County Board of Supervisors Candidate: Michael Stogner

Michael G. Stogner, 60, describes himself as a victim’s advocate who believes in pension reform, consolidation of fire services and is opposed to the Cargill “Salt Flats” project in Redwood City. For more on the candidate, visit web.me.com/michaelgstogner/Political/Home.html.

1) What would you prioritize if you got voted in?

Obviously the most important one is the budget and also the unfunded pension, not that one supervisor could make anything like that happen. The very first thing I’d do is make a motion to rescind the Citizen of the Year award that the board of supervisors gave to Dr. William Ayers. The man allegedly molested hundreds of boys in San Mateo County.

2) Who are your primary supporters?

I’m not endorsed by any organizations, just citizens. For example, Libertarian Jack Hickey of the Sequoia Hospital District and Peter Carpenter of Atherton support me. I’m a Democrat. Not one of the 110 unions has bothered to send me a questionnaire.

3) What issue do you feel most strongly about and what’s your position?

Pension reform. There’s a matter called pension spiking done for members of law enforcement and firefighters, but not for schoolteachers and janitors. And now that the Board has borrowed against the general fund for multiple years, the shortfall in the budget is $1 billion, with a B for boy. When mandates like these increases in pension obligation are unfunded, that means that they don’t have the money for it. This is a fiscal crisis that has to be addressed otherwise San Mateo County will plan go broke.

4) What’s one thing most constituents don’t know about you?

I’m the only candidate asking for a performance audit on the DA’s office and the sheriff’s office. And I’m the only candidate asking for Sherriff Greg Munks to resign.

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The upcoming election is a mail-in ballot only, with May 3 the deadline to postmark. (The last day to acquire a vote-by-mail ballot is April 26.) For more information, visit SmartVoter.org.