Published: Tuesday, October 31, 2000

'Outsiders' take on established incumbent in 11th District
Transportation, education seen as major issues in race

by Marc Burkhardt

The contest for the 11th State Senatorial District is similar to many races throughout the nation. On one side is an established incumbent with a long record of political achievement. On the other, avowed political outsiders are running, who insist on the need for change.

Byron Sher Age: 72 Occupation: Incumbent Residence: Palo Alto Comments:"Industry in Silicon Valley is very enlightened (in terms of the environment). They just want clear laws so they know what's expected of them. And the government has to be flexible enough to ensure the laws are working the ways they were intended." Gloria Hom Age: 60 Occupation: Educator Residence: Palo Alto Comments:"In order to make changes in education, the buck stops with the state Legislature."

The incumbent in this race is Democrat Byron Sher, a prominent player in state and local politics since the mid-1960s, where he honed his political skills on the Palo Alto City Council before moving on to a long career in the state Assembly and Senate. The outsiders are Republican Gloria Hom, who previously served on the state Board of Education, and Libertarian John J. "Jack" Hickey, a self-described taxpayer's advocate.

Sher, 72, was first elected to the state Senate in 1996 after a 16-year stay at the state Assembly. He is known for his leadership in environmental issues and has a long list of accomplishments on his political resume.

"California has strong environmental laws now," said Sher, a Palo Alto resident. "I always refer to a Bank of America survey that shows how states with the best economies have the strongest environmental laws.

"Industry in Silicon Valley is very enlightened (in terms of the environment)," Sher added. "They just want clear laws so they know what's expected of them. And the government has to be flexible enough to ensure the laws are working the ways they were intended."

In his most recent term, Sher played a key role in the acquisition of the Headwaters Forest (the largest remaining group of ancient redwoods held in private ownership). He also helped establish tough, new restrictions on logging practices on California's north coast.

He expanded the state's "bottle bill" to increase recycling and reduce the littering of aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers; wrote the first California law validating electronic transactions and authorizing the use of digital signatures in e-commerce; authored bills extending research and development tax credits for high-tech companies and making such tax credits permanent; and wrote a law requiring HMOs to allow patients, such as pregnant women, to remain with their doctor if the physician is dropped from the health plan.

If he is re-elected, Sher sees major challenges ahead with such issues as traffic congestion, the lack of affordable housing and the task of attracting high-quality teachers to state schools. Regarding Measure A, the Santa Clara County transit tax on the November ballot, Sher regards BART to San Jose as an attractive option but believes officials need to offer a balanced transportation system that serves all of Santa Clara County and includes upgraded bus services, a refurbished Dumbarton Rail Bridge, and other modes of transit.

Reflecting on his long political career, Sher said his years of experience separate him from his competition and asserted he is even more energized by issues these days, given that Gov. Gray Davis is more sympathetic to issues close to the state senator.

"I was especially encouraged by the change in administration, because it means we can get things done we weren't able to do before," he said.

His Republican opponent, Gloria Hom, 60, has an extensive background in education. Along with her stint on the state Board of Education, she is a professor and chairman of the Economics Department at Mission College in Santa Clara and a division chairman for the Social Science Department. She has also served as an adjunct instructor at San Jose State University and UC Santa Cruz.

A resident of Palo Alto, Hom is an active member of the Palo Alto Rotary Club, along with other community and service organizations.

Given her background, it is not surprising that Hom places great emphasis on the state education system. She believes teachers are paid far too little, and says the state hasn't done enough to attract the best and brightest candidates to its schools.

"Education is a career path," said Hom, who maintained that Davis considers teaching careers to be short-term commitments, like volunteers in the Peace Corps.

Hom also believes the state should give back county tax revenues taken during the budget crisis of the 1990s. That money, she said, could be used by counties for necessary infrastructure improvements.

Hom opposes Measure A, believing it to be too costly, but advocates the creation of a light-rail system to aid the county's transportation woes.

Hom criticized the political establishment for its reliance on special interests, and believes incumbents should be under strict term limits.

"If you don't make changes, you get the same old game," she said.

Hickey, a research scientist who says he has filed 28 patents, also places much importance on education.

In his campaign statement for the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto Voters Guide, Hickey said the state education system has failed and advocates parental choice.

"Ninety percent of children are herded into government schools where violence and illiteracy are common," he said. "Two percent of parents choose home schooling, 8 percent private schools. Let's reward parent choices with tax relief."

Addressing transportation, Hickey said government over-regulation needs to be eliminated. He called for the elimination of carpool lanes, which Hickey said contributes to "road rage," and said gasoline taxes should be dedicated to the improvement of highways.