2006 AARP Voters Guide. California State Lt. Governor. How to use the AARP Voters Guide:

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1 2006 AARP Voters Guide California State Lt. Governor How to use the AARP Voters Guide: Here s how this Voters Guide works. AARP asked key questions about issues important to our members and their families of each major candidate for this race. Each candidate was allowed up to 125 words to answer the question. AARP did not edit or modify those answers. The candidates checked the support or oppose circles. In addition, AARP has provided a summary of our position for each of the issues. Pass this guide on to friends and family. Share your views with the candidates. Ask for clarification from any candidate whose answer seems unclear. Be sure to vote on June 6th.

2 Long Term Care Services Q: What do you propose to improve the ability of consumers to live independently outside an institutional setting for as long as possible? AARP s Position: Name: Liz Figueroa (D) Name: John Garamendi (D) Give consumers more control Give consumers more control Give consumers more control Increased and improved home care AARP supports fundamental reform to create an integrated, affordable consumer and caregiver focused system for providing high quality long term services and supports for independent living such as assistance with feeding, bathing, dressing and other supportive services. We know that most people would prefer to remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible, where care also tends to be less expensive than in institutional settings. The manner in which long term care and home and community based services are currently administered and funded works against creating a system that places the needs and desires of consumers above those of institutional providers. AARP supports expanding home and community-based services that will reduce the cost burden to individuals and families, meet their preferences, and help prevent unnecessary institutionalization. Increased and improved home care I have supported independent living for a long time, and I have been fighting to ensure that California s elderly citizens receive the services they deserve. In 2000, I learned that home care workers weren t receiving the pay or support they needed. I spent the day and a night working alongside a home care worker and saw how difficult his job was. Then I went to the Legislature to fight for additional money and benefits for home care workers. I have also been working to reform California s conservator system. So many of our elderly rely on conservators, but the system is rife with corruption and abuse. I have supported elderly independence for a long time, and I ll continue to do so as Lt. Governor. Increased and improved home care. I would allow non Medi-Cal recipients to participate in the Homecare (IHSS) program, which allows hundreds of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities to live independently and with dignity in their own homes rather than being forced into more expensive nursing homes. I would also increase the budget of this program to provide more benefits for consumers, and more occupational training for caregivers. I would encourage land-use authorities to better consider assisted living facilities in their planning and make sure communities are livable for those who are aging. I would also increase the funding and efficiency of important services, including Meals-on- Wheels, in home services and transportation services, if a senior elects to stop driving.

3 Long Term Care Services Q: What do you propose to improve the ability of consumers to live independently outside an institutional setting for as long as possible? AARP s Position: Give consumers more control Increased and improved home care AARP supports fundamental reform to create an integrated, affordable consumer and caregiver focused system for providing high quality long term services and supports for independent living such as assistance with feeding, bathing, dressing and other supportive services. We know that most people would prefer to remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible, where care also tends to be less expensive than in institutional settings. The manner in which long term care and home and community based services are currently administered and funded works against creating a system that places the needs and desires of consumers above those of institutional providers. AARP supports expanding home and community-based services that will reduce the cost burden to individuals and families, meet their preferences, and help prevent unnecessary institutionalization. Name: Jackie Speier (D) Give consumers more control Increased and improved home care A. The key to promoting self-care among senior citizens is to ensure that comprehensive options and resources are available to meet their needs. California must put more resources in place to address two distinct sets of seniors those who are healthy and able, and those who are the true elderly many with profound special needs. We need to increase our resources to address our state s future housing needs with particular focus on strategies for housing assistance for our neediest populations. We need to make a county-by-county assessment to ensure that every region has the resources to develop the necessary infrastructure to help people stay home longer, whether through more affordable housing, helping rehab existing homes, additional community programs or increased residential facilities.. The following candidates chose not to respond to this question: Tony Farmer (R) Tom McClintock (R)

