Sepi Gilani

[{"question": "Regular election", "answer_html": "<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>", "answer_text": ""}, {"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Sepi Gilani completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gilani's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-206656-2023-12-01\" id=\"heading-bio-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-206656-2023-12-01\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-206656-2023-12-01\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tPhysician, Surgeon, Public University Educator\r\n<p><br/>\r\nI entered the race for Senate after Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away. As a physician who sees homeless, ill, and struggling patients on a daily basis, I believe that these three issues are important in California and our nation:\r\nHomelessness\r\nHealthcare \r\nEducation\r\n</p><p>I was born in Denver, Colorado and graduated from high school in Liberty, Missouri. Since then I have lived most of my life in California. While in California, I have lived in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Diego. I am currently Associate Professor at University of California San Diego, where I teach surgery. My husband of 36 years is a radiologist. My older twin son and my daughter-in-law are lawyers and my younger twin son does social research and served in the United States Peace Corps for two years.\r\n</p><p>In 2012, when I ran for Town Committee, I was on the same election ballot as President Obama and was elected to Town Committee where I served from 2012-2015.\r\n</p><p>I currently serve as president of the American College of Surgeons San Diego and Imperial County Chapter.\r\n</p><p>I have worked on countless political campaigns including medical ones and have served on many non profit organization boards. I have knocked on thousands of doors and have made tens of thousands of phone calls to get others elected to political office, I have worked the polls and registered hundreds to vote. \r\n</p><p>I hope you can join me for my campaign. \r\n</p>\n</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-206656-2023-12-01\" id=\"heading-key-message-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-206656-2023-12-01\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-206656-2023-12-01\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>#Homelessness Homelessness affects all of us and has not been solved despite billions spent by the government. We must work to solve homelessness without additional burden to taxpayers by coordinating efforts, eliminating wasteful inefficiencies, and implementing solutions proposed by advocates and researchers on homelessness.</li><li>#Healthcare If everyone is insured and has easy access to healthcare, we will have less national health expenses and we will be able to prevent illness. One of our problems today is that health insurance is tied to being employed. If you lose your job, you also lose your health insurance. Families are often trapped without a job and without health insurance. Having health covered regardless of employment makes sure people can get the care they need when they need it. Much of our health care expenses are because we wait too long and when we finally do show up for care, the problem is more problematic and more costly to treat. Training more doctors to provide care earlier in the disease process helps reduce costs for healthcare and</li><li>#Education I attended a public high school in a small farming town in northeast Missouri. In the Midwest we had robust vocational schools built into the public high schools which provided much needed training. Many of my classmates were able to graduate knowing a trade and were able to start working immediately. Classes and career pathways included agriculture, drafting, electronics, automotive, construction trades and animal science. Many states, including California, do not have vocational training. I would work to have vocational training available at all public high schools. High school can be a successful springboard to employment and having a vocation in early adulthood. I also believe that students who would like to participate i</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-206656-2023-12-01\" id=\"heading1-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-206656-2023-12-01\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-206656-2023-12-01\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-206656-2023-12-01\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\t#Homelessness #Healthcare #Education\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Gilani submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on December 1, 2023.</i></p></div>\n<div class=\"text-center\" style=\"margin-top: 30px\"><button class=\"btn btn-default showResponses text-center\">Show past responses</button><button class=\"btn btn-default hideResponses text-center\">Hide past responses</button></div>\n<div class=\"pastResponses\" style=\"display: none\"><p class=\"large-date\">\tNovember 1 submission</p><div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-206656-2023-11-01\" id=\"heading-bio-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-206656-2023-11-01\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-206656-2023-11-01\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\t\tPhysician, Surgeon, Public University Educator\r\n<p><br/>\n</p><p><br/>\n</p><p>I entered the race for Senate after Senator Diane Feinstein passed away. As a Democrat and physician who sees homeless, ill and struggling patients on a daily basis, I believe that these three issues are most important in California and our nation:\r\n</p><p>Homelessness\r\n</p><p>Healthcare \r\n</p><p>Education\r\n</p><p><br/>\n</p><p>I was born in Denver, Colorado and graduated from high school in Liberty, Missouri. Since then I have lived most of my life in California. While in California, I have lived in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Diego. I am currently Associate Professor at University of California San Diego, where I teach surgery. My husband of 36 years is a radiologist. My older twin son and my daughter-in-law are lawyers and my younger twin son does social research and served in the United States Peace Corps for two years.