League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
San Mateo County, CA June 5, 2012 Election
	Mark Gilham Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 22

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

Questions & Answers

1. How will you prioritize the budget choices the Legislature must make to align the state’s income and spending?

Across-the-board cuts in state employment. Starting at 15% across all departments to 25%. We cut up to 30% until the budget is balanced without raising taxes or borrowing money. We may not like this, but it will work.

2. What types of changes or reforms, if any, do you think are important to make our state government function more effectively?

Changed to a part-time legislator which gives us greater opportunity for public oversight.

4. What other major issues do you think the Legislature must address? What are your own priorities?

Several issues that I support and running on are:

1) Lowering the Business Tax/ Employee Payroll Tax 2) Eliminating the Inheritance Tax

1) Lowering the business tax. California has a flat corporate income tax rate of 8.84% of gross income. California's maximum marginal corporate income tax rate is the 10th highest in the United States.

I would reduce the business tax which is currently at 8.84% to 0% for the first 3 years, then adjust this to 1% for the next 3 years, then 2% for the next 3 years, to a maximum cap of 3.5%. Most states who we are competing with have a business tax rate of 0.0%. If California is going to competitive in attracting and keeping business in our state, we are going to need to be aggressive in our taxation.

I would also reduce the employee payroll tax to 0% and move to eliminate employee payroll tax completely.

These kinds of actions are a direct benefit to our business's and employee's because the gains are realized immediately.

Eliminating the Inheritance Tax

2)Eliminating the Inheritance tax. It strikes me as odd that the government feels that they have a God-given right to tax us upon receiving an inheritacne. As though the government worked, worried, and stressed over what was granted to us from a loved one who worked their entire life to accumulate, so the governemnt can tax us and give it to whom they feel is more deserving.

Eliminating the inheritance tax is for our benefit; it should be for us to keep what was granted to us from someone who cared about us and not the government.

Whether one call's this a death tax or inheritance tax, either way it is still a tax.

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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: June 4, 2012 21:49
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