| D.A.W.N.
Democratic Activists For Women Now Candidate Questionnaire |
| Indicate whether you support, support with reservations, or oppose the following issues | Support | Support with Reservations | Oppose |
| REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ISSUES | |||
| 1. Roe v. Wade, which guarantees women's right to choose abortion up to the time the fetus is viable, or at any time if an abortion is necessary to preserve a woman's life or health. | X | ||
| 2. Guaranteeing to all women the right to have the full range of reproductive information and services. | X | ||
| 3. Comprehensive coverage for contraception and abortion under public and private medical insurance. | X | ||
| 4. Continued public funding for prenatal care, family planning and abortion services for low-income women. | X | ||
| 5. A minor's right to confidential access to the full range of reproductive information and services. | X | ||
| 6. Laws to protect patients, doctors and other health care personnel and their families from harassment. | X | ||
| WORK-PLACE ISSUES | |||
| 1. Equal pay for equal work and equal pay for comparable worth | X | ||
| 2. Extension of benefits to gay and lesbian domestic partnerships | X | ||
| 3. Extension of benefits to heterosexual domestic partnerships | X | ||
| 4. Federal standards regarding affirmative action policies | X | ||
| 5. Reinstatement of state affirmative action programs | X | ||
| 6. Retention of union-friendly legislation | X | ||
| 7. Workers' right to organize into a union without losing a job | X | ||
| 8. Workers' right to refuse to cross a picket line | X | ||
| 9. Labor practices that allow strikebreakers or replacement workers to be hired permanently | X | ||
| 10. The practice of replacing employees with contracted services | X | ||
| 11. Paid maternity/family leave. | X | ||
| CHILDCARE ISSUES | |||
| 1. Public funding assistance for childcare for low income families | X | ||
| 2. Employers' benefits packages for childcare | X | ||
| 3. Employer tax relief if childcare facilities are provided | X | ||
| FAMILY-FRIENDLY ISSUES | |||
| 1. State-mandated child support collection | X | ||
| 2. Public funding assistance for women's shelters | X | ||
| 3. Comprehensive, coordinated programs to help reduce the incidence of domestic violence | X | ||
| 4. State-mandated affordable housing | X | ||
| 5. Subsidized housing for people with disabilities | |||
| 6. Equal rights for gays and lesbians in employment, housing and the military | X | ||
| 7. Legal recognition of domestic partnerships | X | ||
| EDUCATIONAL ISSUES | |||
| 1. Age-appropriate sexuality and AIDS education in schools | X | ||
| 2. Increased financing for public education at all levels | X | ||
| 3. Maintaining or reducing current fees for public higher education | X | ||
| 4. Proposals to provide school vouchers | X | ||
| 5. Censorship of the internet or books provided in public libraries | X | ||
| HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES | |||
| 1. Reasonable limits on gun access and use | X | ||
| 2. Accessible mental health and addiction prevention and treatment services | X | ||
| GOVERNMENTAL REFORM ISSUES | |||
| 1. Diversity in all government appointments | X | ||
| 2. Simple majority votes on all funding issues | X | ||
| 3. Gender equity in all phases of representative government | X | ||
| 4. Public funding of political campaigns | X | ||
| 5. Free air time for candidates | X |
(Please explain reservations on a separate sheet.)
Explanation of responses to first section of questionnaire:
Reproductive rights
3. "Support with reservation" only because contraception and abortion are given the same weight in the question.
I am pro-choice and also believe a strong emphasis needs to be placed on contraception education. I understand that is currently the practice and think it appropriate. But I also recall that in other countries, such as Russia, abortion is the common form or birth control. Abortion can also have emotional consequences. So for these reasons, I felt the necessity to differentiate between emphasis on education and abortion.
5. "Support with reservation" again only because of feeling need for stressing emphasis on education. Not all young women have adults with whom they can confide or look to for advice, and thus I am strongly in favor information and services.
Work-place issues
4 & 5. "Support with reservations" in that I have observed occasions where the best qualified person was not hired for the
job due to affirmative action policies. Ideally, of course, managers would be developed with the ethic of hiring based on qualifications regardless of ethnicity, etc. Having said that, I unfortunately do understand that bias does still exist and have lost out on contracts due to my gender.
10. "Support with reservation" because not enough information is provided in the question to understand the situation.
It might be necessary at times to replace an employee with a contractor if, for example, a job description has changed such that very specific expertise/credential is needed that does not currently or typically exist in the employee pool.
Family-friendly issues
4. "Support with reservation" because what I have observed as a Planning Commissioner is that laws regarding land use that come from the state tend to be one size fits all requirements that do not take into consideration the unique character or Comprehensive/General Plan of the various communities. As can be observed in my response to the essay question #9, I do very much support affordable housing, and would support state mandates that better addressed the stated concerns.
