Eight candidates, including former South Bay Assemblyman Ted Lieu of Torrance and Manhattan Beach attorney Bob Valentine, vie to succeed the late state Sen. Jenny Oropeza in a Feb. 15 free-for-all primary that crosses party lines. At stake is a Senate seat for the state’s 28th District including the beach cities, El Segundo, Torrance, Lomita, Marina del Rey and portions of Los Angeles.
In questionnaires from Easy Reader, the candidates offer their views.
Ted W. Lieu, 41
Democrat
Legislator, three-term California State Assembly member, lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force reserves
Elective positions, civic involvement:
California State Assembly, Torrance City Council, Torrance Environmental Quality Commission, member, Rampart Independent Review Panel
What do you want to accomplish if you win a seat in the state Senate?
From the budget and education to jobs and the environment, a senator has an enormous ability to improve California is these tough times. I will ensure that all my constituents are represented and that opportunities remain open to everyone. Job creation has to be priority one.
What should be done, if anything, to deal with the state’s budget crisis?
California is at a crossroads. Essential services have been cut to dangerous and inhumane levels and accounting maneuvers have forced our state’s credit rating to an all time low. As a state senator, I will work with the new governor to craft a realistic budget that lives within our means without decimating essential public services such as public education.
What should be done, if anything, to address funding and performance issues in the state’s public schools?
California is ranked at the bottom when it comes to education funding. It is imperative that we protect education funding. As a legislator, I have consistently voted to prioritize education funding. Both my 5-year-old and 7-year-old also attend public school.
Should the state’s redevelopment agencies be eliminated? If not, should any changes be made in redevelopment funding or practices?
Redevelopment agencies are an important tool for our local cities to revitalize neighborhoods and create jobs. However, not all agencies have done well or adhered to standards. An important part of my decision will be based on the audit being done by the state controller.
Bob Valentine, declined to state age
Republican
Independent businessman, attorney
Elective positions, civic involvement:
Member of and involved with: Beacon House Association of San Pedro: Member Board of Directors 27 years, and President (20 years); Manhattan Beach Planning Commissioner; Judge Pro Tem, Los Angeles Superior Court – 25 years; Manhattan Beach, San Pedro, Long Beach Chambers of Commerce; Beach Cities Republican Club; South Bay Lincoln Club.
What do you want to accomplish if you win a seat in the state Senate?
California is in crisis. When elected, I will work to:
1. Reduce the $28 billion state budget deficit.
2. Support reforms that will encourage economic growth job creation and increase tax revenues.
3. Represent the interests of all Californians instead of the government employee unions that are backing my main opponent. Â
 What should be done, if anything, to deal with the state’s budget crisis?
California currently has a $28 billion deficit. The state needs immediate reform to keep businesses in California and our friends and families employed. When elected, I will work to:
1. Roll back the excessive wage and pension packages for state workers.
2. Eliminate redundant government departments, outsource specific services and sell surplus public property.
3. Impose strict spending caps thus preventing automatic increases in government spending unless justified by real economic growth.
4. Utilize modern technology to effect cost efficiency in California.
What should be done, if anything, to address funding and performance issues in the state’s public schools?
Our children are our future. They have been short-changed and we need to
1. Re-direct funding away from Sacramento and back to local school districts.
2. Establish statewide accountability standards for instructors.
3. Invest in cutting edge technology to stream good teachers and new concepts into the classroom.
Should the state’s redevelopment agencies be eliminated? If not, should any changes be made in redevelopment funding or practices?
Redevelopment agencies vary greatly throughout the State. In order to bring efficiency and accountability, when elected I will work to:
1. Mandate a comprehensive audit of all redevelopment agencies in California.
2. Establish clear performance goals for each redevelopment district.
3. If the standards established are not met by individual agencies, they should be abolished.
Jeffrey E. Fortini, 56
Republican
Retired U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer
What do you want to accomplish if you win a seat in the state Senate?