\r\n</p><p><br/>\n</p><p>I hope you can join me for my campaign. \r\n</p><p><br/>\n</p><p>Thank you,\r\n</p>\nSepi Gilani\t\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-206656-2023-11-01\" id=\"heading-key-message-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-206656-2023-11-01\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-206656-2023-11-01\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Homelessness affects all of us. $13,000,000,000 (thirteen billion dollars) spent on homelessness in California in the last few years has not helped the situation and is costing the taxpayers. A third of the homeless are veterans. More people are becoming homeless than are getting out of it. Homelessness is no longer a state issue, it is a national crisis that is affecting our cities, businesses, safety and requires federal attention.</li><li>Healthcare affects all of us. The number one cause of bankruptcy is unpaid healthcare bills. A bill for a heart attack can be as high as $150,000. Most patients can't find a doctor and have to go to the Emergency Department for care. Healthcare is our largest national expense.</li><li>Education affects all of us. Too many Americans can't read well when they leave high school and are not trained to have a job. Offering comprehensive vocational programs in high school would help our educational system. Student debt can be as high as $500,000 or more for college.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-206656-2023-11-01\" id=\"heading1-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-206656-2023-11-01\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-206656-2023-11-01\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-206656-2023-11-01\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\t\tHomelessness, Healthcare and Education\t\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p><p><i><b>Note:</b> Gilani submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on November 1, 2023.</i></p></div><p class=\"large-date\">\tOctober 26 submission</p><div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-206656-2023-10-26\" id=\"heading-bio-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-206656-2023-10-26\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-206656-2023-10-26\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\t\tPhysician, Surgeon, Public University Educator\t\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-206656-2023-10-26\" id=\"heading-key-message-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-206656-2023-10-26\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-206656-2023-10-26\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Homelessness is a national issue and requires federal attention. I'll present a 6 point plan for homelessness.</li><li>Healthcare is our largest national expense, yet many can't see a doctor.</li><li>Education is not accessible to all. Too many Americans can't read when they graduate and are not trained to have a job when they leave high school. Student debt can be as high as half a million dollars or more.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-206656-2023-10-26\" id=\"heading1-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-206656-2023-10-26\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-206656-2023-10-26\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-206656-2023-10-26\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\t\tHomelessness<br/>\n<p>Healthcare<br/>\n</p>\nEducation\t\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p><p><i><b>Note:</b> Gilani submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on October 26, 2023.</i></p></div></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nSepi Gilani completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gilani's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. Physician, Surgeon, Public University Educator I entered the race for Senate after Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away. As a physician who sees homeless, ill, and struggling patients on a daily basis, I believe that these three issues are important in California and our nation:\r\nHomelessness\r\nHealthcare \r\nEducation I was born in Denver, Colorado and graduated from high school in Liberty, Missouri. Since then I have lived most of my life in California. While in California, I have lived in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Diego. I am currently Associate Professor at University of California San Diego, where I teach surgery. My husband of 36 years is a radiologist. My older twin son and my daughter-in-law are lawyers and my younger twin son does social research and served in the United States Peace Corps for two years. In 2012, when I ran for Town Committee, I was on the same election ballot as President Obama and was elected to Town Committee where I served from 2012-2015. I currently serve as president of the American College of Surgeons San Diego and Imperial County Chapter. I have worked on countless political campaigns including medical ones and have served on many non profit organization boards. I have knocked on thousands of doors and have made tens of thousands of phone calls to get others elected to political office, I have worked the polls and registered hundreds to vote. I hope you can join me for my campaign. