The 35th State Assembly seat is on the ballot this November, and as everyone could guess water, the drought and the general lack of rain are high on peoples mind.
Recently, incumbent Katcho Achadjian and challenger Heidi Harmon took a time out, had a sit down and answered our questions.
What personal quality do you like most?
Katcho Achadjian – I am drawn to people who possess integrity, a strong work ethic, and who demonstrate trustworthiness over the long haul. I suppose if I had to name that quality in one word I would say that the quality I like best is found in people who are conscientious.
Heidi Harmon – Courage is the quality I appreciate most about myself. We need courageous people more than ever as we are facing challenges that threaten our future existence. In our past, leaders have stepped up to lead us through the turmoil. I’m thinking of Washington, Lincoln and FDR. Franklin Roosevelt inspired courage in the people he led and the “Greatest Generation” was born. We need another “Greatest Generation” and courage is its touchstone. We are in a watershed moment for policy especially in terms of environmental degradation and climate change. We need the political courage to act now, if we want to have the chance in the future. It takes a lot of courage to enter the political arena and make your ideas public as well as yourself vulnerable. This is why I am most proud of my courageousness and my willingness to put myself out there in order to be a change make
Which personal quality are you working on?
Heidi Harmon – I am learning about the kind of leader I want to become. One who is committed to making progress on the critical issues we face. Some aspects of leadership seem to come naturally, but leadership is also a skill set; understanding how to balance the values I’m committed to while at the same time staying open-minded to other points of view is an ongoing challenge. Leadership involves not just communicating my own views and platforms, but also listening thoughtfully and empathetically to others. Leadership is always a work in progress and presents a constant opportunity to learn more about myself and about those in our community.
Katcho Achadjian – I continue to work to develop my openness to improvement. While I have acquired age (begrudgingly), and experience (scars to prove it), the biggest lesson that they teach me is that there is a whole universe of new things to learn today. I have to remind myself daily that no matter what, there is always plenty of room for improvement.
Which living person do you most admire?
Katcho Achadjian – My wife Araxie is my hero. She never seems to think of herself and has always been the strength of our family. She is cultured, intelligent, and has been instrumental in raising our son and daughter to be well educated people of integrity. Her acumen allows me to absent from our businesses and for them to continue to thrive. Her unconditional support of my public life comes at a sacrifice which leaves me in total admiration.
Heidi Harmon – Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani advocate for education of girls and women is one of my heroes. Not even a bullet to the face from the gun of a Taliban zealot stopped her. Somehow she managed to survive and she continues to fight for the education of girls. The education of girls around the world is such a crucial issue, as we know that as the girls and women go, so goes a society at large. When girls and women do well, we all do well. Her courage in the face of grave danger and her undeterred perseverance is a triumph of the human spirit that inspires me every day. To quote her, “The terrorists thought they would stop my ambitions, but nothing changed but this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born.”
What do you most admire in other people?
Heidi Harmon – I most admire people who have the ability to be their full selves. In Hamlet, Polonius said “To thine own self be true.” I believe that in order to be true to others one must be true to oneself. Someone who is comfortable in their own skin, someone who owns who they are, I don’t have to agree with them, but I can trust them.
Katcho Achadjian – I really enjoy the company of people who are possessed of great character, who are able to really listen to every side of a proposition, and whose default setting is a willingness to work with others. I have been fortunate to find people in my personal, business, and political life who share these traits and I am a better man for their company.
You worked for a year to get AB 2453, the formation of the Paso Robles Basin Water District, passed and signed into law. What do you think the main impacts of the district will be?
Katcho Achadjian – The first success of AB 2453 has already happened through the legislative process which affirmed that in political terms, higher levels of government function best when they let local government and those closest to the problem develop their own effective solutions.
Assembly Bill 2453 will permit the leadership of the water district board to be organized in a way that local citizens and local government believed would be effective given the unique character of the district and the distinctive challenges it faces. This in itself is a victory for our local residents, grape growers, and ranchers. Moving forward it also sets the stage for a future of prudent and carefully managed water use in the basin.
What is the single biggest opportunity for SLO County over the next two years?
Heidi Harmon – SLO County possesses extraordinary resources, human, educational, business and environmental. It is well positioned to take advantage of the changes that are sure to come. The county has long been a leader in balancing growth against quality of life. It is perfectly positioned to forge ahead towards a future that creates good jobs without degrading the beautiful environment we share. Studies have demonstrated the great potential energy resources in our county. It is time to revisit those studies and move to exploit opportunities from Community Choice Aggregation to wave energy and expanded solar as well as embracing innovative technological developments coming from business and education. This must be fostered by policies initiated at both the state and local level.
If you are elected, what will be your main goals?
Heidi Harmon – If we fail to significantly reduce the billions of tons of carbon spewed into the atmosphere every year, climate change will warm the earth to an extent that is incompatible with human life. We also know that the costs of these changes are negligible if initiated now. In fact, the World Bank has projected such policies could actually stimulate growth. We need leadership in government that accepts this reality and commits to policies that will drive the practices that lead to a major reduction in the use of carbon based fuels. This means going up against powerful interests vested in the status quo. My main goal is to insure California adopts polices which move us away from fossil fuels and create the renewable energy and infrastructure, creating jobs that we need! We need leadership in the California State Legislature that accepts the reality of climate change and commits to policies that will mitigate it for the sake of our children. My other goal is to work on meaningful campaign finance reform so the interests of all the people are better represented. As an Assembly member, I will be a leader on these issues.
If you are reelected, what will be your main goals for your second term?
Katcho Achadjian – When/if I am elected to a third term, I would like to continue to build upon my relationships with constituents and fellow legislators to enable more working citizens to make a better living. I would seek to take advantage of the bipartisan relationships I have forged in state government to create more jobs while striking the necessary balance to include prudent protections for the environment that the constituents of this district expect and demand.