Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide
Name: Janet Nguyen
Current job title: State Senator
Political party affiliation: Non-Partisan
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Assemblywoman, Senate 34 District, Supervisor, City Councilwoman
City where you reside: Huntington Beach
Campaign website or social media: http://www.JanetForSupervisor.com
In the conversation after the recent Point in Time count report, advocates have said a lack of housing has kept homeless people stuck in the shelter system. How can the county address the housing crisis and encourage cities to increase development of affordable housing? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Last year alone, 30,000 residents left our county in search of more affordable housing. A recent UC Irvine poll found that nearly half of Orange County residents considered moving in large part because of the cost of housing. If we want to create opportunities for families to thrive and attract the economic development that keeps our residents employed, the county must step in and partner with cities to enable affordable housing development. This can be done by opening up county land for development, reducing costly county and local regulations and working with our neighboring communities to update state law that will empower the free market to fulfill the housing need. If we can stabilize the demand for housing with adequate supply, we can provide the best opportunities for our residents to find secure housing.
Where do you think the county is effectively spending to address the needs of the county’s unhoused, and what would you change about where money spent on homelessness is prioritized? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
The county must equip our cities to address their own homeless situations. The current top-down approach of the county mandating homelessness programs doesn’t work. Our local city leaders are aware of their homelessness situation and should be provided the resources to create and manage their own programs. They are better equipped to know what their city’s needs are when it comes to the unhoused. Each city should be working with their local nonprofits and faith-based organizations and take an inventory of services being provided so they can properly address the needs of their own community’s homeless. We will get a handle on the homeless crisis when we have an approach to identify and help each homeless individual.
Where does climate change fall in your list of priorities? How, if at all, would you address this as supervisor? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Protecting our coastline and keeping our oceans and beaches clean from trash and debris are big priorities of mine. As a supervisor, I will continue working with our North Orange County and Los Angeles County communities to capture trash in the Santa Ana and San Gabriel rivers before it goes out into the ocean and onto our shores in Seal Beach
Orange County is home to 41 miles of beach, and large swaths are at risk from coastal erosion. As a state senator representing the entire coast of Orange County, I have the experience and knowledge and will continue to work with our state and federal partners to ensure that critical sand replenishment continues to protect our coastline for residents and visitors.
Looking at the county’s yearly budget, what would you like to see different in the way county funds are allocated? Is there a department or project that has not received the funding it needs? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Public safety must always be a priority in the county. Retail theft and home invasions have increased in recent years. Our law enforcement needs the tools to partner with our local public agencies to share data and protect our community.
Homelessness and mental health spending is out of control. County agencies are rapidly spending money without success and clear performance metrics. It’s time to audit these programs, identify which work and don’t work and provide more oversight to ensure funds are effectively spent.
When it comes to county spending, the public needs readily available information to know who is receiving our county contracts and where our county dollars are being spent. Transparency can be accomplished by simply posting the no-bid county contracts and contractors online. In addition, where public dollars are being spent, clear goals must be outlined and met so that the public always knows where we stand and we can know where to make improvements.
In your opinion, what is the biggest need your district faces, and how would you address it? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
From smash and grabs and home invasions to theft and murders in broad daylight, our residents are increasingly concerned about public safety. As a supervisor, I will ensure our local public safety agencies are equipped to coordinate and stop the rising crime rates in our communities. Our county sheriff’s department should be able to work and coordinate with our local cities’ police departments.
With the recent corruption scandal breaking around the alleged misuse of COVID-19 relief funds and the blatant theft of taxpayer dollars by our current county supervisor and his associates, the public trust has been broken. Transparency and public trust are critical to good governance, and to rebuild that trust, we as a county need to make county information more accessible. The public needs readily available information to know who is receiving our county contracts and where our county dollars are being spent. I have called for a complete audit of all COVID-19 spending and, when elected, will root out the corruption plaguing our county.
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your district? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
I’ve represented our First District communities for nearly 20 years. I grew up here, met my husband here and we’re raising our kids here. My kids attend our local public schools; I know the needs of seniors, parents and children.
As a refugee of the Vietnam War, I know what it’s like to grow up with nothing and have to rely on social service programs. As a former Chamber of Commerce vice president and small business owner, I know what it’s like to operate a business and understand the hurdles that businesses have to jump over today. As a former supervisor, I know firsthand how the county operates. I’ve always been an advocate for all of our residents and will continue to do so as the next supervisor.
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