ISSUES

EDUCATION: By far the single biggest factor in successful schools is teacher quality. Good teachers must be attracted, retained and rewarded. While K-12 education is the state’s bigggest expenditure, too little actually reaches the classroom. My goal is that 60% of school funds be used for teacher salaries. We can achieve this by reorganizing our schools, allowing school districts real independence on setting priorities. The cumbersome education code and complex categorical requirement must be reformed.

FISCAL REFORM: Even in these tough economic times, the state has sufficient funds to provide public protection and essential services. New taxes are not the answer. State finance needs streamlining and simplification. Local governments need  more reliable revenue sources. The constant fighting among cities, schools, counties and the state must end so we can work for solutions that benefit all Californians. Whatever our legislative responsibilities, we all serve the same constituents.

I currently serve as Vice-Chair of the Fiscalization Committee for the Southern California Association of Governments, working closely with city, county and state leaders for a fairer and more stable system of state finance.

TAXES: New taxes will only further burden our economy and delay the urgent fiscal reforms necessary to put our state’s fiscal house in order. While on the Fullerton City Council, I led the repeal of a regressive utility tax, helping to institute needed economies in municipal operations.

Citizens retain the right to vote on new taxes, whether locally or statewide. The judgement of voting taxpayers as to the worth of new projects or programs must be respected.

IMMIGRATION: While on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, I supported the Sheriff’s program to post federal immigration (ICE) officers in our jails to identify and deport illegal aliens once they had completed their sentences.

PENSIONS: Current public pensions are not sustainable and must be reformed or renegotiated. Public employees should not be lured into early retirement by overly generous pension promises. Employees at all levels of government should stay on the job through their most productive years, rather than become an early burden on an unsustainable retirement system.

As Orange County Supervisor, I opposed the 2.7% at 55 pension deal for county employees. We should value our older, wiser workers, rather than fund early retirements for our must productive citizens.

EMINENT DOMAIN: I’ve spent a career defendng the rights of small business and property owners against eminent domain abuse. The right to own and control the fruit of one’s labor is central to our free economy and society. Eminent domain should never be used to benefit the powerful at the expense of the weak. As Orange County Supervisor I spearheaded the passage of Measure A, a countywide limitation on eminent domain abuse.

PUBLIC SAFETY: Improved law enforcement professionalism, sentencing laws and crime-fighting technology have helped reduce California’s crime rate over the past 30 years. But we cannot afford complacency. Working with Orange County District Attorney Tony Rauckackus, I supported the Orange County DNA lab and its expanding abilities to identify the guilty and protect the innocent.

TRANSPORTATION: Californians will support adequate funding for transportation, provided it is focused on practical needs. We need better, smarter highways and the use of new technology for traffic control. We need highway projects built on time and within our budget. As Chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority, I personally negotiated the successful completion of the Garden Grove (22) Freeway improvements — a new design-build approach that shaved 2 years off expected construction times.

Norby faces the tough challenges of public safety, transportation, clean water and public health.		Norby celebrates Faces of Fullerton.