I want to bring a sense of fairness back into government. I want to return the government back to the people of this state so they can believe and trust in their elected representatives. I do not want this to be a job; I want to be a servant to the people of California. Â
What should be done, if anything, to deal with the state’s budget crisis?
We need a realistic state budget. We need a budget that meets the needs of all Californians and not just the privileged few. This can be achieved by reviewing the entire budget to identify and eliminate unnecessary expenditures while still maintaining critical services to the people of California. We need reform of our prison system by reviewing different models within the country that are more efficient than our system and ensuring our public pensions are fair to all Californians.
What should be done, if anything, to address funding and performance issues in the state’s public schools?
We need to ensure our children are educated, ensure our educational funding is properly allocated, reduce and eliminate the duplication of administrative functions, encourage parental involvement in the evolution of the educational process and reduce class size to enhance individual student development. We can never forget that our children are our future.Â
Should the state’s redevelopment agencies be eliminated? If not, should any changes be made in redevelopment funding or practices?
No, however, we need to look at how the funding is allocated and for what purpose. We need to ensure that redevelopment money benefits the community as a whole by creating jobs and improving areas that need economic improvement.
James P. Thompson, 54
Republican
Owner of two small businesses: Law Offices of James P. Thompson (Attorney/Owner): Trial Attorney, Business Formation, Real Estate Litigation; Oceanic Investments, LLC (Founding Member/Agent): Housing provider for the disabled and very low-income families.
Elective positions, civic involvement:
Ran for Lomita City Council in Nov. 2009, tied the 14-year incumbent and two time past mayor, Margaret Estrada. Lost on recount by a total of three votes. Currently first Vice-President of the Lomita Chamber of Commerce; Secretary/Treasurer of the Lomita Kiwanis Foundation; Co-Chair of the Lomita Kiwanis Scholarship Trust Fund; Serving on Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Bay
What do you want to accomplish if you win a seat in the state Senate?
The most urgent issues are (1) jobs (2) the $28 billion deficit (3) $500 billion in state pensions and (4) reducing the size of government. These problems are caused by state over taxation and overspending. I am opposed to extending “temporary” income, car and sales tax increases or any tax hike at all. Businesses are leaving California to create jobs in Texas and Arizona where taxes are lower. We need tax relief!
What should be done, if anything, to deal with the state’s budget crisis?
The deficit can be eliminated by cutting entire state commissions, agencies and departments where those services are either unnecessary or already being provided by the local and federal governments and the private sector (more jobs). Our Governor and I will eliminate the massive waste and fraud in welfare to work, stop EBT for fast food, state cell phones, state toll free numbers & advertising, free day care in our courthouses and cut prison guard six-figure salaries, etc., etc. The list of wasteful spending is huge.
What should be done, if anything, to address funding and performance issues in the state’s public schools?
One third of students from Middle School through High School drop out. Our schools are under performing despite our state spending 40 percent of the State’s entire budget on K-12 schools! Why? Lack of innovation, motivation and competition. I support the creation of more Charter Schools which are performance based, both as to teachers and administrators. CTA and UTLA strongly oppose Charter Schools, Why?
Should the state’s redevelopment agencies be eliminated? If not, should any changes be made in redevelopment funding or practices?
On this issue, I agree with Gov. Brown. We must make drastic cuts to California spending. The Governor has determined that spending on redevelopment agencies is not giving Californians the best value for taxpayer dollars. If we cut taxes and give tax incentives or tax credits to businesses (like Texas and Arizona are doing) businesses will be attracted to these areas where there is a market, skilled labor, great weather and a favorable business environment. Currently, California ranks near the bottom of all states in business friendliness.
Kevin McGurk, 33
Democrat
Deputy Public Defender, Los Angeles County
What do you want to accomplish if you win a seat in the state Senate?
My goal is to start changing the tone to one of a conversation about solving our state’s problems as opposed to the current screaming match. I hope to reform our criminal justice system and work toward long term solutions to ensure future economic prosperity for California.Â
What should be done, if anything, to deal with the state’s budget crisis?
