Pavley, Brownley Address State Issues

Three experts focused on California-wide issues Saturday afternoon when the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club hosted a State of the State forum at the Woman’s Club. State Senator Fran Pavley, Assemblywoman Julia Brownley and Emmy Award-winning producer Don Schroder (co-chair of the California OneCare Campaign, with Palisadian George Savage) all agreed that the November 2010 election will have enormous influence on state government. ‘We have to elect a Democratic governor and we have to hold our Democratic majorities in the Assembly and Senate,’ said Pavley, who was elected last November after serving six years in the Assembly. Brownley, who is serving her second term, described being a Democrat in Sacramento as akin to ‘riding a tandem bike with a Republican elephant who is not only not pumping but is dragging his feet’and has a great smile on his face.’ She was referring to the legislative gridlock caused, in large part, by the 2/3rds vote required to pass actions on revenue and budget issues. Schroder described the campaign building behind SB 810, which would provide a single, publicly financed health-insurance system that replaces private health insurance and guarantees heath care for all Californians for life.