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• Lodi man to spend a decade in prison for fatal DUI crash

• Hegyi aims for Assembly

• Lodi Unified to take look at Equity Initiative's progress

• Counties bracing for same-sex marriage legalization

• Galt set to contract with new attorney; Conflict of interest required new hire

• Regional Roundup

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (23)

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Q and A: Democratic candidates for the 10th Assembly District

'We can't continue to cut education'

What should the state government do to improve education?

My family was on welfare when I was born. Education was my path out of poverty. As the first person in my family to graduate from college, I value a quality public education system. We cannot continue to cut education. California is the 8th largest economy in the world; it is mind-boggling that we are 46th in the country in perpupil spending and 50th in staffing ratios. We cannot just throw money at the problem, but at some point you get what you pay for. When I was a child, we had paste in the classroom in big jars — now my sons' teacher has to do fundraisers for glue sticks! Our teachers have to spend their time learning to be fundraisers instead of focusing on teaching. We must stabilize our funding sources for education so that our children's futures do not suffer every time we have an economic downturn.

Why is health care so expensive, and can the state do something to bring down the cost to make insurance and medical aid more affordable?

I know what it is like to have to choose between paying the rent or going to the doctor. Currently, people paying into the system are subsidizing those who choose not to or cannot afford to. We already have universal coverage because we do not turn away anyone who arrives in an emergency room.

We need a solution that is fair to everyone and encourages preventative care. Insurance works by sharing risks; the more people paying into the insurance system the lower the costs of insurance. When more people receive preventative care the costs of care are reduced for all of us.

What must change to balance California's budget? Can efficiencies solve the problem, or are Californians going to have to face higher taxes and fewer services?

I agree with the governor that California cannot solve this crisis with cuts alone and must get creative. Budgets are about priorities. We must close tax loopholes that do not reflect our state priorities, cut waste and administrative overhead where possible but not balance the budget on the backs of the weakest and most vulnerable of our citizens — children and seniors. When I was in college, the program that changed my life was threatened by the last budget crisis. We should not cut programs without first reviewing their likely impact on the communities served, but we should create flexibility in the budget where possible. It is fiscally irresponsible to spend more than we take in.

What is the most important way the California Legislature must be changed?

We must bring commonsense solutions and the perspective of average Californians to Sacramento. I am not a career politician. I lived in a trailer park in Lodi and went to Lodi public schools (Leroy Nichols, Woodbridge Junior High and Lodi High). I took classes at Delta Community College, was offered a scholarship to Chico State for my national success on Delta's speech and debate team, and then transferred to Cornell University when state budget cuts threatened the team. I returned to California to go to law school at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and I have been practicing business litigation since 1999. I know first hand how education can lead to success, and I bring a unique perspective to Sacramento that is too often overlooked. We need real solutions, not rhetoric or politicians looking for their next political office.

Alyson Huber went to school in Lodi and currently lives in El Dorado Hills. She is an attorney focusing on business litigation.