Earlier in March I asked the top three candidates for the 54th Assembly District seat being vacated by Betty Karnette because of term limits if they would participate in an “e-Interview”, all three (Republican Gabriella Holt and Democrats Bonnie Lowenthal and Tonia Reyes Uranga) agreed to participate.  I emailed all three candidates on the same communication with the questions last Tuesday March 25th requesting responses by Friday March 28th.  Holt and Lowenthal provided their responses.  Today we post the responses of Bonnie Lowenthal to our questions; yesterday we posted the responses of Gabriella Holt.

NOTE MS. LOWENTHAL INTENTIONALLY DID NOT ANSWER SOME OF THE “YES/NO” QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE E-INTERVIEW AS SHE DID NOT FEEL THE ANSWERS COULD BE GIVEN WITH A SIMPLE “YES” OR “NO”

Biographical information:
Name as it appears on ballot: Bonnie Lowenthal
Party affiliation: Democrat
Age 68
Current occupation Long Beach Vice Mayor
Elected office currently held  Long Beach Vice Mayor and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Member (elected by the mayors of 27 Southeast Los Angeles County cities)
Degree(s)
Bachelor of Science, Sociology, University of Wisconsin (1961)
Master’s of Science, Community and Clinical Psychology, California State University, Long Beach (1974)
City of residence    Long Beach

Why are you running to be the representative of the 54th District?

To continue my work for the people and neighborhoods of my community.  I have served this District as a School Board member and a City Councilmember and I believe I can bring proven, effective and conscientious leadership to the State Assembly.

What is the role of the State government as opposed to the roles of local (city/county) and federal governments?

Many functions overlap.  The state provides for much of the important infrastructure of the state: highways, our state university systems, water projects, state parks, etc; and provides funding to cities, counties and school districts to help pay for other critical functions such as K-12 education, health care and public safety.  State government also plays an important regulatory and oversight role in many areas.

If Betty Karnette was not being forced out of office because of term limits would you have entered the race and run against her?  No.

What specific strengths would you bring to the Assembly that your opponents do not appear to possess?

I believe have a broader range of experience. In particular my service on the Long Beach School Board gives me an acute understanding of the challenges facing our local schools.  I am proud of my role in helping turn the Long Beach School District into a national model for excellence and innovation.  I also believe I have a more collaborative leadership style and have been able to build broad coalitions, across demographic and ideological divides, to work for change.

How would the city of Long Beach specifically benefit by electing you to the State Assembly?

My history has demonstrated that I understand the issues, I do my homework and I work hard to bring people together to advance a common agenda.  I will employ my leadership to address some of the pressing problems facing our city, in particular addressing the health crisis caused by toxic pollution from the Ports.  I will fight for the funding we need to make our Ports the greenest in the world.  I will work to address the transportation problems caused by the rapid growth of the ports.  I will fight to expand funding for public transportation and for our local schools.

What would be your top legislative priority as a freshman member of the Assembly?

Working for affordable, universal health care.

What specific cost cutting measures would you propose to provide solutions to our mounting budget deficit?

There are at least 2.5 billion dollars in “tax expenditures”, special interest tax loopholes for big corporations that need to be slammed shut.  We cannot ask the schools, seniors and the disabled to accept crippling cuts before we make sure wealthy corporations are paying their fair share.

What is the bigger obstacle to a balanced budget in California, too little revenue or too much spending; please choose one option and explain why.

Too little revenue.  We are 47th in the nation in per capita expenditures for our schools when adjusted for cost of living.  We are dramatically underpoliced, our public health system is collapsing and our roads and infrastructure needs billions in repairs.

What do you consider your most important endorsement and why?

Mayor Bob Foster.  No one is in a better position to assess my work as a member of the City Council, I am honored to have his endorsement.

Please answer the following questions with just a “yes” or a “no”, please note that only “yes” and “no” answers will be printed to these questions without any explanations you may give so please confine your answer to “yes” or “no”:

Do you support the proposal to have retired judges sit as an independent panel to redistrict the state for the State Legislature and Congressional Districts?  Candidate did not respond to this question

Recently, a California judge ruled that parents who home school their children must be credentialed.  Do you agree with this decision?  Candidate did not respond to this question

Do you support same sex marriage being legal in the State of California?  YES

Do you support the State of California issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens?  Candidate did not respond to this question

Do you support proposal currently in the Legislature to eliminate the state income tax deduction for interest paid on a primary residence?    NO

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this E-Interview and allowing the readers of the Long Beach Post to know you position on some important issues.

Your thoughts welcome, click here to email me or on “Leave A Comment” below for public response.