged my Republican colleagues to introduce and propose solutions to our employment problem.  I have championed tax and regulatory reform so that businesses have an easier time remaining in our state.  I have worked with my colleagues to shine a light on the costly red-tape and bureaucracy that makes doing business here more difficult and expensive.  We will slash this red-tape to free up employers, make government a friend of business, and get Californians back to work.   

Illegal Immigration

What once was a problem of illegal immigrants invading our communities and burdening our schools and hospitals has turned into an all-out war.  The porous border has gotten worse fueling a rash of violence, drug smuggling, and terrorism.   I’ll continue to fight gangs, drugs, and illegal immigration to make sure our families can live in peace by working to secure our border.  I’ll also work to be sure that those that come to America legally get the promise of the American Dream but those that enter our country illegally must be prohibited from receiving state aid, welfare, and driver’s licenses.   

Water and Infrastructure

Water is a precious resource that brings billions of dollars to California.  Agriculture, business, and cities depend on reasonable water policy and a reliable infrastructure to fuel prosperity and maintain our quality of life.  Allowing the wise stewardship of such a vital part of our lives to be hijacked by politics and harmful policies is unacceptable and I will fight to stop this practice.  I have worked in the Assembly to promote balanced water policies to prevent damaging our businesses and economies.  

For too long the environmental extremists have exploited voters’ concerns about the environment to block fundamental infrastructural development like dams, levees, and other water storage.  This is a false choice and puts California further behind in restoring our economy.  I have worked for a balanced approach and will continue to strive for water policies that serve the people – not extremist special interests groups.   

Public Safety

A state as large and diverse as California makes our role in law enforcement, public safety, and responding to disasters is a big one.  Our state’s challenges require us to be prepared for wildfires, floods, earthquakes and a host of other natural disasters.  At the same time, our state includes the most dangerous border of any other state in the nation.   

That’s why I have worked to ensure adequate state resources are dedicated to public safety and disaster preparedness.  We simply can’t afford to let homes burn, farm lands be destroyed, or violent gang activity threaten our way of life.

But the state’s real threats are not so much from Mother Nature but from within the State Legislature.  That’s where politicians beholden to special interests have siphoned off precious funding from needed police and fire equipment, border security, and safe prisons.  By putting in place reforms that insure transparency, sound budgeting, and the needs of the people over the lobbyists we can make our state safer and better prepared.    

Education

So many Californians remember when our elementary, secondary, and higher education systems were the envy of the nation.  Now, our schools are failing our children on many fronts.  Fully one-third of our students are high school drop-outs, increasingly among minority groups.  Basic skills, like writing and algebra are being sacrificed for the drive to improve school statistics. Employers simply cannot rely on our public education system to produce a strong, qualified workforce.

For years now, our state education system has been doing less with more.  This simply cannot stand.  As Vice-Chair of the Assembly Education Committee I have worked to make our schools accountable to parents and employers – not special interest groups or public employee unions.  We need to do what is right by students by helping them engage in meaningful education that prepares them for their future.  

That’s why I have championed an emphasis on vocational education and work-force   preparedness.  Not every students is able to, or chooses to, pursue college-prep and we must not ignore those students’ needs.  Expanding access to vocational education will provide the tools to pursue other professions rather than a four-year college degree. 

Transportation

For years Californians have demanded better roads and less congestion.  We even passed a ballot initiative to prioritize investments in infrastructure and reduce traffic congestion. Fortunately, the orange cones are starting to get picked up and new traffic lanes travelled.  But it seems like a trickle when what we need is a flood.  

I know how frustrating sitting in traffic is and how much it reduces our quality of life.  I supported local control of tax dollars to make sure infrastructure and street repair projects are funded right here in North San Diego County.  As your Assemblyman, I’ve worked to clear the bureaucratic road blocks and get promised infrastructure funding moving.  I’ll continue to fight for transportation funding in North County and see to it that what we voted on and paid for is built.