We need to suspend California’s capital punishment system to save a $1 billion in five years. Considering California hasn’t executed a person in over five years, the taxpayer clearly isn’t getting what they pay for. Other criminal justice reforms such as developing alternative sentences in lieu of prison for non-violent offenders and halting the practice of shipping parolees back to prison for low level offenses could yield significant economic savings without jeopardizing public safety. Â
What should be done, if anything, to address funding and performance issues in the state’s public schools?
Currently California is in the bottom 10 in funding per student, student to teacher ratio and in student performance in a range of subjects. Local school districts need to be given more flexibility in allocating resources and the freedom to respond to their particular needs with creative solutions. We need to look into economic incentives for exceptional teachers, implement a reliable data system to track both student and teacher performance from kindergarten through high school and provide our schools with the resources required to meet the highest standards of performance.Â
Should the state’s redevelopment agencies be eliminated? If not, should any changes be made in redevelopment funding or practices?
Any time you have a budgetary climate such as ours tough cuts will have to be made. What’s important is that we maintain redevelopment projects that produce good value for the taxpayer and eliminate the ones that don’t. It’s appropriate to audit these agencies to determine their effectiveness in job creation vs. the taxpayer cost.
Mark Lipman, 42
Nonpartisan
Poet, publisher (Caza de PoesĂa – www.casadepoesia.com), community organizer (20 years experience, most recently on affordable housing)
Elective positions, civic involvement:
U.S. Navy (Seabee – Gulf War Era Veteran – 1986 -1992); Calpirg (1992/3) Campaigner to Protect CA Waterways; Greenpeace France (1998-2001) – Assistant Rainforest Campaigner, Environmental Activist; Berkeley Stop the War Coalition (2001) Founding Member / Activist; Agir Contre la Guerre (Act Against War – 2001-2005) Founding Member/ Activist; American Friends Service Committee (2006/7) Volunteer Organizer / Activist; POWER (People Organized for Westside Renewal – 2008 to present) Homeless/Affordable Housing Advocate/Volunteer/Member; Veterans for Peace (2009 to present) Volunteer/Member; Peace Action West (2009/10) Nuclear Disarmament Campaigner; Measure A (Santa Monica – School Funding Measure – 2010) Campaigner; Santa Monica for Renters’ Rights (current) Renters’ Rights Campaigner.
What do you want to accomplish if you win a seat in the state Senate?
My top priority is ending poverty – the root cause of all the problems we face – to tackle homelessness head on. Universal Healthcare – it works and I will make sure that it passes. Properly funding our schools and investing in job creation, particularly in infrastructure and green technologies.
What should be done, if anything, to deal with the state’s budget crisis?
We need to reprioritize how we spend our money. Too much waste is going on directly in our politicians’ offices and too much of our money is being funneled back to wealthy campaign contributors. Bell is just the tip of the iceberg. We could fund all our social needs and get a tax cut too, if we simply managed our money properly. The only tax I want to see on the table is Royalty Tax for oil and resource extraction.
What should be done, if anything, to address funding and performance issues in the state’s public schools?
Again, all the money we need is there – it is simply how we spend it. Absolutely, we should fully fund our schools so that all of our children have the best opportunities possible to start off life. They are our future and we must remember that. Shift our funding priorities to our social needs first – schools, housing, job creation and healthcare, and the rest will follow.
Should the state’s redevelopment agencies be eliminated? If not, should any changes be made in redevelopment funding or practices?
Yes, they should be eliminated. We do nothing to solve the root problem of poverty by shifting our needed resources to billionaires’ pet projects. The L.A. City Council just took $1 billion out schools and public services and handed it to wealthy developers – I say we can do better.
Mike Chamness, 41
Nonpartisan
Non-profit consultant
Elective positions, civic involvement:
Green Party of LA County Council – 2008-2010, write-In Candidate, US Congress – Dist 3, CO
What do you want to accomplish if you win a seat in the state Senate?