4 Prescription Drug Costs Q: How would you propose to reduce drug costs for uninsured Californians and for taxpayer supported programs providing prescription drugs? AARP s Position: Name: Liz Figueroa (D) Name: John Garamendi (D) State Negotiation for lower Rx prices State Negotiation for lower Rx prices State Negotiation for lower Rx prices Use of evidence based research Use of evidence based research Use of evidence based research. AARP believes that health care cost increases and, in particular, prescription drug costs, are arguably the biggest problem the country faces. AARP supports giving the State authority to use its negotiating power as a large purchaser of prescription drugs for Medi-Cal and other State programs to negotiate lower cost drugs for uninsured Californians. AARP supports stimulating price competition between similar prescription drugs by providing consumers, insurers, physicians, and other providers objective information about the relative effectiveness of prescription drugs in order to encourage the prescribing of the safest and most effective treatment at the lowest cost. Consumers and taxpayers should not be paying premium prices for the latest drug when objective research shows that lower priced drugs are likely to be just as effective. I have been fighting for better healthcare throughout my entire career, and that s why the California Nurses Association endorsed me. I m also very proud that the Congress of California Seniors has given me a 100% rating for the last five years in a row. I ve worked to reform managed care, and I attempted to require HMOs to seek state approval before raising their rates. I support importing prescription drugs from Canada, provided we can be sure that they meet safety standards. As Lt. Governor, I ll take these fights to the statewide level and become an even more powerful advocate for seniors and all Californians seeking quality healthcare. I would support proposals that allow individual consumers and state agencies to purchase drugs from Canadian pharmacies that meet appropriate safety standards. I support policies that provide more information to consumers about prescription drugs. I support increasing funding for research that compares different drugs so that doctors and patients can make treatment decisions based on the merits of the drugs, not the expensive marketing campaigns of the large pharmaceutical companies. I also support programs that require the drug companies to offer discounts to those seniors on Medicare whose drug costs are not fully covered by Medicare or with inadequate drug coverage through private insurers or their employer. Finally, I would allow the state to negotiate broad bulk discounts for purchases outside of Medi-Cal.

5 Prescription Drug Costs Q: How would you propose to reduce drug costs for uninsured Californians and for taxpayer supported programs providing prescription drugs? AARP s Position: State Negotiation for lower Rx prices Use of evidence based research Name: Jackie Speier (D) State Negotiation for lower Rx prices Use of evidence based research. AARP believes that health care cost increases and, in particular, prescription drug costs, are arguably the biggest problem the country faces. AARP supports giving the State authority to use its negotiating power as a large purchaser of prescription drugs for Medi-Cal and other State programs to negotiate lower cost drugs for uninsured Californians. AARP supports stimulating price competition between similar prescription drugs by providing consumers, insurers, physicians, and other providers objective information about the relative effectiveness of prescription drugs in order to encourage the prescribing of the safest and most effective treatment at the lowest cost. Consumers and taxpayers should not be paying premium prices for the latest drug when objective research shows that lower priced drugs are likely to be just as effective. A. For the past five years, California seniors have benefited from my SB393 program which passed on MediCal savings of up to 40% for prescription drugs. I support amending SB393 to require that seniors get a bulk purchase rebate from pharmaceutical manufacturers just like the state. As we learned from my SB696, the Golden Bear Pharmacy Assistance Program, we cannot rely on voluntary drug company participation in designing rebate programs. We could develop a low-cost, reverse mortgage as an extension of Medi-Cal. Offering a state-managed reverse mortgage at affordable rates for $100,000 - $150,000 in loan value, the state could assist seniors with assisted living expenses. Seniors in the program would have access to prescription drugs at steeply discounted prices to fill the gaps in Medicare. The following candidates chose not to respond to this question: Tony Farmer (R) Tom McClintock (R)

