DECISION ’94 : State Legislature: ORANGE COUNTY

The Times sent questionnaires to all candidates for the state Legislature asking them about themselves and posing these questions:

* Do you favor or oppose development of a commercial airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station?

* Do you favor or oppose stricter gun control laws?

* Do you favor or oppose curtailing health care and/or education benefits for illegal immigrants?

* Please list two other issues you feel are important to voters.

(Only candidates in contested primaries are listed here. For a complete ballot see Page V12 .)

67TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Cypress, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach)

*

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Doris Allen

Age: 57

Occupation: Incumbent assemblywoman

Background: Former school board member. Elected to Legislature in 1982; sponsored successful statewide initiative in 1990 to ban gill nets.

Issues: Airport--Favors if surrounding residents not opposed. Guns--Opposes further controls. Illegal immigrants--Favors curtailment. Other issues--Wants to work to stop crime on campus and drive-by shootings. Also wants to try to help business.

*

Tony Nottke

Age: 30

Occupation: Environmental consultant

Background: California Republican Assembly; National Right to Life; Gun Owners Action Committee

Issues: Airport--Wants election to determine use. Guns--Opposes restrictions. Illegal immigrants--Wants all benefits halted. Other issues--Wants tough penalties against criminals; wants to cut excess regulations hurting business.

68TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Anaheim, Buena Park, Garden Grove, Westminster)

*

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Irv Pickler

Age: 72

Occupation: Anaheim councilman

Background: Active on council and Orange County transportation, airport, rail and other agencies

Issues: Airport--Favors a commercial airport. Guns--Favors further controls. Illegal immigrants--Would restrict in some cases. Other issues--Wants legislation to curb crime and improve schools.

*

Linda Kay Rigney

Age: 50

Occupation: Educational assistant

Background: Longtime party activist; ran unsuccessfully in 68th in 1992

Issues: Airport--Favors. Guns--Wants to look into tighter controls on importation and manufacture. Illegal immigrants--Feels ramifications need study. Other issues--Wants to focus on improving education and keeping jobs.

69TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana)

*

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Zeke Hernandez

Age: 48

Occupation: Management training specialist

Background: Past state director, League of United Latin American Citizens

Issues: Airport--Supports. Guns--Toughen penalties for criminals using guns. Illegal immigrants--Federal government should fund by money now spent on foreign aid. Other issues--Eliminate red tape for businesses; wants to promote public education.

*

Mike Metzler

Age: 47

Occupation: Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce president

Background: Marine Corps veteran; former assistant to Rep. Jerry Patterson

Issues: Airport--Waiting to see task force proposal. Guns--Would seriously consider further bans on assault weapons. Illegal immigrants--Supports cracking down on illegal immigration at the border but opposes curtailing benefits. Other issues--Promotes job growth and better schools.

*

Ted R. Moreno

Age: 26

Occupation: Santa Ana councilman

Background: Elected in 1992; active in Calvary Temple Christian Church

Issues: Airport--Favors. Guns--Supports current laws. Illegal immigrants--Federal government should fund these health and educational services. Other issues--Wants to fight government waste and reform welfare system.

*

John M. Patterson

Age: 33

Occupation: Industrial equipment leasing executive

Background: Ran unsuccessfully for Santa Ana City Council in 1992

Issues: Airport--Favors. Guns--Evaluate existing laws before going further. Illegal immigrants--Curtail benefits. Other issues--Fund job training and community programs to prevent crime. Wants to fight urban overcrowding.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Martin Ageson

Age: 40

Occupation: Attorney

Background: Active in Lincoln Club and other Republican and business groups

Issues: Airport--Favors. Guns--Opposes further restrictions. Illegal immigrants--Favors curtailing benefits. Other issues--Favors “three strikes” and prosecuting violent juveniles as adults; wants to cut power and cost of government.

*

Judy Buffin-Edge

Age: 49

Occupation: Former bank manager

Background: Member of National Federation of Republican Women and Orange County Republican Women Federated

Issues: Airport--Favors. Guns--Opposes stricter laws. Illegal immigrants--Favors curtailing benefits. Other issues--Wants moratorium on all taxes, fees and assessments; favors limits on criminal appeals and prosecution of juvenile offenders as adults.

