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LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Riverside, San Bernardino County, CA March 2, 2004 Election
Smart Voter Political Philosophy for Marjorie Musser "Margie" Mikels

Candidate for
State Senator; District 31; Democratic Party

[photo]
This information is provided by the candidate

Marjorie Musser Mikels is a fiercely compassionate mother, an independent progressive who believes in traditional values that sustain life for all on the planet. When she is elected, she will help restore the economic health of the state while meeting the needs of all the people whose work and contributions make California great.

Since 2000, our country's economy has plummeted from surpluses to the worst deficit in U.S. history. Each state in the nation is drowning in red ink. California's plight was worsened by the energy deregulation debacle when Texas oil companies such as Enron bled our economy and stole billions from California rate and taxpayers.

If elected to the State Senate, Marjorie Mikels will:
1. Oppose burdening our children with billions of dollars of debt to solve our financial problems;
2. Stop gutting education, health care, and in-home support systems for short-term savings;
3. Prevent "privatization" of our natural resources and jobs that favors corporate special interests;
4. Demand repayment of billions looted by Texas oil companies that exploited California's energy deregulation crisis;
5. Create jobs in natural resource and water restoration, alternative energy research and development;
6. Promote wise growth, not unbridled urban sprawl and MAKE DEVELOPMENT PAY ITS OWN WAY!

Uphold Freedom/Justice

As a UCLA-trained Attorney Marjorie fights for Constitutional rights and against fraud, abuse, and corruption.

Fair Taxes

Marjorie supports raising state income tax rates on the highest earners and imposing inheritance tax on the most wealthy; she opposes fees, taxes and assessments that unfairly burden small business, homeowners, seniors, students and the poor.

Use Resources and Tax Dollars Wisely

The people of California deserve to have someone who cares about them. Marjorie says:

  • I am for working men and women;
  • I am for good jobs, health care and retirement;
  • I am for students being afforded the best education;
  • I am for the seniors having in-home services they need to remain independent and in their own homes;
  • I am for more schools not more jails;
  • I am for the disabled participating to the greatest extent possible in our society;
  • I am for personal privacy and choice;
  • I am for balancing the budget without loading debt on future generations.

How will we make up the deficit?

  • Increase state income taxes on highest wage earners;
  • Sue and recover ill-gotten profits form Texas energy companies;
  • Amend 3-strikes to include only violent crimes--decrease prison population and save millions;
  • Institute California inheritance tax on estates over 5 million;
  • Re-impose vehicle registration tax on cars over $40,000 and gas guzzlers;
  • Tax pollution and demand that the federal government funds clean up of toxic poisons their weapons contractors dumped in our ground-water basins, such as perchlorate, and trichloralethylene, that cause cancer and development problems for our children;
  • Recover funds from the federal government to cover services necessitated by our huge immigrant population--it is the federal government's job to secure the borders--not the taxpayers of the state of California;
  • If all else fails we could legalize and tax California's largest cash agricultural product.

While solving the fiscal crisis, without burying ourselves in debt and slashing social services, Marjorie will also:
1. Protect our Freedom from assault on our precious Constitutional Rights in the name of National Security and the "War on Terrorism";
2. Support Fair Trade and worker's rights(not shameless giveaways to corporations like Walmart who take manufacturing jobs overseas, exploit workers world-wide,and destroy small business and pay low wages and no benefits here at home);
3. Preserve LIFE by promotion and development of sustainable alternative energy resources and weaning our state off fossil fuels and nuclear power; instead we must establish conservation incentives, and clean up California's air, land and water systems. All new large development projects must be required to install solar or other alternative forms of energy generation.
4. Maintain public education as one of our highest priorities and provide funds for Headstart, preschool, and after-school child enrichment programs;
5. Reverse the trend towards a police/prison state, and use some funds now expended on prisons to rebuild our communities and educate our youth;
6. Stop the growing gap between the wealthy and the workers. Honor working Americans by assuring living wages, affordable health care for their families, safe working conditions, reasonable unemployment benefits, and restoration of retirement funds threatened when corporate employers seek bankruptcy protection. Strengthen laws holding management insiders who exploit corporate assets for their own benefit liable to repay employees and investors;
7. Reduce governmental interference in our private lives and family health decisions, while protecting the most vulnerable in our society from abuse;
8. Halt governmental corruption, special favors, pay-to-play insider benefits in contracting, and price gouging by private entities resulting in the devastation of our economy.
9. Pass new election and campaign finance laws that encourage greater citizen participation, more openness in government, and less influence by corporate contributors in legislative decisions.

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The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose any candidate or political party.
Created from information supplied by the candidate: February 22, 2004 19:09
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