6 Affordable Health Care Q: What steps would you support or oppose to make health care available, affordable and accessible to more Californians? AARP s Position: Name: Liz Figueroa (D) Name: John Garamendi(D) Universal health coverage Expand public programs Subsidize private health care coverage Universal health coverage Expanding public programs Subsidize private health care coverage Universal health coverage Expanding public programs Subsidize private health care coverage AARP supports measures to achieve access to affordable health care coverage for all individuals, an approach that would address the needs of those without public or private insurance or those at risk of losing coverage. In the absence of universal coverage, AARP supports incremental reforms that significantly improve coverage options for those without public or private insurance or those at risk of losing coverage. These reforms include: Opening existing public programs (for example, Medicaid) to new categories of people who are uninsured Subsidizing the cost of private coverage on a sliding fee scale for those who are uninsured, underinsured or at risk of losing coverage In 1997, I worked with then-speaker Antonio Villaraigosa to create the Healthy Families Program, which now provides healthcare to more than 700,000 children. In the recall campaign, Arnold Schwarzenegger said that his first priority as Governor would be to expand Healthy Families. But three years later, he still hasn t done anything. Over one million young Californians are without healthcare, and estimates show that two thirds of them are eligible for Healthy Families or other programs. As Lt. Governor, I ll expand those programs so more Californians have healthcare. I ve also fought for universal healthcare. I supported Senator Kuehl s universal healthcare bill, and I support a single payer system. Healthcare has always been at the top of my agenda, and I ll continue that work as Lt. Governor I will use the full power and platform of the office of the Lieutenant Governor to develop a Universal healthcare system that will provide every person with their choice of a medical provider, with the most efficient possible financing. This system should be based on a single collector methodology and must be coupled with a multifaceted delivery system that allows individuals to select among many different types of providers who are then paid by the single collector. In this way, a universal health care insurance system can be developed using an efficient method of collecting the money and allowing choice to consumers. In the absence of a Universal healthcare system, I would support requiring employers to provide health insurance to their workers and their families.

7 Affordable Health Care Q: What steps would you support or oppose to make health care available, affordable and accessible to more Californians? AARP s Position: Universal health coverage Expand public programs Subsidize private health care coverage Name: Jackie Speier (D) Universal health coverage Expand public programs Subsidize private health care coverage AARP supports measures to achieve access to affordable health care coverage for all individuals, an approach that would address the needs of those without public or private insurance or those at risk of losing coverage. In the absence of universal coverage, AARP supports incremental reforms that significantly improve coverage options for those without public or private insurance or those at risk of losing coverage. These reforms include: Opening existing public programs (for example, Medicaid) to new categories of people who are uninsured Subsidizing the cost of private coverage on a sliding fee scale for those who are uninsured, underinsured or at risk of losing coverage A. I was the original author of SB2, historic legislation to require all employers to either purchase health insurance for employees or to pay into a statewide pool to purchase the insurance. Had the bill become effective, it would have reduced the ranks of the uninsured by 1/3; unfortunately, special interests ran a referendum in 2004 to overturn the new law that was narrowly rejected in a vote of 50.5% against and 49.5% for. I've also voted for Senator Kuehl's universal health care coverage bills every time they came before me, and I made sure that they passed through the Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance Committee which I chair. Clearly, California needs a version of SB2 to address the growing population of medically uninsured and underinsured. The following candidates chose not to respond to this question: Tony Farmer (R) Tom McClintock (R)