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? #Homelessness Homelessness affects all of us and has not been solved despite billions spent by the government. We must work to solve homelessness without additional burden to taxpayers by coordinating efforts, eliminating wasteful inefficiencies, and implementing solutions proposed by advocates and researchers on homelessness. #Healthcare If everyone is insured and has easy access to healthcare, we will have less national health expenses and we will be able to prevent illness. One of our problems today is that health insurance is tied to being employed. If you lose your job, you also lose your health insurance. Families are often trapped without a job and without health insurance. Having health covered regardless of employment makes sure people can get the care they need when they need it. Much of our health care expenses are because we wait too long and when we finally do show up for care, the problem is more problematic and more costly to treat. Training more doctors to provide care earlier in the disease process helps reduce costs for healthcare and #Education I attended a public high school in a small farming town in northeast Missouri. In the Midwest we had robust vocational schools built into the public high schools which provided much needed training. Many of my classmates were able to graduate knowing a trade and were able to start working immediately. Classes and career pathways included agriculture, drafting, electronics, automotive, construction trades and animal science. Many states, including California, do not have vocational training. I would work to have vocational training available at all public high schools. High school can be a successful springboard to employment and having a vocation in early adulthood. I also believe that students who would like to participate i What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? #Homelessness #Healthcare #Education\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\nNote: Gilani submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on December 1, 2023.\nShow past responses Hide past responses\nNovember 1 submission Who are you? Tell us about yourself. Physician, Surgeon, Public University Educator I entered the race for Senate after Senator Diane Feinstein passed away. As a Democrat and physician who sees homeless, ill and struggling patients on a daily basis, I believe that these three issues are most important in California and our nation: Homelessness Healthcare Education I was born in Denver, Colorado and graduated from high school in Liberty, Missouri. Since then I have lived most of my life in California. While in California, I have lived in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Diego. I am currently Associate Professor at University of California San Diego, where I teach surgery. My husband of 36 years is a radiologist. My older twin son and my daughter-in-law are lawyers and my younger twin son does social research and served in the United States Peace Corps for two years. I hope you can join me for my campaign. Thank you, Sepi Gilani Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Homelessness affects all of us. $13,000,000,000 (thirteen billion dollars) spent on homelessness in California in the last few years has not helped the situation and is costing the taxpayers. A third of the homeless are veterans. More people are becoming homeless than are getting out of it. Homelessness is no longer a state issue, it is a national crisis that is affecting our cities, businesses, safety and requires federal attention. Healthcare affects all of us. The number one cause of bankruptcy is unpaid healthcare bills. A bill for a heart attack can be as high as $150,000. Most patients can't find a doctor and have to go to the Emergency Department for care. Healthcare is our largest national expense. Education affects all of us. Too many Americans can't read well when they leave high school and are not trained to have a job. Offering comprehensive vocational programs in high school would help our educational system. Student debt can be as high as $500,000 or more for college. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Homelessness, Healthcare and Education Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it. Note: Gilani submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on November 1, 2023. October 26 submission Who are you? Tell us about yourself. Physician, Surgeon, Public University Educator Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Homelessness is a national issue and requires federal attention. I'll present a 6 point plan for homelessness. Healthcare is our largest national expense, yet many can't see a doctor. Education is not accessible to all. Too many Americans can't read when they graduate and are not trained to have a job when they leave high school. Student debt can be as high as half a million dollars or more. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Homelessness Healthcare Education Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it. Note: Gilani submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on October 26, 2023."}, {"question": "Special election", "answer_html": "<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>", "answer_text": ""}, {"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<p>Sepi Gilani did not complete <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection</a> survey.\n</p>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\nSepi Gilani did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey."}, {"question": "Campaign website", "answer_html": "<p>Gilani’s campaign website stated the following:\n</p>\n<div style=\"height:400px;overflow:scroll;border:1px solid gray;margin:20px;padding:10px;\">\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">\n<p><b>Homelessness</b><br/>\nOne in 500 Americans is now homeless. 650,000 Americans are homeless.\n</p><p>Homelessness is affecting our cities, businesses, and safety.