California State SenateCandidate for District 6

A comprehensive approach to achieving affordable housing production must include: streamlining the building of new homes, breaking down barriers to build more affordable housing, addressing systemic bias by elevating fair housing principles and holding local governments accountable to do their job.

I support a Housing First Approach. I believe that providing people with a consistent place to live is an essential first step to helping them hold down a steady job and maintain good physical and mental health. Growing up, I was housing insecure and know first hand that people must access basic necessities—like a safe place to live and food to eat—before being able to achieve quality of life or pursue personal goals. However, it is important to acknowledge limited housing supply and the barrier this poses to achieving a “Housing First” approach.

I believe that electrification is a key part of the effort to accelerate California’s transition to 100% renewable energy so that California can be the first state to reach net zero emissions. However, I also understand that practical constraints may affect the speed at which the transition to electrification takes place. I think a cost-benefit analysis should be taken into account whenever we consider the extent to which 100% electrification should be immediately required for new construction projects versus, in certain instances, gradually phased in or incentivized. 

Additionally, California’s engineers will be a key player in helping California reach net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible. The knowledge engineers bring to the table through their on-the-ground work will play an essential role in California’s effort to find new ways to harness the power of sustainable energy and reduce our carbon footprint.

My top priority for California schools is to make sure they are adequately funded. Given the tremendous wealth and prosperity that exists in our state, it is a travesty that we are investing so little in our students. I will make it my personal mission to put California into the top 10 of all US states in per-student funding by the end of my first term in the state senate. As a senator, I will push to adjust the funding formula for our schools, including an increase to the LCFF base so that all districts see an increase in funding. Currently, with declining enrollment, we are headed into some challenging years that are of significant concern.  I will propose that the extra revenue this adjustment generates be invested in more training for teachers and classified employees and more after school tutoring, extracurricular activities, and counseling services for students.

I believe that we need to invest in structural solutions to address statewide droughts. We need to expand California’s water storage capacity through investing in the construction of more groundwater banks across the state. We should also limit practices that threaten the viability of California’s existing water supply. The damage that fracking can do to the quantity and quality of California’s water supply makes it an unsustainable practice, and so I support phasing it out.