Diane, thanks for agreeing to this interview. I've gotten to know you pretty well over the past several months and welcome your addition to San Diego's Republican family. When I look at the very top-level view of your political background, you served for some years as a Dana Point City Councilwoman and were active in Orange County Republican politics before running for the 73rd Assembly District, a seat which squats 3/5 in the smaller, well-off cities of south Orange County then moves down into San Diego County to  take in Camp Pendleton and the City of Oceanside.

For the readers unfamiliar with you, could you give us a little personal background on you and your family?

My husband, Dan, and I have been married over 25 years and we have one daughter, Jaclyn, who is now 24, working and living on her own, after graduating from USC's Marshall School of Business.  Our family has resided in Dana Point, since the early 1980's, where my husband has lived and worked since the early 1970's.

I have a degree in economics from UCI, after working my way thought school beginning at the Junior Colleges.  I began my career in Banking and Corporate Finance, which spanned 30 years, with Security Pacific Bank in the early 1970's, which later became Bank of America.

I have been a local activist, helping our city incorporate in 1989, and supported many local, state and national elected officials.  In 2004 I decided to run for the Dana Point City Council, won in a landslide, and in 2006, became Mayor of the city.

If you were serving in the State Assembly today, you would be dealing with the budget crisis. Year after year, Sacramento has spent literally billions more than the state government brings in - spending that increases by leaps and bounds more than population growth every year. To no one's great surprise, this year Democrats are calling for increased taxes while rejecting cuts and fiscal reforms, while Republicans are calling for significant cuts and various fiscal reforms. If you were now serving, what would your position be?

The role of the majority party is to build consensus for their agenda, but that requires leadership, and it appears that the Democrats who control both houses of the Legislature are at this point reluctant to lead.  As we know Democrats outnumber Republicans by such overwhelming margins in both houses that the budget vote is one of the few times the Democrats are required to reach across the aisle. As we say in municipal government, the Dems need to learn to "count to 3" or sit down with Republicans, reach a compromise and craft a budget that will garner the acceptance of 2/3 of both houses.

The Republican minority has a seat at the budget table and has insisted that they will not support new taxes. So it is up to the Democrats, who control the agenda, to put forth a budget that Republicans can accept.  When the escalating revenues (tax collections) from "boom" times subside, it is ludicrous to expect that we can continually tax our way out of the deficit hole, spending even more this year than we have in the past. More taxes penalize the productive, working people in the state, who are feeling the pinch of the economic slow-down.  Many have lost jobs, are trying to refinance their homes, and all are paying more for gasoline and food.  How can any elected "representative" think of taking more money out of the pocket of hard-working people and/or the businesses that employ them?

To build a consensus with those across the aisle while keeping your own party happy, requires  communication and negotiation skills, not threats, not locking your colleagues out of  his/her office or the capitol building, nor dumping the huge document on the minority party with less than 48 hours to review. I have faith that the new Democratic leadership will meet the challenge soon and end the stalemate in a responsible manner.

As an aside, the Governor's role is not to broker a "compromise." His option is the line item veto or rejecting the entire budget once it is presented to him.

How about a voluntary 10% surcharge on the gross income of anyone who feels obligated to pay higher taxes? We could even make their names public for official recognition and adulation...

Good idea! We would really discover who it is that believes they don't pay enough.  I fear we might discover that the spirit of volunteerism is not so alive and well.

The State Assembly is organized in a committee system. On which committees are you most interested in serving, and why?

I would serve wherever I am needed, but considering my financial, economic, and analytical background I would be most useful in Banking and Finance, Appropriations, or any committee dealing with budgetary items, as well as committees dealing with Transportation and Water - issues so necessary to our state's future quality of life.

In the past, some members serving the 73rd Assembly District have maintained an Oceanside office and San Diego County based staff. Have you considered this?

Certainly, and I do plan on retaining the same location as my predecessor, in the Oceanside Civic Center, where I have promised to work on location at least one Friday per month.

That's great news. Make sure and tell Red County when you are in Oceanside and I'm sure they'd be happy to publish your schedule for Oceanside readers.

What news sources to you read, listen to, or watch on a daily basis? To make you more comfortable with our readers, I'll admit outright that I am a daily National Public Radio listener...

I access news from a variety of sources daily beginning with the Wall Street Journal and OC Register that is delivered to my home.  While campaigning and driving around the district I listen to talk radio (I am a Rush fan) and I occasionally watch evening cable news.  On the web I review the North County Times, Capitol Alert, and financial publications such as Investors Daily.  I subscribe to the weekly magazine, The Economist, and the bi-monthly Foreign Affairs publication.

I'm an Economist fan as well, but I have to admit I canceled Foreign Affairs when the unread publications got knee high. In the Economist have you been following the return of the Conservative Party, and if so what are your thoughts on their 'remaking' the Party into something very different than Thatcherism?

