Liz Figueroa for Lt. Governor of the State of California

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

Campaign Name: Liz Figueroa for Lt. Governor
Address: P.O. Box 1015, Sacramento, CA 95814
Campaign Phone: 916-492-5633
Campaign Fax: 916-444-8905
Campaign E-mail: info@lizfigueroa2006.com
Campaign Website: www.lizfigueora2006.com

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

State Senator, Elected 1998 – Present
- Chair of Senate Government Modernization, Efficiency, and Accountability Committee
- Chair of Business, Professions and Economic Development
- Chair of Senate Subcommittee on International Trade Policy and State Legislation
- Chair of Senate Subcommittee on Technological Crime and the Consumer
State Assemblymember, Elected 1994 – 1998
- Chair of Insurance Committee
- Chair of Select Committee on Aerospace
State Democratic Party Central Committee, Chair of Affirmative Action Committee, Elected

If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

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YOUTH ISSUES

1. Good schools from pre-K to graduate school require adequate funding and
innovative leadership. How would you use your elected office to improve public
education and/or make higher education affordable and accessible for young people
in our community?

I’ve been fighting to invest in children and families for my entire career, and a big part of that is fighting for quality public education at every level. That’s why I co-authored the law that created the Cal-Grants Program, guaranteeing higher education awards to all qualifying students. I’ve also fought for greater accountability within the UC and CSU system as a member of the Senate’s Governmental Modernization, Efficiency and Accountability Committee. I’m absolutely outraged that our public universities are raising student fees in the midst of these scandals about secret contracts and exorbitant executive payouts. The Lt. Governor sits as a trustee to the CSU system and on the UC Board of Regents, and I will always fight for youth and student issues in those positions. But I’ve also been fighting for great public elementary schooling. That’s why I co-authored a bill calling for universal pre-school, and I also sit on the Political Directors Board for Rob Reiner’s universal pre-school initiative. Over the years, I’ve written laws that have put hundreds of millions of dollars into our schools, built teacher training programs, and increased funds for textbooks and technology. As Lt. Governor, I’ll continue the fight to invest in California’s youth and kids, because I know that that’s the only way to build a better future for all.

2. How will you use your office to combat enduring racial segregation and inequality in
our education system?

Racial segregation, inequality, and racism are topics that carry special weight for me. My parents immigrated from El Salvador in order to build a better future for their children, and I still remember going to the first day of school not knowing a word of English. California was different back then – mine was the only brown face in my class. It wasn’t easy, but I worked hard to support my family and eventually became the first Latina from Northern California ever elected to the Legislature. And I’ve never stopped fighting for racial and gender equality. That’s why I helped create the Affirmative Action Committee of the California Democratic Party, and I sat as its first chair. I continue my work through organizations such as the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF) where I was a Board Member, and the Salvadoran American Legal Education Fund (SALEF), where I currently sit on the Board of Directors. I also sat as the Chair of the Earl Warren ACLU chapter, and am currently a member of the Board Member of Hispanic Community Affairs Council. I’m also proud that I represent one of the most diverse districts in our state. But let’s face the facts: there aren’t a whole lot of brown or black faces in our Legislature, and I come from a California that many of my colleagues probably have never even seen. That’s mostly due to poor educational opportunities for minorities. That’s why I’m fighting to invest in our children and our future, that’s why I’ve always worked with community organizations to fight for equality, and that’s what you’ll get from me as Lt. Governor.

3. There will be one or more constitutional amendments on the ballot in 2006 that will restrict marriage rights in California and attempt to undo existing domestic partnerships laws. How will you use your race and position to defend the human rights of GLBT families and make the defeat of these amendments a state wide priority?

I’m proud to say that I’ve been fighting for LGBT rights from the beginning. I was a co-author of AB 849, Assemblyman Leno’s marriage equality bill, and I’ve consistently earned a 100% rating from Equality California. The LGBT movement is at a precarious moment: on the one hand, there have been great advances thanks to great leaders like Mark Leno and others. On the other hand, there’s a concentrated conservative movement not only to block progress, but to actually roll back the clock and undo the freedoms we’ve fought for. I am vehemently opposed any discriminatory constitutional amendments that deny civil and human rights, and I will campaign against them with all my strength. As Lt. Governor, I will continue to work with my colleagues and will help lead the way toward a California that grants equal rights to all its citizens.

4. Young people face special challenges to obtaining health insurance and many go without. How would you use your office to work towards making health insurance available to all?

Building a brighter future for California means investing in our kids, and that means health care for all. In the past, I co-authored a bill with Senator Kuehl that would have granted universal health care to all Californians through a single-payer system. And I also worked with then-Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa to create the Healthy Families Program, which has given health care to more than 500,000 kids. I’m also proud to announce that I will be submitting legislation this year for universal child health care. Investing in our kids and our future through quality health care is and has always been one of my top priorities, and now I’m trying to take that fight to the statewide level.

5. The war in Iraq has claimed the lives of too many young people from our community. Money spent on the war is needed for healthcare and education programs that young people in our community sorely lack. Nobody wants to cut and run from Iraq. But our
country and community needs an exit strategy. How would you use your office to bring our troops home?

I have been to visit friends and family in El Salvador many times since their civil war ended, and I have seen first hand the devastation that war causes. Violence has also touched my own family – both my brothers were killed as victims of the drug war that rages here in our own state. My experiences have convinced me to advocate for peace. I will use the office of Lt. Governor as a statewide voice to work for peace both at home and abroad.

