EDITORIAL: Caserta's ready for the Capitol: Teacher heads the class in primary for Assembly seat

May 31, 2008 (Palo Alto Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- -- We endorse Dominic Caserta's bid for the Democratic nomination to replace outgoing Assemblywoman Sally Lieber because he offers specific proposals and the energy to push for meaningful change in our often-paralyzed state Legislature.

The Santa Clara City Council member offers detailed plans for health care, education and even food safety. Caserta, 33, is a former Republican-turned-moderate Democrat who promotes liberal goals and economic development.

Paul Fong is another viable candidate in the Democratic primary. Fong has won over party establishment figures such as Lieber and U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, and he earned the state Democratic Party's blessing. He would represent the district well, but Caserta is the stronger candidate. In a recent Daily News editorial board interview with three of the four candidates, Caserta, Fong and Kris Wang, Caserta gave the most detailed, knowledgeable answers.

Drawing on his 10 years as a Santa Clara High School teacher, Caserta outlined plans for educating non-college bound students, providing assistance for low-performing districts and struggling students and establishing a data management system to monitor education spending.

He also is in the middle of his second term as a council member and appears well-suited to the role of rising young Silicon Valley politician. Caserta talked up his voter-outreach efforts, noting that he had attended 30 coffee chats in the community.

As a Democratic progressive, Caserta supports universal health care, expansion of the system of affordable community-based health clinics and measures to prevent insurers from dropping patients with pre-existing maladies. Furthermore he supports new efforts to guarantee the safety of our food, a growing concern in the global economy.

Caserta has also reached out to the business community. He stresses the need to continue innovating and advocates tax credits and subsidies to develop renewable energy and create new "green-collar" jobs such as solar panel installers. He sees golden opportunities in the emerging clean, green economy.

Caserta has the energy and the ideas to make a difference in the state Assembly, which is why he should be the Democratic voters' choice on Tuesday.

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