What’s
with all the spending?
Art Olivier on his website has criticized
Governor Schwarzenegger for his increased
spending while in office and poses the
question, “Who is worse, Governor
Schwarzenegger or Governor Davis?”
In this
interview with PurePolitics.com, Art Olivier
talks about how to reduce California’s growing
budget. He also explains his views on
immigration, education, corruption, and how
his past experiences while Mayor of Bellflower
makes him the best candidate for the
Governor’s office of California.
Q:
What is your stance on the immigration
influx that has occurred in California?
A: California cannot prosper if we are
required to pay for the healthcare and
education of everyone that comes here
illegally. As Governor, I would not provide
public benefits, including education, for
anyone that is here illegally.
Q: What experience
from your tenure as Bellflower's Mayor would
you bring with you to the California State
Governor's office?
A: I was able to cut taxes, and at the same
time improve services to the city without
borrowing, through privatization and a
competitive bidding process. We need to do the
same at the state level without regard to the
special interest groups that dominate
Sacramento.
Q: One of your main
areas of focus is the State's budget, how
would you implement changes to reduce the
amount the California State government is
spending?
A: Many state functions using state employees
such as the prison system would be better
managed and more cost efficient if they were
run by private companies. If schools were
built using the Uniform Building Code, instead
of following the depression era Field Act,
more contractors could competitively bid on
the construction projects, lowering the cost.
Prevailing wages should not be required on any
government contract. We should get the best
work done at the lowest cost.
Although workers compensation costs have gone
down 27% in the last two years, rates should
be cut to one third of current rates as they
are in Arizona. Public sector employees should
have defined contribution pension plans as
opposed to the current defined benefit
plans. We cannot afford to have public
employees retire at 50 years old with 90% of
their pay and by doing so, we are losing our
most experienced people. Retirement age should
be 65.
Q: How will you seek
out and destroy corruption occurring in
California?
A: Local governments should not be able to
give out franchises, such as trash contracts,
without a competitive bid. Sting operations
involving public officials must be carried out
on a regular basis. Investigate public
employees that retire with worker compensation
claims.
Q: How will you
successfully address California's education
and improve test scores and the classroom
environment?
A: Not having children that are here illegally
will have an immediate impact on improving
test scores. Teachers should be able to remove
trouble makers from their classrooms. Those
children should go into special classes and if
they do not reform, be expelled from school.
This will allow teachers to do their job
without spending half of their time
disciplining a couple of students who do not
want to learn. School boards should be allowed
to contract for services in order to
reallocate revenue to areas they feel are more
conductive to learning.
Q: What other issue
do you feel needs to be addressed in order to
better the State of California and its
citizens?
A: Designated areas should be set aside
throughout the state for the construction of
power plants and oil refineries. This will
help us to avoid future blackouts and reduce
the cost electricity and gasoline. Voters
should reject all of the bonds on the November
ballot so we can avoid burdening future
generations with the pork barrel projects of
today. The three strikes law should be limited
to only serious and/or violent criminals. Too
many
first time violent criminals are being set
free early to make room for three time drug
offenders.
Art
Olivier (L) 
Art
Olivier