6. Women’s right to choose is under attack in our country. Young women suffer especially from curtailed access to reproductive health services. How would you use your office to protect a woman’s right to choose and/or expand access to reproductive health services?

I have always defended a woman’s right to choose, which is why Planned Parenthood has given me a 100% pro-choice rating for my career. Universal health care is a big part of my plan to invest in California’s children and youth, and to build a better future. I will always fight to protect the right to choose, and I will continue fighting for quality health care services for all.

7. Young people entering the workforce need good jobs with fair pay and benefits. Employers like Wal-Mart don’t offer a bright future to young people in search of work. How will you use your office to create good jobs and support young people who want improve their working conditions by forming unions?

I have a ten-year, unbroken 100% record on labor. I’ve fought for minimum wage increases, I’ve defended California’s workers against contracting out, and I also fought against CAFTA even though I lost support in the Silicon Valley. That’s why I’ve been supported by organizations like the California Teachers Association, SEIU, and the AFL-CIO in my previous races. When Governor Schwarzenegger came after our working families and unions in his right-wing special election, I put my own campaign on hold, even though my opponents continued their fundraising. I went out and hit the campaign trail, speaking at rallies across the state and reaching out to Spanish-speaking voters through the Spanish media. I’m the only candidate who has always supported labor 100% without hesitation, even when it cost me, because I know how important decent wages are to our working families. Investing in our children and working families is the only way for California to move forward, and I’m trying to take that fight to the statewide level.

8. How will you use your office to make housing more affordable for low and moderate income young people?

Historically, the Lieutenant Governor has sat as the co-chair of the Governor’s Commission for Building in the 21st Century, a commission that focuses on California’s long-term infrastructure needs. I have always been an advocate of affordable housing and smart growth. I’m excited by the prospect of a large infrastructure bond, and I’m working with my colleagues in the Legislature to make sure that the ultimate bond package is comprehensive and that it addresses more than just roads and levies. But we also must ensure that we strike a balance between affordable housing and protecting our environment.

9. Identify two challenges to San Francisco’s young people in the context of the position you seek? What specific commitment will you make to address these issues if elected?

As Lieutenant Governor, I will be a voting member of the UC Board of Regents and the State University Board of Trustees. I will use these positions to improve access to affordable and quality education at all levels and stop fee and tuition increases. As well, I will continue my 30 year fight to improve health care and health access. With these two key ingredients, quality education and healthcare, California’s young people will have the foundation for a recipe for success. They will be eligible and able to fulfill their personal California dream. All of us are beneficiaries of an educated and healthy California.

10. What are the main challenges facing the city of San Francisco in the context of this position? How will you address those issues if elected?

The housing crisis has hit all of California, but nowhere so hard as the San Francisco Bay Area. Our young people are faced with a dire situation: poor public schools lead to decreased career opportunities; rising university fees put higher education out of reach; our country’s leaders send more and more jobs overseas, leaving work only for those with a good education and job skills; low rates of child healthcare lead to poor health later in life; and on top of all that, housing prices are going sky high. Low and middle class people are fleeing from our urban centers, making pollution and traffic congestion an even worse problem. This situation stems from a lack of investment in our children at an early age, and that’s what I’ve been fighting for my whole career, and that’s why I’m running for Lt. Governor.

11. Have you collaborated with young people in your community work in the past (list specific examples)? What value did you experience in working with young activists? How are young people involved in your campaign?

As a young woman, I saw that many Latinos were disengaged from the political process. So I became involved and worked to become a role model. I chartered the Berkeley branch of the Young Democrats and became involved in the party. Later, I helped create and then chaired the Affirmative Action committee of the California Democratic Party. I rely on members of the California Young Democrats on my state and campaign staff because I believe firmly in the value of mentoring. I’m extremely proud that my former district director, Ana Apodaca, was recently elected to the Hayward City Council. I remember taking her onto my staff when she was a young woman and guiding her along the way, encouraging her to run for office and helping her through the campaign. I also encourage more women to become leaders as a member of the board of directors of CeWAER, the California Elected Women’s Association for Education and Research. As a mother and grandmother, I’m committed to building a brighter future, and that begins with investing in our children.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR YOUTH

I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to help create the Healthy Families Program, which has provided health insurance to over 500,000 children in California. I worked very closely with then-Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa to create this program, and it wasn’t easy going. We had to work with legislators from both sides of the aisle as well as the Governor’s office. This and many other accomplishments have helped cement my reputation as a legislator who can work with everyone to get things done. I will bring that reputation for cooperation in the service of real Californians to the office of Lt. Governor.

EXPERIENCE
Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek. Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved. Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life. Please explain how your experience would make you an effective advocate for young people as an office holder.

In the early 1970’s, there were serious gang and violence problems in Union City. I knew the police chief there, and he was a good man trying to make headway on a serious problem. But then the community was rocked when he was tragically assassinated. I knew that the community would be in disarray, so I decided to help the best way I could. I was hired on by the Union City Police Department as a youth and family counselor. I went out into the community and met with families who faced violence, death, and drugs on the streets every day. For many of the children there, gangs and crime were the only way that they could see to get ahead in life. I was a young woman myself, and I learned a lot about how society’s most serious problems begin when we turn our backs on the youth. When we turn away, young people see a future that offers them no possibilities, no chance to achieve the American Dream. Those children and families I counseled through the violence and despair are still with me, and that’s why I’m fighting so hard to invest in our young people.

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THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK!