Peterson-More officially joins 44th District race

Democrat joins race that includes Carol Liu.

November 16, 1999

by John Huthmacher

Diana Peterson-More officially announced her entry into the race for the 44th Assembly District seat during a press conference breakfast/dialogue at Shakers Restaurant in Pasadena Tuesday morning.

Peterson-More, a labor lawyer, corporate manager and officer, and business entrepreneur, told the gathering of about 15 people she intended to treat the occasion as more of an opportunity for dialogue than "another photo op," then spent over an hour answering questions on a diverse number of topics including education, health care, local government responsibility and gun safety.

Peterson-More joins a race that includes Democrats Carol Liu, Victor Franco Jr. and Barry Gordon, Republicans Susan Carpenter-McMillan, Robert Wagner and Damian Jones, and Libertarian Jerry Douglas.

"We need an assembly that reflects a voice not often heard," the single mother of three said Tuesday. "This campaign is about issues that people in the 44th (District) care about."

Following her announcement, the breakfast was quickly transformed into a "Dialogue With Diana," and informal discussion tool Peterson-More has utilized three to four times a week to meet with small groups or district residents in their homes. These small coffee and wine and cheese gatherings reflect the grass roots mentality she said she plans to bring into office if elected.

"I'm not going to be sitting around drinking coffee with lobbyists," she said. "I'll be sitting in people's living rooms, meeting monthly with mayors in the area to really find out what I can do legislatively to help them on a day-to-day basis."

"Dialogues With Diana" have been held in homes throughout the district including La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Glendale, Temple City and Altadena. Her most recent dialogue meeting in LCF was at the home of Marv Gross and Lynn Winter-Gross on Oct. 28.

Citing education as perhaps the most common concern district-wide, Peterson-More expounded briefly on some of her ideas to improve local schools. Some of her education-orinted objectives are:

1) Establishing a prekindergarten through 12th grade educational system, bringing children into schools earlier to allow "total language immersion and socialization." Funds for additional classes would come from Proposition 10 taxes and by cutting the state's 20 percent administrative overhead cost by at least 5 percent.

2) Reinstate school funding, making Lottery funds "in addition to" instead of "in place of."

3) Promote charter school: "I think we need to experiment. We didn't go from No. 1 to No. 48 overnight."

4) Promote community based schools, a "community center" format that would include child care and afterschool education for adults, to promote "integrational bonding."

Regarding health care reform, Peterson-More called for introducting a position "equivalent to a surgeon general" at the state level to deal with public health issues. Citing the high cost of HMOs, she believes in "moving toward universal access" to medical care.

Promising to run a campaign free of personal attacks, Peterson-More said her diverse background as a consensus builder makes her the most viable Democratic candidate to challenge Republican front runner Susan Carpenter-McMillan.

Peterson-More's political background includes a stint as president of the National Women's Political Caucus of Greater Pasadena, and membership in Emily's List and the Women's Leadership Forum.

by David Zahniser
Staff Writer

Pasadena - Management consultant Diana Peterson-More launched her campaign for State Assembly on Tuesday, calling for an increased emphasis on education and the addition of a new public-school grade level that serves 4-year-olds.

Peterson-More said public schools should be expanded to reach pre-schoolers in the year before they go to kindergarten.

The concept, said Peterson-More, should be introduced first as a pilot program at a handful of school districts. Then, if it is successful, it should be carried out statewide, she said.

"We know that the earlier children start, the better they do, especially in (English) language immersion,"she said.

Peterson-More's message paralleled that of fellow Assembly candidate Barry Gordon, who is also pushing for a full day of kindergarten and public funding of preschool.

"If she agrees with me that we should be reaching children at an early age, then I'm happy to have her agreement," he said.

Peterson-More and Gordon are among four candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in the March 7 primary. They are hoping to fill the 44th Assembly seat being vacated by Assembly-man Jack Scott, D-Altadena.

The district includes Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena and San Marino and extends west as far as La Crescenta.

La Canada Flintridge Mayor Carol Liu was out of town Tuesday and unavailable for comment. The fourth candidate, accounts manager Victor Franco, agreed that education is the top issue but declined to discuss Peterson-More's proposal.

"I wouldn't want to comment on anything she brought up without knowing or seeing anything about it" he said.

Peterson-More said she did not know how much an extra year of grade school would cost the state of California. She argued that funds for the expansion could be achieved through a reduction of school administration costs.

While some candidates have entered the race with formal press conferences, Peterson-More began hers with a breakfast round table designed to highlight her understanding of the issues. The candidate promoted her ongoing "Dialogues With Diana," regularly scheduled meetings for the discussion of constituent issues.

A Pasadena resident, Peterson-More said she supports a ballot initiative to lower the minimum voter approval for school bond measures from two-thirds to a simple majority.

She also backs the expansion of charter schools - experimental public schools that are freed from state regulation -- and said campuses should provide more arts, music and foreign language instruction in the afternoon.

Pasadena attorney enters Assembly race

Diana Peterson-More, first Democrat to officially declare candidacy, seeks 44th District seat.

by Robert Shaffer, News-Press

GLENDALE - A Pasadena attorney is the second candidate and first Democrat to officially enter the race for who represents the 44th state Assembly District.

Diana Peterson-More, 49, a former labor attorney who runs two Pasadena human resources businesses, on Monday announced she intends to run for the office currently held by Jack Scott (D-Montrose).

Susan Carpenter-McMillan, the spokeswoman for Paula Jones during her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton, entered the race in July.

She is the first Democrat to officially declare in what could be a crowded Assembly primary. La Canada Flintridge Mayor Carol Liu and Barry Gordon, who lost a bid for Congress in 1998, have said they will run.

"I like both of my Democratic opponents" Peterson-More said. "For me, its about the fact I have a different set of experiences. I raise a different voice."

Peterson-More has started campaigning with a series of small talks at private homes and offices she's calling "A Dialogue with Diana."

Carpenter-McMillan, a Republican, was the first candidate to declare her intentions to seek the seat that will vacated when Scott runs for the state Senate.

Despite having never run for elected office, Peterson-More is not a complete political outsider. She has worked on the campaign of state Assemblyman Jack Scott (D-Montrose).

The district includes almost 400,000 residents in Montrose, the foothills, a small portion of northern Glendale, Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena, San Marino and Temple City.

A single mother of three, Peterson-More said she is concerned about the lack o a childcare infrastructure in California.

Carpenter-McMillan said she is not worried about Peterson-More entering the race. Attracting traditionally neglected populations to the Republican party is something Republicans must do, she said.

by David Mark
Staff Writer

Pasadena - After narrowly losing a bid for a congressional seat last fall, Barry Gordon seemed to have a clear path to the Democratic nomination for the similarly drawn Pasadena - based 44th Assembly District.

But at least two challengers have cropped up in recent weeks in the race to replace incumbent Democrat Jack Scott, expected to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Adam Schiff, who will be running for Congress against incumbent Republican James Rogan.

Diana Peterson-More, a Pasadena resident and former corporate lawyer, and La Canada Flintridge Mayor Carol Liu both plan to run for the Democratic nomination. In addition, Omel Nieves, a member of Pasadena's Recreation and Parks Commission, has been mentioned in Democratic circles as a possible candidate.

With the California primary election in March 2000, three months earlier than in previous years, the candidates have already started fund raising, and in some cases, campaigning.

Each has their own spin on why she or he would be the best candidate in a district where Democratic Party registration outnumbers Republicans about 45-38 percent.

Liu, a member of the La Canada Flintridge City Council for seven years, said her experience in local government would be a strong asset.

"I'm the only elected official," she said.

Public education and public safety would be her top priorities, Liu said.

Gordon, a former president of the Screen Actors Guild, also toots his campaign experience. In 1998, Gordon came within 3,000 votes of knocking off, Rogan despite being outspent more than 2-1.

"I'm the only candidate whose had tens of thousands of people vote for me," he said. "I ran a very close race last time. I'm going to be talking about the same issues as last time - public education, health care, HMO reform."

More, a small-business owner, said she would work to develop more business friendly programs to encourage job growth. She would also promote gun control and education reform, she said.

More said she is undecided whether the Long Beach (710) Freeway should be extended through South Pasadena and southwestern Pasadena, where she lives.

"I'm in the process of educating myself on it," she said.

On the Republican side, several members of city councils around the West San Gabriel Valley are considering the race as is Susan Carpenter-McMillan of San Marino, the conservative activist and former spokes-woman for Paula Jones.