\n</p><p>Homelessness affects all of us and has not been solved despite billions spent by the government. We must work to solve homelessness without additional burden to taxpayers by coordinating efforts, eliminating wasteful inefficiencies, and implementing solutions proposed by advocates and researchers on homelessness. \n</p><p>We can solve homelessness. We have university solutions informed by science that need to be implemented. Homelessness is no longer a local or state issue. It is a national crisis that needs federal attention and a national platform. We must commit to building up to 1000 bed mental health hospitals near our major metropolitan centers that will serve all Americans who need help.\n</p><p>6 Point Plan to End Homelessness<br/>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Temporary Housing</li>\n<li>Permanent Housing</li>\n<li>Psychiatric Hospital</li>\n<li>Development, Public Relations, Political Campaign</li>\n<li>Immediate Help for Imminently Homeless</li>\n<li>University Research on Homelessness</li></ul>\n<p>Immediate Help for the Imminently Homeless<br/>\nPreventing homelessness is the first step. Because homelessness is now a national issue, not only state funding but also federal funding must be allocated for programs that are easily accessible to anyone who is moments away from losing their home. Some families are many months behind on rent or have a sudden expense or illness that was not expected. Sudden life changes can put families who are on the verge of losing their home in danger. Having an easily accessible crisis center to help families and individuals on the verge of homelessness with the resources they need would greatly help prevent homelessness.\n</p><p>Temporary Housing<br/>\nHomelessness is affecting our cities, our safety, and our businesses. Temporary housing, close to where the homeless currently reside, would give the homeless individuals a chance to stabilize. Many groups already provide temporary housing and coordination between the groups will help reduce taxpayer expenses. This can be done by providing a national platform where all groups that currently offer help can share the services that they provide and the openings that they currently have.\n</p><p>Permanent Housing<br/>\nTransitioning from temporary housing to permanent housing is essential. With the help of professionals who can address medical, housing, and social needs, the previously homeless can find all the resources they need to get back on their feet again. This housing would also be an environment to receive care and training for a new job. This housing and training would be located anywhere in the US. \n</p><p>Psychiatric Hospital<br/>\nSome homeless people cannot live independently. Because mental health and substance use is a crisis in the United States, we need more psychiatric beds to provide care for those who need help. We don't have enough psychiatric beds, while our neighbors to the north, in Canada, have dedicated psychiatric hospital beds to help patients. For example, the city of Toronto has 493 psychiatric beds. We have few dedicated psychiatric hospitals. We lost most of our psychiatric hospitals in California during the Reagan administration. Since then people who were previously able to get help have been left to fend for themselves on the streets.\n</p><p>Development, Public Relations and Political Campaign<br/>\nCampaigns such as my bid for US Senate will help bring Federal dollars to house, rehabilitate and heal our homeless by coordinating efforts of groups, charities, veterans groups and others who are already helping the homeless. Much private funding is already being used and many groups are independently and tirelessly working on homelessness. California has spent billions of dollars in the last few years, but this has not decreased our rapidly expanding homeless population. The Department of Housing and Urban Development had a budget of 61 billion dollars in 2021 ($60,000,000,000) Most of the funds are spent on temporary measures rather than long term and coordinated planning for the future.\n</p><p>University Research on Homelessness<br/>\nMany university groups have studied the reasons for homelessness and have proposed solutions for homelessness. Just like in medical research, where different treatments are tested to find out which one is best, the same needs to be done for homeless programs. Each of the proposed solutions need to be tried in order to find out how to spend the least while still getting the most effective and long lasting outcome for this national crisis, while helping our most vulnerable Americans.\n</p><p><b>Healthcare</b><br/>\nWe spend more on healthcare than anything else in our nation\n</p><p>Health Insurance and Preventive Care<br/>\nIf everyone is insured and has easy access to healthcare, we will have less national health expenses and we will be able to prevent illness. One of our problems today is that health insurance is tied to being employed. If you lose your job, you also lose your health insurance. Families are often trapped without a job and without health insurance. Having health covered regardless of employment makes sure people can get the care they need when they need it. Much of our health care expenses are because we wait too long and when we finally do show up for care, the problem is more problematic and more costly to treat. Training more doctors to provide care earlier in the disease process helps reduce costs for healthcare and provides for overall general health.\n</p><p>End of Life Care<br/>\nBy providing preventative health care to everybody at low cost, or at no cost, we reduce strain on taxpayers and ensure a healthier population. Much of our healthcare expenditures occur in the last week or two of life. A night in the intensive care unit on a breathing machine can cost as much as $11,000. This is typically when a terminal illness lands a loved one in the intensive care unit. Because the illness cannot be treated and the loved one is on life support, often the family is asked to make a difficult decision of withdrawing support. This decision is a difficult one and takes time. I have seen patient families struggle with this decision while the loved one is on a breathing machine for weeks. The hospital stay can then cost $150,000 or more. The hospital bill can bankrupt a family. One solution is to have decisions made much before that time arrives with an advanced directive.