8 Budget and Taxes Q: Please explain your approach to the state budget and taxes, specifically, which types of expenditures and/or revenues do you believe should be increased or reduce? AARP s Position: Name: Liz Figueroa (D) Name: John Garamendi (D) Close gap by increasing revenue Close gap by reducing expenditures Fund activities not currently funded Close gap by increasing revenue Close gap by reducing expenditures Fund activities not currently funded Close gap by increasing revenue Close gap by reducing expenditures Fund activities not currently funded California has experienced a persistent gap between revenues and expenditures as it struggles to fund basic services. AARP believes that budget policy should promote economic growth and stability, and that fairness across generations should be an important goal. AARP generally opposes constitutional or statutory mandates specifying the maximum or minimum levels of revenues or expenditures. These mandates limit the ability of policymakers to respond appropriately to changing public priorities. AARP supports ensuring an adequate revenue base to fund vital safety net programs, meet the needs of an aging society, and finance other important priorities. AARP generally believes that tax revenue sources should distribute the tax burden according to people s ability to pay, should be progressive, and that people with comparable incomes should be taxed at comparable rates. I have consistently fought for increased governmental efficiency and accountability. California faces a chronic budget deficit, but I believe that raising taxes should be the last resort. We can maintain services without raising taxes if we are smarter and more efficient. A few years ago, I worked on the California Performance Review, which eventually made over one thousand suggestions to increase governmental efficiency. The following year, I wrote a law that enacted eleven of those changes. As Lt. Governor, I ll continue working for governmental accountability and efficiency, and I ll make sure our tax dollars are spent on services, not bureaucracies. California cannot compete in the international economy on the cheap. We must invest in education, infrastructure, research, and business if we are to remain a strong and growing economy and thereby have the revenue base to continue the cycle of prosperity. It is certain that we have a budget gap that requires additional revenues. A place to look for the money is in the numerous tax deductions and credits that give unwarranted tax breaks to corporations. In addition to providing money that moves California per pupil funding from the lowest to the upper echelons, we must demand and receive effective and efficient outcomes from every school. We must also stop the tuition and fee increases at community colleges and universities.

9 Budget and Taxes Q: Please explain your approach to the state budget and taxes, specifically, which types of expenditures and/or revenues do you believe should be increased or reduce? AARP s Position: Close gap by increasing revenue Close gap by reducing expenditures Fund activities not currently funded Name: Jackie Speier (D). Close gap by increasing revenue Close gap by reducing expenditures Fund activities not currently funded California has experienced a persistent gap between revenues and expenditures as it struggles to fund basic services. AARP believes that budget policy should promote economic growth and stability, and that fairness across generations should be an important goal. AARP generally opposes constitutional or statutory mandates specifying the maximum or minimum levels of revenues or expenditures. These mandates limit the ability of policymakers to respond appropriately to changing public priorities. AARP supports ensuring an adequate revenue base to fund vital safety net programs, meet the needs of an aging society, and finance other important priorities. AARP generally believes that tax revenue sources should distribute the tax burden according to people s ability to pay, should be progressive, and that people with comparable incomes should be taxed at comparable rates. A. The state budget must reflect the changing needs of the people it serves. There are no simple answers, but there are several choices that can be made. First, we need to reinvent the prison system so that crime goes down as the prison population goes down. Both are possible. We should reduce prison expenses by $1 billion (out of $8 billion today) per year. Second, we should increase enforcement of the sales tax and income tax codes and focus on sophisticated parties who evade both. A classic example is a jet fuel sales tax scheme at San Francisco International that (even today) rewards airlines with reduced fuel sales tax while leaving local taxpayers to make up the shortfall. The following candidates chose not to respond to this question: Tony Farmer (R) Tom McClintock (R)

10 2006 AARP Voters Guide AARP is making a difference whether it s fighting for affordable health care or working to ensure retirement security for all Americans. But we can t do it without you. Sign up for free updates and action alerts from AARP. We ll keep you informed about what s really going on in the White House, Congress, and your state legislature. Visit or fill out the form below and returned to AARP, 200 South Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, CA Thank you for participating in the AARP 2006 Election Project! FIRST NAME INITIAL LAST NAME ADDRESS APT. # CITY STATE ZIP CODE (for example: your @provider.com) AREA CODE + PHONE NUMBER About the AARP 2006 Election Project: AARP has launched the nonpartisan 2006 Election Project, and with your help we can make sure our voices are heard in We don t endorse any specific candidate or party. We just care about issues and with your help we ll make sure candidates take clear stands on the issues so people can make choices that reflect what s important to them. Visit

11 2006 AARP Voters Guide AARP is nonpartisan and does not own a political action committee (PAC), endorse political candidates, or contribute money to political parties or political candidates campaigns. AARP educates the public about issues of concern to older Americans and their families through voter guides, issue workshops, and candidate forums. For more information contact: AARP California 200 S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 400 Pasadena, CA calosangeles@aarp.org