Candidate Forum Re-cap State Assembly Candidates

Candidate Forum Re-cap State Assembly District 5 Candidates

CalaverasCounty Taxpayers Association (CCTA) and the Copperopolis Community Center (CCC) hosted a Candidates Forum at the Historic Armory on April 23, 2012.

Rico Oller, Tim Fitzgerald and Marc Boyd attended the CCTA & CCC candidate forum.

 Rico Oller

 

Tim Fitzgerald

Marc Boyd

Five candidates are running for the State Assembly 5^th District.  Republican candidates Frank Bigelow, a Madera County supervisor, and Rico Oller; Democrat candidates Marc Boyd and Tim Fitzgerald; and Independent Mark Beldon.  After redistricting in 2011 by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, the new district now includes all of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne counties and parts of El Dorado and Placer counties..

Each candidate was asked a question from questions submitted by residents in attendance. Questions were vetted by Copperopolis Community Center board members and Calaveras County Taxpayers Association members. Candidates were each given a limited amount of time to answer from two minutes to three minutes. Candidates were rotated for each question. The answers posted here are condensed.

Opening statements:

Boyd – Endorsed by the California Democratic Party…family in the foothills for 100 years… High school teacher… platform education; economic development, environmental protection and public safety…every job lost is a broken dream…need common economic goals this district has been neglected too long….cuts to education we are turning our backs on the future of California.

Fitzgerald – Holds 5 degrees 2 in history, 2 in Economics and 1 in Philosophy…grass roots organizer in San Jose and Bay Area…globalization overcrowded planet under… reform education system.

Oller – the greatest competition to growing a business is government, the only thing wrong with California is its government, thankfully legislature has no power over the weather or they would screw that up too…government needs to get out of our lives we’ll do just fine on our own thank you.

 

Question #1: How can I get a sign on Highway 4 for my small business?

Boyd- Check with county ordinances.

Fitzgerald – County issue.

Oller – Cal Trans has authority over Highway 4… Cal Trans needs to be cut by 50%.

Question 2: Are you familiar with RNC regulation opposing agenda 21?

(UN Economic and Social Development Division for Sustainable development core publication states – Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally , nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment. Non-legally binding authoritative statement of principles for a global consensus on the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.)

Fitzgerald – We need to get a grip on global (issues) that affect us globally …I was with the Green Party for ten years.

Oller: (It) is old fashioned socialization … contrary to the US Constitution, will destroy our economy, we should object.

Boyd – Signed by first Pres Bush…California rejected Prop 23 … transition to clean energy, reduce transmission gases.

Question 3: How do you feel about Principle 10? (UN Global Compact includes a tenth principle against corruption.)

Boyd – (Government) needs to be transparent, public needs to be informed, an educated public invests in good and safe products.

Fitzgerald – We are a global community one person and one planet … take control of the husbandry of the planet, several parts of the world will be deprived economic (well being).
Oller - (apology from the Gazette no response was recorded, thought there was a response.)

Question 4: Foremost issue ‘jobs.’ What idea do you have to create jobs?

Boyd- Jobs is my #1 issue economy still in a downward spiral…programs to promote what businesses you want to attract…create a virtual visitor center (internet website) to draw tourism.

Fitzgerald- management control to bare results … reform the educational system in this state.

Oller – reduce regulation burdening small business… centralized planning inefficient…the sum of all our ambitions and dreams and hopes greater than any centralized government… made a mistake when they elected Obama.

Question 5: What is your position on the CALFIRE parcel tax?

Fitzgerald – proper tax to take…agree in principle but it’s a problem for the state.

Oller – Unconstitutional I am opposed…takes a fundamental (function of government to provide) for the purpose to extort money from us.

Boyd – we need fire protection…it is an unfair tax

Question 6: Will you support drug testing for welfare recipients?

Oller – I love it! …a program that rewards failure and punishes success gets more failure.

Boyd – don’t see relevance in question I want to discuss education and economic development

Fitzgerald –I lived among the working poor while in school saw misuse of drugs and alcohol…yes on recipients of SSI be drug tested.

Final statements:

Oller – though my principle opponent Frank Bigelow is not present I am not opposed to pointing out his faults.

Boyd – tired of gridlock in Sacramento..parties were able to work together that’s the spirit I want to bring to Sacramento…I want a robust economy.

Fitzgerald – We are in big trouble economically, the banking system is going to need to get a grip on what we are doing in Washington…we need to make friends on this planet.

Break.

One resident went away disgruntled at the information, or lack of information, that was delivered, questioning how programs could be cut up to 50% without causing a loss of jobs and how taxes can be cut without costing yet even more jobs. He said that no politician will say either because if they say “cut jobs they won’t get elected.”