Too often, discussions of complex issues are reduced to sound bites. So I recommended to state Assemblyman Bill Monning (D-Carmel) that he write a book that would discuss his vision for our state. Not long thereafter I interviewed Monning for almost six hours and discovered that he has an impressive grasp of the challenges we face, and how we might meet them.

Here are some excerpts from the resulting book, Vision for a Healthy California, organized according to topic:

The environment: “My vision of a healthy environment is to be found through a greater sense of human stewardship and to understand that we have to live in harmony with nature. The ‘how-to’ has been demonstrated over the years along multiple paths by nonprofit organizations committed to the preservation and revival of various species and to the protection and restoration of our water habitats, forests and air resources.”s

Energy: “It is interesting to note that close to 15 percent of the energy used in California is expended moving water, mostly from Northern California, pumping it over the Grapevine to Southern California. What if we put solar panels over those canals to produce the energy needed to move water to the south? We wouldn’t have to buy any new property. We wouldn’t need any new easements or public takings. And, by covering the canals with solar panels, we would reduce the loss of water to evaporation under the hot sun of the San Joaquin Valley.”

Health care: “To promote healthier lifestyles, it is essential to build broader alliances among our schools, community, agricultural and political leaders. We also need to enlist the support of celebrities in the sports and entertainment communities. Those public figures who say they are not role models are denying the obvious, and shirking their responsibility. These cultural icons have hundreds of thousands or even millions of adoring fans, most of them young and impressionable.

CLOSE TO 15 PERCENT OF THE ENERGY USED IN CALIFORNIA IS EXPENDED MOVING WATER.

“We need to enlist the support of leaders at all levels as part of this public health campaign to stigmatize unhealthy habits and instead celebrate good health through better nutrition, more exercise, and good hygiene. Advertising campaigns can demonstrate how we can help each other become healthier and happier. This may sound idealistic, but the fact is that children and young people do learn by imitation and mimic the role models in their lives starting with parents and family members as well as the public personalities. Collectively, we have the power to incentivize a new health consciousness in the state.”

(As chair of the Assembly Health Committee, Monning also discusses implementation of the Obama health care reform in California and his continued support for a Single Payer Healthcare delivery system.)

Stopping big polluters: “I strongly oppose Proposition 23 and believe its proponents are not truthful in their campaign. They are trying to link job loss in California to the largely unimplemented AB 32 standards which require the reduction of CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2030. The source of the funding for the Prop. 23 campaign is mostly from out-of-state oil company interests (Valero), and it is opposed by virtually all environmental and labor organizations in California. Included in the opposition are Governor Schwarzenegger and former Secretary of State George Schultz, both of whom see California’s economic future as dependent upon reduction of CO2 emissions.”

The budget process: “If we don’t change the rules on how California passes its budget, we will inevitably continue to inflict unnecessary suffering on many of our citizens and produce an ever-steepening decline in the quality of life for the vast majority of Californians. That’s not the kind of California where most of us want to live. But all hope is not lost. We can start by passing Prop. 25 in November. Prop. 25 would restore the majority vote for passing a budget. Prop. 25 does not address the two-thirds vote to raise revenues.”

Tax reform: “Any conversation about taxes is guaranteed to be controversial. Most Californians do not enjoy paying taxes. A key to changing public perception about taxes is to demonstrate the correlation between taxes and public services including education and to develop a system that most Californians would accept as fair.”

The book also includes thoughtful comments and suggestions on a number of other California-critical issues like terms limits and campaign finance reform, what to do about pensions, public safety, and immigration.

TONY SETON is the editor of Vision for a Healthy California and partner in The Living Proof Project, which published the book. It’s available through www.billmonning.org.