Public Affairs Special; Election 1988: Candidates State Assembly 67th, 69th, and 70th Districts

Kaos CEO public affairs specials are made possible by grants from Disneyland Park announcing its new attraction Star Tours now boarding passengers for space flight adventure by Cigna landmark incorporated developer of Southern California real estate and builder of Landmark homes by the Peter and Mary Muth foundation by the Crane Foundation and by supporting viewers of this television series. Welcome to election 88 a series of election program designed to present the candidates and the issues to voters for the November general election. Your vote does matter and this program aims to help you be better informed in making those voting decisions. And today's program will present candidates for the state assembly in the 67 69 and 78 districts elected members of the assembly representing Orange County. All three districts in this

program are held by Republican incumbents. The 67 to assembly district occupies the northeast corner of Orange County and includes much of the undeveloped but heal areas near the Cleveland National Forest include the cities of orange tossed in Yorba Linda Anaheim Hills and the unincorporated part of North Santa Ana. There are about one hundred seventy six thousand voters in the 67 district. Of these 100 3000 or 59 percent are Republican and 55000 or 31 percent are Democrats giving the Republican Party an edge of forty eight thousand voters. The 60 night Assembly District occupied west central Orange County and comprises most of the areas bordering the San Diego freeway that include the city's every vine and Fountain Valley. About a half of Costa Mesa and portions of Westminster Santa Ana and El Toro are about one hundred and eighty thousand registered voters in the Sixty ninth district of these 100 and 1000 or 56 percent are Republican and fifty eight thousand or thirty three percent are Democrats giving the Republican Party a forty three thousand vote margin in this district. The seventieth district is located in the south coastal area of Orange County extending from Newport Beach to

Capistrano Beach. It also extends throughout the southern part of Orange County all the way eastward to the Riverside County line its main cities and communities are Newport Beach Laguna Beach Dana Point San Juan Capistrano Corona Del Marva going on the gal Santa Ana heights and Laguna Hills. The district also includes parts of Capistrano Beach Silverado attribute called Canyon Mission Viejo El Toro and coastal Mesa. The 70th assembly district has about 200 25000 registered voters of these one hundred thirty nine thousand or sixty two percent of Republicans and sixty two thousand or 28 percent are Democrats giving the Republicans an edge of 77000 voters. And now let's meet the candidates not present as assemblyman John Lewis incumbent of the 67 district. He declined to attend. Bruce Fink Democratic candidate in a 67 district is an attorney at law. He served as a judge pro tem for Orange County Juvenile superior and municipal courts. He's on the board of directors of the boy's club president of Santa Ana. Mr. Fink has taught business law at the University of Redlands Assemblyman Nolan for Ezell Republican of the 69 because not completing his fourth

legislative term. He currently serves on the revenue and taxation governmental organization Public Employees Retirement and Social Security Committees and a member of the Joint Committee on the state's economy and the chairman of the Republican caucus a Republican caucus Policy Committee is a resident of Huntington Beach. Marie if a no Democratic candidate in the 60 wanted to give been active in this as a social worker in psychotherapy for the past 20 years she was elected regional director of the state board of the National Association of Social Workers which gave her its 1986 social worker of the Year award. She's a 25 year resident of Huntington Beach. Assemblyman Gil Ferguson Republican is now completing a second legislative term representing the Seventh District. He's currently vice chairman of the Housing and Community Development and is also on the assembly committees on transportation health and Ways and Means is a resident of Corona Del Mar.. Michael gallops Democratic candidate in the 70th district is currently an English teacher at El Toro high school and he's taught there for 10 years a resident of San Juan Capistrano. He's also president of the Saddleback