\n</p><p><b>Education</b><br/>\nElementary Education<br/>\nFor this age group, higher teacher salaries, more physical activity for the children, nutritious and well balanced meals, and reliable after school care are essential. Early intervention to prevent obesity is best accomplished at this age. \n</p><p>High School Education<br/>\nI attended a public high school in a small farming town in northeast Missouri. In the Midwest we had robust vocational schools built into the public high schools which provided much needed training. Many of my classmates were able to graduate knowing a trade and were able to start working immediately. Classes and career pathways included agriculture, drafting, electronics, automotive, construction trades and animal science. Many states, including California, do not have vocational training. I would work to have vocational training available at all public high schools. High school can be a successful springboard to employment and having a vocation in early adulthood.\n</p><p>I also believe that students who would like to participate in even more challenging courses should be offered the opportunity to enroll in nearby colleges. Emphasis on science, technology engineering and math (STEM) will help our nation with the many challenges we face. \n</p><p>I have many patients who have graduated from high school and have difficulty reading the instructions that I have written down for after surgery and never had an opportunity to take advantage of vocational school because it was not offered at their high school. Our public high schools offer an opportunity to provide individualized training for students to start a productive life with income immediately after graduation. \n</p><p>College Education<br/>\nLike public high school education, I believe that a high-quality public college education should be free for students. This will ensure that we have the best chance at solving our nation's problems including high student debt. \n</p><p>Graduate Education<br/>\nBecause education after college involves paying tuition, it is unattainable for many. I believe graduate education should be affordable for all and would support free graduate education with a salary for research work at universities. Only 1 percent of Americans go to graduate school and their expertise is necessary to build our cities and homes and to provide health and education.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_4-0\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-4\">[4]</a></sup>\n</p>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cquotecite\" colspan=\"3\" style=\"border: none; padding-right: 4%\"><cite style=\"font-style: normal;font-size: smaller; float: right;\">—Sepi Gilani’s campaign website (2024)<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-5\"><a href=\"#cite_note-5\">[5]</a></sup></cite>\n</td></tr></tbody></table>\n</div>", "answer_text": "Gilani’s campaign website stated the following:\n“ Homelessness One in 500 Americans is now homeless. 650,000 Americans are homeless. Homelessness is affecting our cities, businesses, and safety. Homelessness affects all of us and has not been solved despite billions spent by the government. We must work to solve homelessness without additional burden to taxpayers by coordinating efforts, eliminating wasteful inefficiencies, and implementing solutions proposed by advocates and researchers on homelessness. We can solve homelessness. We have university solutions informed by science that need to be implemented. Homelessness is no longer a local or state issue. It is a national crisis that needs federal attention and a national platform. We must commit to building up to 1000 bed mental health hospitals near our major metropolitan centers that will serve all Americans who need help. 6 Point Plan to End Homelessness Temporary Housing Permanent Housing Psychiatric Hospital Development, Public Relations, Political Campaign Immediate Help for Imminently Homeless University Research on Homelessness Immediate Help for the Imminently Homeless Preventing homelessness is the first step. Because homelessness is now a national issue, not only state funding but also federal funding must be allocated for programs that are easily accessible to anyone who is moments away from losing their home. Some families are many months behind on rent or have a sudden expense or illness that was not expected. Sudden life changes can put families who are on the verge of losing their home in danger. Having an easily accessible crisis center to help families and individuals on the verge of homelessness with the resources they need would greatly help prevent homelessness. Temporary Housing Homelessness is affecting our cities, our safety, and our businesses. Temporary housing, close to where the homeless currently reside, would give the homeless individuals a chance to stabilize. Many groups already provide temporary housing and coordination between the groups will help reduce taxpayer expenses. This can be done by providing a national platform where all groups that currently offer help can share the services that they provide and the openings that they currently have. Permanent Housing Transitioning from temporary housing to permanent housing is essential. With the help of professionals who can address medical, housing, and social needs, the previously homeless can find all the resources they need to get back on their feet again. This housing would also be an environment to receive care and training for a new job. This housing and training would be located anywhere in the US. Psychiatric Hospital Some homeless people cannot live independently. Because mental