Yes, I've read about it and question as to what we really have if we "moderate" or remake the Conservative image.  Margaret Thatcher, or the "Iron Lady", entered office at an all-time low for Britain similar to Reagan and turned the country around.  She was pro-privatization of Britain's industries, and not afraid to take strong stands and follow through.   She, like Reagan, was very clear in her ideology and belief in private markets and the limits of government.  She knew evil when she came across it and aligned herself with the UK's natural ally, the USA.

As I understand it, the Labour Party is in trouble with Gordon Brown at the helm due to the economic slowdown as well as his inability to appeal to other than a dying base, as his predecessor Tony Blair was able to do.  Conservatism by definition is pragmatic and better at dealing with terrorism, immigration and economic dynamism plaguing the UK, and Thatcher was the consummate conservative.  Britain would do well to find another leader firm in resolve and clear in alliances, so needed now to thwart Islamic radicalism and continue to move forward on the economic front.

What are your thoughts on Governor Schwarzenegger's redistricting proposal? (Background for readers: the proposal would create a 14 member panel with 5 Republicans and 5 Democrats and 4 Other voters, The state auditor would create a process to identify 60 potential members, some of whom could be disqualified by legislative leaders. Eight commissioners would be chosen through a random drawing, and those eight would choose the remaining six members of the panel)?

Since redistricting will happen with or without "reform" I think the general consensus  is that the reform proposition will be more "fair" than if the new district lines are drawn by Democrat majority in the Legislature. However, I've reviewed the proposal in detail and understand the desire of many to try to improve the system, and do support some of the tenants of the proposal such as requiring each Senate District to be comprised of 2 Assembly Districts.  However, I would not expect it to be the panacea that many in the Republican Party are hoping for.   I tend to believe that in theory, the duties of the elected legislature should not be delegated to a commission that is not responsible to the voters.  I also have a question as to who "the Other voters" are.  Is the Other to be comprised of DTS, Peace and Freedom, Communist, Green, Libertarian or some other Party designation?  Depending on the vetting of the "R's" and the choice of the "Other Voters" we could get an extremely Liberal group of commissioners drawing our districts.

Good point. I'm no expert on the measure but I understand it also excludes the Congressional delegation?

Yes, it does, which seems to defeat the original intent.

The Rolling Stones or The Beatles?

In their day (1964 -1970's), while enjoying the Stones, I must confess that due to Paul McCartney, I was a devoted Beatles fan.  However over the years I have "switched parties" so to speak and the Stones are one of the few oldies groups I enjoy, and find the Beatles tunes a bit dated.

That stings. I am the walrus.

After winning a campaign, some Republican legislators arrive in Sacramento unclear what they either want to accomplish, or what they can accomplish, as a member of the minority party. What is the single most important goal that you would like to accomplish, and you think it is possible to accomplish, as a member of the State Assembly?

While working to support and communicate Republican ideals and ideas in concert with my fellow Assembly Members, until Republicans gain more seats in the legislature, we will not have an audible voice. Hence, the achievable goal I have set is to work to build a Republican bench, or get more Republicans elected locally and statewide.

Right on the mark Diane. The job of the minority is to become the majority. Sometimes I think that, having been in the minority for much of the last seventy years ,some legislative Republicans forget this and start focusing on minutia or walk through their years thinking they actually have a role in governing. Good show!

Favorite two Presidents of the United States - and President Reagan is not an acceptable answer?

George Washington, our first President who humbly knew intuitively that 2 terms was enough, and was very clear in his mind about what should be the limitations of Government by the governed. Next would be Abraham Lincoln, a seemingly simple, self-educated man, who had the foresight to understand the dehumanizing affect of slavery and its detrimental impact on a nation that espoused that all men were created equal. Lincoln had the political will to achieve victory in what was an unpopular, long and bloody war and is the reason we are still the United States of America.

I was just in Washington D.C. during a heat and thunderstorm filled week and began to think maybe we should have just let the south go. Actually 'we' weren't even in America yet so I guess 'we' didn't have a lot to say about it.

The 73rd Assembly District has now elected three conservative Republican women in a row: now Supervisor Pat Bates, current Assemblywoman and State Senator elect Mimi Walters, now you. Do you attribute this somewhat unusual chain of events to anything in particular?

Perhaps... the 73rd District does seem to have more Republican women in local city government that are willing to step into the fray, compared to some of the other districts.  However, if we examine other Assembly races, we find announcing early, garnering key endorsements and raising a formidable war chest that seems to clear the field, not gender.  It is also a boon to obtain the early support of the incumbent, such as Walters did with Bates and I sought with Walters.

Simply stated, the first out the gate has the advantage, just as with any competition.  Pat Bates ran twice before she was successful and Mimi and I started early, announcing our goal and moving forward while others "explored."  

Good points, all.

Diane, thanks for taking the time to sit down with Red County San Diego and good luck in the legislature. I look forward to seeing you up in Sacramento, and down in San Diego.