Educators Association and the South Orange County Educators Association Mr. Gallup is a member of the Orange County Democratic associates and elected member of the California State Assembly now received forty thousand eight hundred sixteen dollars a year for the two year term of office. Last eighty seven dollars per diem for every day in the legislature is in session. Each candidate will now make a one minute they can about his or her candidacy. After which I'll ask them questions about the issues. And now let's start with Mr. Fink. OK thank you for taking your time to watch your show. Spend a little time looking and listening to me. I was asked why I'm running for this office. Well I had a couple people come to be and say we need somebody to run in this office and I said why. He said because of the fellow that holds the office I said has he done anything incredibly bad. It didn't go to see incredibly stupid they said you know what is he done. He said that's it. Nothing doesn't do anything. He just sits around. No he does

nothing. I'm going to ask you to vote for that incumbent who's running against me. If you can do one of two things tell me who he is or one good thing he's ever done since he's been in office. You know you'll see on this program sitting across from me two incumbents who are here in right between them. You'll see my opponent or maybe you won't see my opponent. I'm running because we need a representation not just for Democrats. I couldn't run on the Republican ticket and I am and always have been a Democrat. But I will represent all of the people of the district if elected. All right thank you very much. Now Mr. Preval thank you very much Jim and I want to thank the voters of the six United simply district for having elected and re-elected me in the past three or four terms. I think politics is something that addresses the future. It addresses a great many values that are voters actually have and hold in common. It's important to recognize what those

values are in order to adequately represent the people in but of a district. We have to face issues of health care and transportation and and child care we have to address education and a whole variety of different issues that we find it in an immensely complicated. But those complications also are the kinds of windows that we as representatives have in gathering data when we have a tendency to want to feel that we are voting the way our constituents would want us to vote if they have the same information that we voted that we have. I've been privileged I think to accomplish a great deal in the legislature and I think our district in general has been responsive. All right thank you Mr. No. If as Jim Crow reintroduced me on psychiatric social worker and have been in the field of social work for about 20 25 years and in that time I've worked with mentally ill people I've worked with

health care issues and I've worked with child care child abuse cases. And I really feel that somehow or other we're not addressing those social issues. I've been listening to some of the incumbents talk and in general they just have not brought up the issues of the homeless and low income housing things that people really need. The issue of child care is especially concerning to me and I really feel that after spending 20 25 years working with the problems I'd like to be part of the solutions. I think that I'm qualified to do that and I would help the devoted read pay attention to what's being said here tonight and use that conference that got delayed at last. Thank you thank you Mr. Ferguson and thank you and Cosi for putting us on again this year. I am go Fergusson your assemblyman in the 70th district. I've just completed my fourth year I was elected the first time in 1984 by the largest the vote of any member this summer in California. Then you return me again in 1986 with the second

strongest vote in the state of California. It's a very interesting and rewarding experience and I wanted to represent the 7th District which as you noted from the beginning is the largest district in the state of California has the most people. California is now the sixth strongest economy in the world is certainly has you know the largest state in the United States. The problems we face of Sacramento are the same kind of problems faced by most nations. It's exciting to work there. It's exciting to be part of a government with the Governor Deukmejian that tries to allow the individual citizens and private businesses to maximize their potential. That creates tremendous amounts of money so that we can care for the things we need to in California. Thank you Mr. gallops. Thank you Jim. Until Ferguson's voting record simply does not reflect the views of the 70 assembly district constituents residents remain concerned with the rapid and seemingly unplanned growth of quality education for their

children. A clean environment and protection from the ever rising health care costs. Ferguson does not seem to share these concerns as viewing his voting record. He allows developers free reign to develop without providing services and votes against public education most recently withdrawing support for Proposition 98 I knew about the classroom instruction improvement Accountability Act. He is a vote against environmental standards against health care for the elderly. Two cases in point this year the car insurance items on the ballot and the school funding issues are representative of the fact that too many times the public is going to have is having to take the initiative route or what we're now referring to is shopping mall politics to get things through for the systems of California. I'm a high school English teacher in an effort to improve education. I would be glad to represent the people Seventh District. I'm going to ask the first question that is to keep this very brief because we have a lot of things to talk about. I'm going to ask each of you to go around a name if you had to prioritize that topic is in your

