Rocky Delgadillo for California Attorney General

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

Campaign Name: Californians For Rocky
Address: 4144 Lankershim Blvd, Ste 201, North Hollywood, CA 91602
Campaign Phone: 818-766-0165
Campaign Fax: 818-766-0169
Campaign E-mail: jenn@rocky2005.com
Campaign Website: www.rocky2006.com

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

LA City Attorney, Elected, 2001 - present
Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, Appointed, 1997-2001
Assistant Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, Appointed, 1994-1997

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?

Today, nearly one-third of America's young people are not graduating from high school. I believe that in order to keep our youth in school, we must shrink class sizes, offer more students extra individualized help, better involve parents in schools and hold parents accountable for their children’s absences, offer more after-school and preschool opportunities, and hold schools accountable for success in graduating students with a high-quality education.

In regard to higher education, I believe that our ability to compete in the economy of tomorrow depends upon making college affordable today through college tax credits, increased grant and scholarship options and a more straight forward financial aid process.

I’m for educational reforms, improved access to higher education, stronger community colleges, high school and post high school training. As Attorney General, I will bring new ideas and new solutions to empower our youth through education.

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

Affirmative action, a program which was intended to give everybody a fair chance, hasn’t always worked smoothly and fairly. Today there are those who are determined to put an end to affirmative action, as if the purposes for which it was created have been achieved. They have not. Until they are, we need to maintain affirmative action programs, but also be mindful of abuses of affirmative action, prohibit quotas, subject affirmative action programs to strict review, and oppose any benefits to those who are not qualified.

Growing up as a Latino male, I understand what it means to have discrimination as an issue. I am the only candidate in this election that understands this firsthand. California is culturally diverse and I recognize that cultural understanding and cooperation are critical to the State’s ability to bring its diverse communities together to work towards common goals. As a public servant, I not only live and work in this diverse community, but am called upon to show leadership and create consensus for change.

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 oppose constitutional amendments restricting marriage rights or attempts to undo existing domestic partnership laws. I was pleased to see that the initiatives restricting marriage rights mentioned in your questionnaire did not qualify for the June, 2006 election ballot.

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?

Health care is a top priority for my administration. I believe that health care is a right—not a privilege. We cannot permit the current state of our health care system to continue to allow some Americans access to the most sophisticated medical care in the world while others are left to overcrowded emergency rooms, under-funded clinics, or no access to health care at all.

Americans should have access to the purchase of safe prescription drugs from Canada and other countries abroad and I currently collaborate with and offer legal council to the city of LA in our pursuit of better access to more affordable drugs. As AG, I will continue those efforts, go after Medi-Cal fraud, and push for improved quality of care provided in our State’s nursing homes.

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?

There is no question in my mind that the war in Iraq presents a diversion to properly funded public safety, education, and healthcare, however, international relations is a province of the national government. As Attorney General, I don’t have any jurisdiction on this matter, but offer to use my voice and any influence to represent my constituents of California.

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 will do everything in my power to ensure that women remain free to make their own health care decisions, including their reproductive choices. Just as Attorney General Bill Lockyer did when he filed a lawsuit against the Bush administration to block the “Weldon amendment,