We need new strategies for job creation and economic development. Our region is falling behind and failing to leverage opportunities to improve our lives and communities. This includes strategic investment in education and industry to build sustainable high job growth with good wages and health care.
We need to immediately fund and sustain funding for the comprehensive plan unveiled earlier this year to mitigate and suppress wildfires. This includes funding to bury powerlines, forest management and more, and better paid, forest workers and more firefighters. We must acknowledge the impact of climate change as a root cause of increased wildfires and plan accordingly.
We need sound water policy that ensures farmers their fair share of water, all communities have clean drinking water and that we are prepared for extreme drought conditions. I plan to fight for this district’s fair share of funding for water storage, clean water programs and conservation.
By all metrics, the quality of student learning is down throughout California, especially in our region. We need common sense solutions to remove barriers to student learning and teacher recruitment and training, including a new, more equitable way to fund schools.
Housing costs eat up more than 40% of our monthly paycheck. We need to increase housing at all income levels, but especially affordable workforce housing.