*

Jim Morrissey

Age: 63

Occupation: Owns small manufacturing company

Background: Has led a group of business owners trying to curb the Air Quality Management District

Issues: Airport--Feels the issue should go to a countywide vote. Guns--Opposes further restrictions. Illegal immigrants--Favors cutting benefits. Other issues--Wants to see tougher anti-crime laws and promote job production.

*

Virgel L. Nickell

Age: 51

Occupation: Assistant to executive director of charity group

Background: Navy veteran; former shipyard worker; active in Republican politics

Issues: Airport--Favors combined use: airport, business, commercial and housing. Guns--Opposed to further restrictions. Illegal immigrants--Favors restricting benefits. Other issues--Pushing formation of boot camps and other ways to keep teen-agers out of crime; trim bureaucracy and lower tax rate to keep businesses from fleeing.

70TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Costa Mesa, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Tustin)

*

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Marilyn C. Brewer

Age: 56

Occupation: Corporate officer for plastics firm

Background: Chief aide for Supervisor Thomas F. Riley for past eight years

Issues: Airport--Wait until studies concluded. Guns--Opposes further restrictions. Illegal immigrants--Favors curtailing benefits. Other issues--Wants to ease crime and opposes Legislature’s recent pay raise.

*

Barry J. Hammond

Age: 42

Occupation: Irvine councilman

Background: El Toro Reuse Planning Authority member; various transportation agencies

Issues: Airport--Opposes as a burden on surrounding residents. Guns--Opposes further controls. Illegal immigrants--Favors curtailing benefits. Other issues--Promote business with better workers compensation reform and restrictions on AQMD.

*

Thomas G. Reinecke

Age: 34

Occupation: Attorney

Background: Vice chairman, Orange County Republican Party; delegate for past three GOP conventions; son of former lieutenant governor

Issues: Airport--Opposes. Guns--Opposes stricter gun control laws. Illegal immigrants--Favors restricting benefits. Other issues--Wants to stop proliferation of crime, in particular gang-related activity; hopes to curb over-regulation and taxation of business.

34TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT

(Buena Park, Stanton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Westminster, Anaheim)

*

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Rob Hurtt

Age: 50

Occupation: Incumbent and container-manufacturing firm owner

Background: Elected 1993 special election. Spent more than $1 million since 1992 on conservative candidates and causes.

Issues: Airport--Let voters decide. Guns--Opposes stricter controls. Illegal immigrants--Favors curtailing benefits. Other issues--Wants to cut business regulation to curb economic flight; tougher laws for gangs, carjacking.

*

Frank L. Adomitis

Age: 33

Occupation: Accountant and hospital analyst

Background: Has not held an elected office

Issues: Airport--Favors. Guns--Opposes more restrictions. Illegal immigrants--Favors restricting benefits. Other issues--Wants to reduce taxes and government spending; favors reforming education system, vouchers, teaching values.

*

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Donna L. Chessen

Age: 56

Occupation: Buena Park councilwoman

Background: On council since 1985; active on various civic committees

Issues: Airport--Favors if that would produce the most jobs. Guns--Supports current laws. Illegal immigrants--Prefers toughening border enforcement and other steps. Other issues--Wants to see tougher anti-crime laws and to help the economy.

*

Wayman L. Nelson

Age: 58

Occupation: Insurance broker and president of natural gas exporting company

Background: Former Marine; big-rig driving instructor, church organist and Senior Olympics race walk champion

Issues: Airport--Favors. Guns--Favors having stricter laws for assault weapons and selling ammunition only at police stations. Illegal immigrants--Favors curtailing benefits. Other issues--Supports “single-payer health care” initiative on November ballot; wants more money shifted to schools, more emphasis on English-language training and better teacher pay.

38TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT

(San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, and parts of San Diego County)

*

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Thomas Berry

Age: 54

Occupation: Consultant

Background: Though politically active, has never held elected office

Issues: Airport--Prefers regional park at El Toro base. Guns--Current laws are adequate. Illegal immigrants--Favors securing borders. Other issues--Favors boot camps for young adult offenders and Spanish as Southland’s official second language.

*

Genaro Lara

Age: 51

Occupation: Attorney

Background: Received law degree from University of Illinois Law School

Issues: Airport--Favors. Guns--Wants stricter penalties for criminals using guns. Illegal immigrants--Opposes restrictions for humanitarian and constitutional reasons. Other issues--Wants bilingual education phased out of public schools.