race. What would they be. I start with you Mr. Gottlieb. As a teacher the most important would be education. Not only because that is my air of expertise but also simply because it's the largest share of the budget. Right now we face a problem in that we are 50th in this nation in class size 50 out of 50 as Mr. Ferguson point out we're the sixth largest economy. We cannot remain in that spot if we continue to find education and treat education in that manner. All right Mr. Ferguson the largest issue in our district the district is the quality of life we have on the most beautiful places to live in America and I think one of the primary things that I have to do and all the elected representatives that share in that part of the county is to ensure that we maintain and enhance a quality of life. All right. You know one of the issues that I'm real concerned about in addition to child care is the homelessness issue. And we already know that about one third of the

homeless are mentally ill. I'm concerned that they're not getting the treatment they need. They're not being identified and not being treated. The child care issues a very great concern. We need to make sure that we have adequate childcare slots if the welfare reform bill goes through then it's not going to be successful. We don't have a place where mothers can put their children and feel safe about it. You say things like childcare and health care and the homeless are not enough addressed who do you blame for that. Well I guess I'd have to blame the incumbent. I think that he has voted against certain issues he voted against the prenatal care bill that was up in Congress last year at the state legislature and he's voted against the expansion of child care centers. All right. Matter I think it's important to recognize the fact that in the 60s night assembly district we had the highest household income of any district in the state. We also have the highest tax bill of any district in the state per household. It's important to recognize that the people of our district pay the bill

for every program that the government tries to implement. For anybody anywhere this government in California is trying to do a lot more than most other states for more people who do not have one facility or another themselves. But our people here are paying the bill. It's important to recognize that the people in the 60 night assembly district have needs as well. We try to address those needs in such a manner that we don't expand the size of the control of government over those people. But allow them in their own free enterprise capacity to do for themselves the maximum ability to have their own head in their own way of accomplishing the task that they choose for themselves. We want to keep government out of the problem in every way we can. We often feel that government is the problem rather than the solution. You feel that the private sector can solve the problem. I feel the private sector can solve them much more efficiently and effectively then can government. I think I believe that the. The real issue in this

race and in the ones to come is who's going to own your elected official who's going to buy in pay for them. Now I really wish my opponent were here and I'm not going to try to have him here. I'm not going to lay aspersions on guessing why he's not here. I can only say he's not attended anything that he's been invited to that I've attended and he may have gone to other things I have not gone to that I wasn't invited to. But the real issue is who's going to own the person that you think you're electing. Now in two years because of a change we passed the people in June of this year. No one's going to be able to get the five and ten thousand dollar donation from the insurance company that my opponent has gotten. You're going to have to run for office on a hundred dollars from one person here and a hundred dollars for another person there. As Mr. Cooper put it I'm well outnumbered on registration in this race and I am outspent by my

opponent who has the funds because he has bought and paid for in my opinion. However I'm not going away. And the real issue is not specifically housing or transportation. It's the integrity of the elected officials because all the officials must deal with all the issues. And I think it's time that we saw the integrity come back to the legislature and I'll say this and this applies to both parties. The California state legislature is about the most corrupt type of organization that I have ever experienced because everyone who runs for office until next time is heavily beholden. On where they can get the money to put on a presentation the public gym you're doing this for us it doesn't cost us. And this is a very nice thing. But candidly speaking if this was the only presentation that went out to the public it wouldn't make an election and it would make a campaign. So the real issue is the integrity of the people who are elected in two years from now after reapportionment the

