Gatto and Ramani go into detail

Legislative districts have been gerrymandered for the last decade. One party has largely controlled the state Legislature for nearly 40 years. Their last obstacle to passing a budget without reflecting spending cuts is the presence of the 2/3 supermajority law.

The adoption of a simple majority rule would result in larger budgets, where everything becomes a "critical" priority, and the mechanism to pay for this will be higher taxes on the middle class. The rich have the ability to be fluid with their money, as we have seen nearly 1.4 million fewer tax filers in California since 2004.

Removal of this constitutional requirement would reward those who have demonstrated long term fiscal mismanagement, imperil California taxpayers and remove one of California's most important "checks and balances" mechanisms.

9) What do you view as your signature issue or priority?

My "signature issue" is not singular, but systemic.

California is dysfunctional. Our state once led the nation in economic growth and innovation, education, quality of living and many other desirable metrics. Mismanagement and poor policies have driven California to the brink of insolvency and compromised the quality of those public institutions, such as our schools, that have traditionally played an important part in the California dream.

We need to make government work for the people again, not the other way around. We have allowed this state to become the manager of too many elements of our lives — elements that would be better served by individuals and the private sector.

We need to make a commitment to returning California to a productive, business-friendly state with lower taxes and a streamlined state government that is responsive to the needs of its citizens. We need to do more with less.

10) Why are you a better candidate for the job than your rival?

My last 25 years have been spent serving many segments of the surrounding communities. From my service at Providence St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, to chamber of commerce boards, to educational foundations, to service clubs and to nonprofits, I have been a participant in growing our communities.

I am a Main Street businessman that has strived to give back more than I take. My experience signing the front of a paycheck as well as the back, to my experience with parents and schools in educating our children, have provided me with a broad foundation on what our community needs and wants.

As a parent of a college-age daughter and a high school-age son, and with a physician wife, I have been blessed with a supportive family that has fostered my drive to make a difference on behalf of all of us.

Relevant experience in solving our collective problems is needed, not political career interests.