League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Butte County, CA June 5, 2012 Election
	Michael f. Greer Answers Questions Candidate for County Supervisor; County of Butte; Supervisorial District 5

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Butte County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. There is increasing demand for north state groundwater. What do you think we should do to protect the quantity and quality of water we need in our region?

The county needs to address a couple of issues with the the surface and ground water usage. You can't have surface users sale their water rights and expect to use the ground water that affects everyone within a given area and rely on wells for thier water supply. Cumalitive water studies need to be done in order to understand how the water supply will be depleted, in wet and dry years, with developements and split of land parcels. This will always be an issue but long range plans are needed to circumvent Federal, State and other areas from taking our water to benefit others who do not want additional storage capacitiy built.

2. What would you propose to address the decline in funding for public education at the state level?

1. Concentrate on the waste in administration at the higher levels of education programs on the state level that includes credentialing and testing boards.
2. Education needs guaranteed funding by the legislature that are not subject to to the whims of politicians.
3. Let local school boards have discreation over the funds they recieve and give mandated programs that are not funded completely.
4. Eliminate most of the testing and mandatory text book purchases that have be done every year.
5. Local parcel taxes voted on by the community.

3. Despite evidence of varying academic success, charter schools are popular and increasing in numbers. What is your position on charter schools and how do you think we can assure balanced funding between charters and regular schools?

1. Charters have shown public education ways to improve the public educational process.
2. Have charters abide by the same rules and regulations as public schools or give public schools the same non-regulation as charters.
3. The majority of Charter Schools in the county are selective in their students and can expel students students for little reason. Some charters are still telling parents that they have to put in volunteer hours in order for to students to attend, which is against the law. Until the regulations and requiremnts are the same there will not be level playing field.

4. What would you do in this tight budget period to maintain or improve county infrastructure, such as airports, public transportation, and roads.

The money exsists but because of waste and regulations of non-elected governmental administrators self-interest agendas and power it is used unwisely. On the state level I would immediately seek a 15% of funding to eliminate waste. On the county level, as a supervisor, I would work to ensure that we live within our actual budget and not projected revenues.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: April 23, 2012 07:22
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