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Photograph Jacqueline Ramseyer
Candidates running for the 24th State Assembly District (from left) Sue Jackson, Rebecca Cohn and Ray Strong have been touring the area, trying to raise support for their campaigns. They have attended public forums in order to field questions from local voters.
Meeting of Minds
Candidates for State Assembly answer voters' questions
By Kevin Fayle
The candidates for the 24th District State Assembly seat, currently held by Jim Cunneen, made a brief campaign stop in Cupertino on Oct. 25. The 24th District includes neighborhoods in the city of Sunnyvale. In a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the candidates answered a short set of questions presented by members of the small audience.
Rebecca Cohn, the Democratic candidate, first emphasized the importance of this race and outlined three main issues she plans to address if elected: education, transportation and housing. She said she represents the most qualified choice for the position, since she, as a Democrat in a government controlled by Democrats, could make her voice heard and rely on her connections to improve the cities represented in the 24th District. She spoke of her background as a physical therapist and a business turn-around consultant.
Ray Strong, the Libertarian candidate, stated he decided to run for the office because he wished to impart the message to the seat's constituents that an alternative to the status quo exists in the tenets of the Libertarian party. Strong said he was proposing "an entirely different approach" to state government, and he would like to see a system that does not rely on representatives making deals in order to gain money for their district. Instead, he said, he wants a system in place that encourages creative solutions within the community, and a minimum of government involvement.
The Republican candidate, Sue Jackson, assured the audience that "good ideas do transcend partisanship," adding she could offer voters independent leadership in Sacramento. She credited her experience as mayor of Monte Sereno as a major factor in her ability to enact quality legislation, and her decades of experience as a nurse as a reason voters can trust her to make split-second decisions
She pointed to her record of Silicon Valley community involvement, especially as a volunteer in local schools, and her experience with local traffic concerns as two primary reasons voters should select her to represent their concerns with these issues in the Assembly. She said she would offer tax credits for telecommuters to alleviate the congestion on the roads.
When asked how they would respond to the housing crisis in the area, the candidates offered several different solutions. Cohn emphasized her close relationships with many current assemblymembers, and argued this would enable her to pass legislation that would renew old housing regulations, especially along transportation corridors. She said she also supports passing a housing bond measure.
Strong, on the other hand, argued a viable set of solutions would not come from Sacramento, and that companies will seek to create housing to encourage an influx of workers, thus increasing their profits. Jackson suggested that the state legislature impose a cap and a time limit on multifamily residence restrictions, in addition to local rezoning of land for more density housing.
On the subject of Measure A, which would extend a one-half cent sales tax for the next 30 years for transit purposes., both Jackson and Cohn came out in support of it. However, Strong said that he opposes bond measures that tax the state's children. He also opposes the expansion of BART, which he views as a big solution that does not solve local problems.
The audience also asked the candidates what medical legislation reforms they would make if sent to Sacramento. Cohn replied that she would make many changes, and pointed to her background in the health profession as a reason why voters could rely on her to change health care for the better. She proposed HMO reform, and stated her desire to see money from California's portion of the tobacco settlement go towards seismic retrofitting of hospitals.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