health and substance use is a crisis in the United States, we need more psychiatric beds to provide care for those who need help. We don't have enough psychiatric beds, while our neighbors to the north, in Canada, have dedicated psychiatric hospital beds to help patients. For example, the city of Toronto has 493 psychiatric beds. We have few dedicated psychiatric hospitals. We lost most of our psychiatric hospitals in California during the Reagan administration. Since then people who were previously able to get help have been left to fend for themselves on the streets. Development, Public Relations and Political Campaign Campaigns such as my bid for US Senate will help bring Federal dollars to house, rehabilitate and heal our homeless by coordinating efforts of groups, charities, veterans groups and others who are already helping the homeless. Much private funding is already being used and many groups are independently and tirelessly working on homelessness. California has spent billions of dollars in the last few years, but this has not decreased our rapidly expanding homeless population. The Department of Housing and Urban Development had a budget of 61 billion dollars in 2021 ($60,000,000,000) Most of the funds are spent on temporary measures rather than long term and coordinated planning for the future. University Research on Homelessness Many university groups have studied the reasons for homelessness and have proposed solutions for homelessness. Just like in medical research, where different treatments are tested to find out which one is best, the same needs to be done for homeless programs. Each of the proposed solutions need to be tried in order to find out how to spend the least while still getting the most effective and long lasting outcome for this national crisis, while helping our most vulnerable Americans. Healthcare We spend more on healthcare than anything else in our nation Health Insurance and Preventive Care If everyone is insured and has easy access to healthcare, we will have less national health expenses and we will be able to prevent illness. One of our problems today is that health insurance is tied to being employed. If you lose your job, you also lose your health insurance. Families are often trapped without a job and without health insurance. Having health covered regardless of employment makes sure people can get the care they need when they need it. Much of our health care expenses are because we wait too long and when we finally do show up for care, the problem is more problematic and more costly to treat. Training more doctors to provide care earlier in the disease process helps reduce costs for healthcare and provides for overall general health. End of Life Care By providing preventative health care to everybody at low cost, or at no cost, we reduce strain on taxpayers and ensure a healthier population. Much of our healthcare expenditures occur in the last week or two of life. A night in the intensive care unit on a breathing machine can cost as much as $11,000. This is typically when a terminal illness lands a loved one in the intensive care unit. Because the illness cannot be treated and the loved one is on life support, often the family is asked to make a difficult decision of withdrawing support. This decision is a difficult one and takes time. I have seen patient families struggle with this decision while the loved one is on a breathing machine for weeks. The hospital stay can then cost $150,000 or more. The hospital bill can bankrupt a family. One solution is to have decisions made much before that time arrives with an advanced directive. Education Elementary Education For this age group, higher teacher salaries, more physical activity for the children, nutritious and well balanced meals, and reliable after school care are essential. Early intervention to prevent obesity is best accomplished at this age. High School Education I attended a public high school in a small farming town in northeast Missouri. In the Midwest we had robust vocational schools built into the public high schools which provided much needed training. Many of my classmates were able to graduate knowing a trade and were able to start working immediately. Classes and career pathways included agriculture, drafting, electronics, automotive, construction trades and animal science. Many states, including California, do not have vocational training. I would work to have vocational training available at all public high schools. High school can be a successful springboard to employment and having a vocation in early adulthood. I also believe that students who would like to participate in even more challenging courses should be offered the opportunity to enroll in nearby colleges. Emphasis on science, technology engineering and math (STEM) will help our nation with the many challenges we face. I have many patients who have graduated from high school and have difficulty reading the instructions that I have written down for after surgery and never had an opportunity to take advantage of vocational school because it was not offered at their high school. Our public high schools offer an opportunity to provide individualized training for students to start a productive life with income immediately after graduation. College Education Like public high school education, I believe that a high-quality public college education should be free for students. This will ensure that we have the best chance at solving our nation's problems including high student debt. Graduate Education Because education after college involves paying tuition, it is unattainable for many. I believe graduate education should be affordable for all and would support free graduate education with a salary for research work at universities. Only 1 percent of Americans go to graduate school and their expertise is necessary to build our cities and homes and to provide health and education. [4] ” —Sepi Gilani’s campaign website (2024) [5]"}]