people who run are going to run because the people that live around them support them. Art thank you not that's another issue I'd like to hear all of you talk on but let's keep it fairly fairly brief because I got several other things to talk about. I call this the corruption issue of the people of California have witnessed thousands of headlines on an FBI sting into corruption and spread by special interests in the state legislature of California. Now there have been no indictments and we should make that very clear no one had been indicted. But the fact that the investigation is on and has affected members of both parties certainly has given a lot of bewilderment in the eyes of the people of California. You want to talk about that and your legislator have you got some strong feelings about the corruption issue. I'm not sure that the investigation itself does not have some corruptness in it. It's certainly true that a lot of money flows in Sacramento and it doesn't flow the Republican direction generally. However the investigation but the

investigation bears more on whether or not an individual has in any time sought to gain dollars and traded for those dollar legit legislature legislative favors of the hundred twenty legislators senators and assembly people that I know in Sacramento. I wouldn't say more than six or seven people fall in that category where they have the kind of integrity Mr. Fink talks about that makes them subject to being bought. I don't think it's a general circumstance. Most of the people who don't think it's a fair indictment not a fair die are the legislators the whole of the process as a whole and nobody has been charged. And I believe that if an investigation is going on for two years and we haven't been able to develop materials out of which data out of which a charge could be made it ought to be dropped. I believe the investigation itself is corrupting the system. You have difference on what I think the.

The in response to Mr. Fink you should recognize that the ballot issue that reforms the political system was put on the ballot but an Orange County legislator and supported by all of us orange county legislators You should also know that this is my fifth career I've been in a Marine Corps officer retired been a corporate officer in my own company never do you ever get painted with this tar brush of the investigations there are over two hundred and eighty different investigations going on at the state level that does not mean that they were guilty of anything. Your neighbor can write in a letter and next thing you are under investigation. This political system it's a wonder that any good person would ever bother to get into it. Once they realize what can happen to you spend your entire life being a good person and then you get into politics and within a few weeks your wish in your head to Gallus Why by fuel the investigation had targeted both parties.

What about how do you feel about the corruption issue. I have to admit for once I think I agree with with some of the focus on the issue I think that there are going to agree with them on one thing on one thing you found the one thing I think there are a lot of good people out there. I think it takes a lot of working together to get things done in and share with any group of people. You're going to find some some bad apples. But I don't think simply because an investigation is going on unless everyone is guilty. Do you have any comment on that. Well only in that when you do so search out people that contribute to your campaign. I think that there is a lot of influence peddling going on I think people are beholden to the people that give lied she large sums of money to a campaign and most of us operate on a shoestring. But I'd rather do that than be holding to someone that if they are going to pay a lot of money into my campaign then I necessarily have to vote the way they want me to vote. And I would refuse to do that. The only PAC money I've taken has been from the social worker organization. And I really don't think there are a vested interest I think they work in the

in the area of what's best for human beings in the quality of life. Or you have to save both of your dues. I did a little about it very briefly I want to make it very clear. My comment was not directed toward this FBI investigation at all. That is just what everyone says an investigation we don't know. It was directed toward the way you get funds to run for office and I'm not saying Martin paid in the sense that someone is going to say Give me a thousand dollars or ten thousand and I will vote on a particular bill. But when the source of the bulk of your money for a election comes from an insurance company or a group of insurance companies it is not surprising to think that you may at least internally justify that perhaps you ought to keep what you believe to be your constituents happy. And if your constituents are those with the most dollars and therefore the most to vote because you use those dollars to get the votes you justify to yourself that you're doing what your constituents want. I mean I've gone to a couple of other issues here that have to do with education we've all mentioned education.

