TAKASUGI TO SQUARE OFF WITH NOAH\Herrera lone Democrat in Assembly election.Byline: R.A. Hutchinson Daily News Staff Writer Incumbent Assemblyman Nao Takasugi faces a challenge from Moorpark engineering manager Matt Noah in the Republican primary for the 37th District seat in March. Jess Herrera carries the banner for the Democratic Party unopposed in the March 26 election. The three men bring different solutions to the top issues facing the district: Determining the long-term fate of Camarillo State Hospital, moving forward with a California State University Enrollment  campus in
the county, and rejuvenating the local and state economies.
Takasugi, an Oxnard Republican midway through his second two-year term representing the district, wants to use his influence as chairman of the Revenue and Taxation Committee to push for legislation that will benefit businesses and keep them in California. "I've strongly fought for workers' compensation workers' compensation, payment by employers for some part of the cost of injuries, or in some cases of occupational diseases, received by employees in the course of their work. and insurance reform. Those were some of the primary reasons businesses left us for other states," he said. "My goal is to try and get California back on its economic feet." The incumbent, who served for 16 years on the Oxnard City Council before winning his Assembly seat in 1992, is sponsoring several bills before the Legislature that would benefit business. He cites AB 1187, which would grant a $250 tax credit to businesses that train young people. "Sixty percent of our high school graduates do not go on to four-year colleges. We need to develop alternatives for them," Takasugi said. He also is pushing AB 1189, which would reduce the interest rate that businesses are charged by the State Board of Equalization In communications, techniques used to reduce distortion and compensate for signal loss (attenuation) over long distances. for late sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. payments. The state now pays a 4 percent rate if it overcollects while businesses must pay an 11 percent rate for late payments. "It's just a matter of equity," he said. His challenger, Noah of Moorpark, said he is more inclined to simplify taxation. "I believe our taxes should be lower and simpler. I would support a 10 percent reduction in state taxes, but that would mean a 10 percent cut in spending." Noah also seeks more local control over public education, saying steps should be taken to reduce red tape at the state level. He criticizes the state for trying to make school districts equitable when the communities they serve have vastly different needs. For example, problems in inner-city Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. are not the same as those facing suburban districts such as the Moorpark Unified School District A unified school district is a school district which includes both primary school (kindergarten through middle school or junior high) and high school (grades 9-12). In Illinois, these districts are called unit school districts. . "I don't see why all the money for schools comes from Sacramento. I would like to see more local control over our schools and less bureaucracy at the state level," Noah said. Both Republicans support efforts to move forward with a local CSU See DSU/CSU. 1. CSU - California State University. 2. CSU - Cleveland State University. 3. CSU - Channel Service Unit. campus in Ventura County. "It's long overdue," Noah said. "The parents and students of this district deserve a four-year school." Takasugi said he supports a school bond issue that would help pay for getting the campus up and running. Herrera, who is unchallenged on the Democratic ticket, said he wants to see a four-year university in Ventura County - as long as it remains affordable to the students. "Then the big question is where are they going to work after they graduate," Herrera said. "Business needs to get together with educators and see where we can open up opportunities." The longshoreman from Oxnard said that his campaign will focus on education, fairness in the workplace and protecting the environment. "Things like those are being neglected because we're not taking the time to focus on them," he said. "The major things are going to keep popping up - education, jobs and environment." CAMPAIGN '96 SPOTLIGHT Three candidates are seeking the 37th District Assembly seat in the state legislature A state legislature may refer to a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. The following legislatures exist in the following political subdivisions: DEMOCRATS Jess Herrera Age: 47 Occupation: Marine clerk with the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Workers Union Education: Associate degree in business from Moorpark Community College Previous elected offices: Harbor commissioner for the Oxnard Harbor District Primary residence: Oxnard Family: Divorced, two children Campaign treasury through Dec. 31: $820. Quote:"We need to see more cooperation between the state and local governments. I would try to build a real strong relationship - where we all sit down together and decide what's best for our community - to get things done." REPUBLICANS Matt Noah Age: 38 Occupation: Engineering manager Education: Master's degree master's degree n. An academic degree conferred by a college or university upon those who complete at least one year of prescribed study beyond the bachelor's degree. Noun 1. in electrical engineering electrical engineering: see engineering. electrical engineering Branch of engineering concerned with the practical applications of electricity in all its forms, including those of electronics. from Stanford University Stanford University, at Stanford, Calif.; coeducational; chartered 1885, opened 1891 as Leland Stanford Junior Univ. (still the legal name). The original campus was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. David Starr Jordan was its first president. and a bachelor's of sicence degree in electrical engineering from North Dakota State University North Dakota State University, at Fargo; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered and opened 1890 as North Dakota Agricultural College, achieved university status in 1960. in Fargo, N.D. Previous elected offices: The Ventura County Republican Central Committee, chairman of the precinct committee Primary residence: Moorpark Family: Wife, Susan, and 16-month-old son, Joseph. Their second child is due May 16. Campaign treasury through Dec. 31: $85,000, including an $81,000 loan to himself. Quote:"If I were elected, I would the put the interests of my district first. I am fiscally conservative, socially conscious with the interests of my district coming first." Nao Takasugi Age: 73 Occupation: State assemblyman, former small business owner Education: Bachelor's of science degree in accounting from Temple University; master's degree in business administration from the Wharton School of Business and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. . Previous elected offices: First elected to state Assembly in 1992. He also served 16 years on the Oxnard City Council, the last 10 as mayor, from 1976-92. Takasugi also has served on numerous city and county agencies, including South Coast Area Transportation, Association of Ventura County Cities, Ventura County Homeless Coalition, Oxnard Planning Commission Noun 1. planning commission - a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments commission, committee - a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" - Milton Berle , Oxnard Airport Oxnard Airport (IATA: OXR, ICAO: KOXR, FAA LID: OXR) is a public airport located one mile (1.6 km) west of the central business district (CBD) of Oxnard, a city in Ventura County, California, USA. Authority. Family: Married to wife, Judy, for 43 years; five grown children Campaign treasury through Dec. 31: $82,652. Quote: "The burning issue facing California is that we're still getting out of the economic slump we've been in. I want to continue to introduce legislation that will help businesses in California." CAPTION(S): PHOTO[ordinal indicator, masculine]MAP[ordinal indicator, masculine]CHART Photo (1) Nao Takasugi (2) Matt Noah Box CAMPAIGN '96 SPOTLIGHT (see text) Map 37TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT |
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