Government reform issues
2. "Oppose" because a simple majority does not take into consideration strongly enough the constraints of those on fixed income or that are in the lower income brackets. Some measures allow for seniors to opt out but this does not account for others who are challenged to stay in their communities or own homes in the face of extra assessments. We live in a very affluent area but not all residents are affluent. That population's limitations need to be more broadly considered.
3. "Support with reservation" due to same concern as included in 4 and 5 under Work-pace issues above.
4. "Support with reservation" in that I believe public participation in political campaigns, including financial contribution, is a basic grass roots factor that fosters public participation. I do have serious concerns about the level and type of campaign financing but would be hesitant to support only public funding of political campaigns.
Democratic Activists For Women Now
Please answer the following questions on a separate page:
1. What have you done or would you do in the office you seek to combat domestic violence? Give two examples.
Response: I will continue to support women's shelters and would further support education through the Palo Alto Adult Education program as well as education in the schools about domestic violence.
2. What have you done or would you do to address mental illness and addiction?
Response: I supported the Opportunity Center that will open in Palo Alto and would support City Council participation on county-wide task forces that address these issues. Again, Palo Alto Adult Education programs and education in the schools about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse are ways to reach people.
3. Has affirmative action helped or hurt you personally or someone you know? Give examples.
Response: Affirmative action has neither helped nor hurt me or anyone I know personally. While I have not known people who have been effected directly, as an woman and independent business owner I have special insight in to the difficulties facing women in business.
4. Did you attend public schools? Which grades? If you have children, do you or did you send your children to public schools? Why or why not?
Response: I attended public school through 12th grade. I do not have children. I strongly support an accessible and outstanding education system that serves the diverse population and support making public education the highest quality education possible.
5. Discuss your campaign finances and structure. What percentage of women do you have in your organization?
Response: My goal is to achieve over $20,000 and expect the majority of donation to come from small individual contributions. My honorary chair, one of two co-chairs and treasurer are women. The committee as a whole is comprised of 60% women.
6. What specific campaign finance reforms do you support? Why?
Response: I support campaign spending limits and especially individual campaign contribution limits because campaigns have become so expensive and influenced by special interests that not only are many precluded from running for office but the need to raise money is now taking valuable time away from elected officials' ability to perform their duties.
7. Have you served on any boards, community groups or commissions or in any elected offices or leadership positions in the community and what is your attendance record?
Response: I have served on the Palo Alto Planning &Transportation for 4 years. In that time I have missed approximately four meetings. I have also served on several community boards where my attendance was near 90%.
8. What efforts would you support or propose to prepare women coming off welfare for skilled jobs that pay a livable wage?
Response: Education through the Adult Education program and outreach programs through City employment practices are both possible ways to help women re-enter the workforce. There may be additional opportunity to work with county outreach programs and with educators at Stanford University, local churches, and non-profits. I have also been an advocate for local hiring practices.
9. What efforts would you propose or support to provide accessible and affordable housing?
Response: I support creation of affordable housing overlays in appropriate locations so proposals will have predictable outcomes for the community as well as the affordable housing developer without the need for lengthy and expensive exception processes to address density and other development standard exceptions appropriate for such projects.
I also advocate for the retention of existing, smaller housing units is as important as creation of new affordable housing. Cottage court development being an example of the type of dwelling units we are losing, in many cases, these existing units are the least expensive we will ever have. I have worked and will continue to work to preserve this type of housing.
10. What efforts have you supported or proposed to reduce the use of non-renewable natural resources?
Response: I am a member of the Palo Alto Zero Waste Task Force whose goal is to eliminate to the greatest extent possible the source of waste and thus supports both the conservation of raw natural resources and the use of, typically, non-renewable energy to create products such as unnecessary packaging. There is currently a proposal to put photo-voltaic panels on the top of the Moffett Field hangar to provide power to surrounding communities. I support exploring that opportunity. I also support the Palo Alto Green program that allows Palo Alto citizens to participate in renewable sources of energy.
11. What measures have you supported or will you support to help reduce air and water pollution?
Response: Automobiles are both air and water polluters. On the Planning &Transportation Commission, I have worked to reduce automobile trips by recommending alternate means of transportation, dedication of pedestrian and bicycle paths, and by supporting the location of basic services near neighborhoods. I also was a strong proponent of Palo Alto's adoption of a construction and demolition (C&D) ordinance and I serve on the Zero Waste Task Force as mentioned above--reducing production
12. How might you help expand after school programs?
Response: I recognize the need for additional playing grounds and field space for after school sports activities, especially give the added demand created by Title 9 that gives girls opportunity not previously available to them.
I support City-School liaison considerations of using the public libraries to use City libraries as a resource for locating after school academic programs.