This is the ballot book that has. Something like a hundred sixty pages on it. There are three valid issues to deal with education one is number 78 which would give 600 million dollars in money for a higher education construction number 79 would give 800 million dollars for K to 12 construction. And number 98 would have to do with mandating more built in funding for the operation of schools. Those are three issues about education. Now let's try and lump them together and see the best argument you've got how are you going to vote on those three. Quickly on the school construction yes and on 98 yes 98 is a is an example of a problem that was not dealt with at the state legislature state legislative level and people had to take it onto themselves to get something done it's the same as a prop 13 or anything else where it wasn't getting done. The people who are going to finish the process to get it done. People in the state think education a priority and they want to fund it is a priority. So you're saying yes on all three yes in all three and for No I yes I would agree with all three I

believe the education field has indicated many times over that there are classrooms are too crowded. There's a need for Christ Truth and I also want to just briefly touch on the drug and alcohol problems in the schools I do not feel a dress that doesn't have to vary a great concern I think more money needs to go for programs like that where you can educate the children. All right. Mr. Ferguson. More money for either the school bonds words that will not only support a school band to help put on the belt help pass the bills through you're going to vote yes on the Obama school bus of course. But we're voting no on Proposition 98. Almost every legislator both Democrat and Republican because it gets around the Guinn limit for education and ensures that they get it. There would be no need for a legislature if the proposition I did pass that that's why from Willie Brown down one Democrat or Republican side both they oppose it. All right they give you a chance to answer on that and I think you want to get all my vote on the three properties Yes. Yes you voted yes I write matter was out.

I'm not supporting any of the propositions Jim. You're not voting for the college bonds or the Katyn while our governor and the legislature has funded the universities. Tremendously in the last five years. Also the K through 12 bonds. I believe that we ought to take the dollars for K through 12 out of every annual budget to pay two and a half times what we actually get out in cash for construction for for schools is ridiculous. If we constructed schools at the pace we could raise the dollars out of the general fund each year we'd have twice the number of schools and we'd have half the cost. I leave it the bond issue is a wrong way to go. I believe Proposition 98 is a wrong way to go. It prioritizes what we're already been doing in the legislature given between 50 and 55 percent of the budget to education. All right I don't think that we ought to write it in the code. Transportation no problem of more grievous in our time we got about two minutes left. That's obviously what the biggest single thing you'd like to do for transportation.

We'll give you time for a yes we heard today you would like to do is to make good the joint powers authority so that somebody in this county is responsible for transportation at the present time is like the book in government. There's nobody really responsible for the overall picture once we get somebody or some agency with coordinate all of the different in US not in are you able to say to one town one city you can stop this road from going through the other people in the other town need to go across your land. OK and the money cried and I and you saying that that you support toll roads. The idea of toll roads is because it's only where they go now there isn't any money at the state or local level. Mr. gallops I you're as vexed as anybody I suppose about transportation what you do about it. I don't think the transportation is as much the problem as too many people are on those roads and those are pretty ways and with the UN checking growth that we're seeing. That's the problem too many people on our facilities.

So you try to have some kind of growth control. All right Mr. result I believe that we can. I don't believe we manage the dollars in California well for transportation we don't have any discretionary dollars to address local problems as they occur. I believe more dollars ought to be allocated to local governments to do highway improvements as an alternative to the freeways. All right with you to that side on this panel right now I don't think building more roads is the answer and I think we have more roads and that puts more cars on the roads and that puts more pollution in the air. That's it. So what is the answer then. Well I think you look at something like Birotteau you look at over a thousand light rail system and you get a thousand people off the road in no time. All right now to thank you transportation. First of all I have to take issue with my compatriot across here at this program. If you tried to build a freeway with each local city participating you wouldn't get a mile of road Ian. So yes kids are so hit in the right. You need some central authority that can be taken in do things across the area.

So you want central authority then I want that but I don't know how much time we've got our We're just about out of time. I have other things but another time I guess. All right thank you. Our time's up now and I want to thank our candidates for their comments with us next Friday evening at 8:30 when I'll have the candidates and the seventy first seventy second and seventy fourth assembly races. I'm Jim Cooper. Thanks for being with us. The e public affairs specials are made possible by grants from Disneyland

Park announcing its new attractions Star Tours now boarding passengers for space flight adventure by Cigna landmark incorporated developer of Southern California real estate and builder of Landmark homes by the Peter and Mary Muth foundation by the crane Foundation and by supporting viewers of this television series. A.