One Moorpark College Professor feels that the educational system in California has a few flaws, and she plans to do something about it.
Biology Professor Marie Panec is running as a Democrat for the US Congress in California’s 24th Congressional District, with the Congressional Election coming up in 2010.
Panec feels that as an educator, she can bring a new mindset to her District.
“I don’t think education has enough voices in our political system and I think as a result they’re seeing policies that are well intended but have a lot of repercussions that people don’t understand,” said Panec.

Panec says that her three main campaign goals are to address the local economy, education and the environment.

Political Science Professor Lee Ballestero says that Panec running for congress is significant in that it reminds people that regular people can get into politics.

“We like to think that anybody can be elected to congress, but you tend to see people who end up in congress as having relatively the same kind of jobs, same demographic characteristics,” said Ballestero. “So it’s nice to see somebody who is like the average person running.”

Panec says that California needs to return to an educational system that was present thirty years ago, where the state had one of leading systems in the country and spent an adequate amount of funding on education.

This all changed with the passage of Prop 13 as well as the slashing of the tax structure, which as a result has led to California spending less on education.

One of the agents of change, Panec feels, can be the federal government.

“What you want government to do is to level the playing field and make sure basic rights are guaranteed for all citizens,” said Panec.

She also feels that the other two goals of her platform, improving the economy and green policy, can go hand in with each other, with research in alternative energy creating a need for more jobs.

“If we look historically at job creation in this country, science and technology have always led the way,” said Panec.

She gave an example of the automotive industry at the beginning of the 20th century, where whole new jobs were created for assembling vehicles.

Panec says that she can represent the needs of Ventura County, something that she also says Sen. Elton Gallegly has not done.

“I do not believe that Elton Gallegly is representing this district, regardless of which side of the aisle you are on,” said Panec. “He doesn’t actively present bills, he doesn’t advocate for the district, he doesn’t take issues up with the district, and I decided that that is an area I think needs to see some change.