My primary motivation for running is to build awareness about and work to overturn sections of CA Proposition 14 and Senate Bill 6 – the state’s “Open Primary” laws – which adversely impact candidate’s rights and voter choice. But should the coffee gods serve up a bit of election magic and victory is had, I would work tirelessly to brew up better government, put a lid on wasteful spending, find common ground between our electorate, and fight to see the average citizen has the opportunity to run for office and stir things up a bit in Sacramento.
What should be done, if anything, to deal with the state’s budget crisis?
I advocate for more efficient and effective spending programs and a reduction in the overall level of waste by state government. But just cutting programs will not solve the crisis. Closing existing corporate tax loopholes, overturning/modifying Prop 13, and implementing a more progressive state tax policy are two major areas of reform required to potentially lessen the impact of the proposed cuts in state services. Additionally, enact a Tobin tax on financial transactions across state borders and increase the gas tax to accurately reflect the true cost pricing and negative impacts of the automobile & petroleum industries.
What should be done, if anything, to address funding and performance issues in the state’s public schools?
Since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, California budget allocations have slighted education. Because of insufficient funding, teachers are woefully underpaid. An entire generation’s music, art and foreign language programs have been dismantled. Every child should have equitable access to free and appropriate educational resources and opportunities in a well-maintained public school. However, achieving this will require the political will to negotiate with both teachers unions and districts to cut wasteful spending while also restructuring future retirement and pension obligations.
Should the state’s redevelopment agencies be eliminated? If not, should any changes be made in redevelopment funding or practices?
The redevelopment agencies should be audited and restructured to follow the original intent of thier mission- to provide quality housing and economic development resources for poor communities.
Martha Flores Gibson, 56
Republican
Owner Pre Paid Legal Services Inc. NYSE:PPD, and educator
Elective positions, civic involvement: Chair New Image Emergency Shelter, President American Womens’ Business Association Member of the Kids Connection
What do you want to accomplish if you win a seat in the state Senate?
- Keep businesses in California and create jobs, cut payroll taxes and regulations for all businesses to encourage them to keep jobs in California and the 28th State Senate District. Create new industries and revitalize manufacturing around clean technology. Â
- Cut wasteful and deficit spending. Demand an aggressive audit of fraud and/or corruption starting with the government. Let the safety of the citizens be one of the top priorities in local government and school districts.
- Education — give control of the schools back to parents, principals and teachers. Let’s treat education like the priority it needs to be. We know that data driven instruction works, andf that teacher training and development and added resources works. Â
What should be done, if anything, to deal with the state’s budget crisis?
California’s economy is broken. After many years of financial smoke and mirrors, shifting costs and revenues from one side to another in a monstrous shell game, California faces a $28-billion deficit that cannot be explained, delayed or smiled away.
We must do away with costly state requirements that cripple our cities.
We must face squarely the matter of underfunded state personnel benefits that have become an increasingly heavy weight to drag into the hyper-competitive world of the 21st Century. We must do away with the over-regulation of business that has driven so many firms to other states. We must take an aggressive look at fraud and/ or corruption from any program that receive monies from the State funds.
What should be done, if anything, to address funding and performance issues in the state’s public schools?
The districts have been hit hard in the last few years by the state’s budget crisis. Teacher layoffs mean class sizes increase. Our public schools are vital because they produce candidates for jobs which will grow our economy. We need to reinstitute money back to local school districts. We need to look for the lotto monies that were promise to local schools. We must do whatever it takes to best serve the needs of our kids.
Should the state’s redevelopment agencies be eliminated? If not, should any changes be made in redevelopment funding or practices?
The clear result of abolishing redevelopment is a small one-time benefit followed by decades of inability by local governments to effectively combat economic hardship. This might not be the best strategy. We need an extensive audit before the Governor takes away redevelopment, because cities state that he will be taking away their best tool for the job.Â
Some cities they have used redevelopment funds to increase local property values, create thousands of new jobs, partner with local school districts and provide low-income affordable housing. ER
