Leading Us Into The Future

Affordable Housing

Reducing Costs and Creating High-Paying Jobs

Politicians know our district has a major housing affordability crisis – yet since 2005 California has only produced 308 housing units for every 1000 new residents – and 20 million more residents will call California home by 2050. While median incomes have risen by 5%, housing prices have risen by 15% since 2009. Housing is a basic human need, and plays a fundamental role in nurturing a healthy home environment for our youth. We should not have to choose between our rent or mortgage and groceries, healthcare or education. The housing shortage affects us all - costing California over $140 billion per year in lost economic opportunity. But with every challenge there is opportunity. Addressing our housing shortage will lift millions of families into the middle class by reducing costs and creating hundreds of thousands of new high-wage jobs.

We have a bold plan with two main initiatives to introduce close to a million new housing units in the Los Angeles area before 2025.

Learn more about Housing Affordability Relief for Assembly District 54

Education

Giving Californians Access to High-Paying Jobs

A quality education from preschool through college is paramount to building the middle class of the future. Today, there are millions of high-paying jobs that are going unfilled and causing companies to recruit out-of-state or internationally. Fewer of our public universities are accepting in-state students. Many of those who are accepted are met with increasing tuition costs and mounting student debt. For the sake of California’s economy and the ability for our citizens to compete globally, we must make education reform and investment a priority.

Better Pre K-12 Education

We believe California should harbor the best-educated workforce in the world, yet our pre K-12 schools are ranked 44th in the nation. But competition is global, and the US ranks 24th in science and 38th in math out of 71 developed or developing countries. The facts are clear: students that receive a preschool education are more likely to graduate, have fewer interactions with the criminal justice system, receive a college degree, and lead a prosperous career outside of poverty. We plan to invest in our future by providing:

Student Debt Relief & Universal Access to Tuition-Free College

We need to ensure that Californians can fill the well-paying jobs of the new skilled workforce. For most high-paying jobs, a bachelor degree is a minimum requirement. In fact, to meet economic demand, California will need 1.1 million additional bachelor’s degrees by 2030. In 1960, the California Master Plan was designed to with the mission to guarantee all California citizens access to a UC, CSU or California Community College, tuition-free. Unfortunately, we have not lived up to this original framework. For those who are already paying off student loans we need to provide student debt relief.

Moving forward, we need to provide our students access to a quality college education without taking on student debt. Now is the time to return to the original framework of the California Master Plan by providing all California students access to tuition free UC, CSU or Community College upon high school graduation. Those who graduate Community College would be given an opportunity to continue their education at a UC or CSU school. This bold plan can be paid for by a 1 percent tax on annual California household incomes of $1 million or more. This, combined with existing federal and state financial aid will eliminate tuition and fees for all Californians studying at UC, CSU or community colleges in the state.

Fighting Climate Change

Protecting our Future and Creating High-Paying Jobs

Climate Change is a threat, but also creates an economic opportunity. We will create thousands of new high-paying jobs by making our community more drought resistant, fire resistant, and energy efficient. This requires new investment in public infrastructure and spurring private sector investment by providing new tax credits for residential remodeling projects and expanding the tax credit for solar panel installations, so we can support the fastest growing job in country, Solar Installer. Also, by requiring California utility companies to derive a larger percentage of their energy from clean sources and providing additional funding for the development of new forms of renewable energy, we will unleash California entrepreneurs, jumpstart new businesses, and create thousands of new high-paying jobs.

Earlier this year, The Trump Administration released a draft of a five-year offshore drilling plan, which includes six drilling sites along the precious coasts of California. I will support my colleagues Al Muratsuchi and Monique Limón who introduced AB 1775, a bill that will help stop The Trump Administration from making offshore drilling a reality. I will advocate for a ban of any additional oil or gas facilities on state lands or waters.

Income Inequality

A Growing Problem that Requires Bold Solutions 

The Los Angeles area is an economic powerhouse whose size rivals the entire Australian economy. Yet, too many are being left behind. Today, more than 1 in 4 of our neighbors are living in poverty. We recognize that an undeniable change is afoot. Technology and innovation have contributed billions to the California economy, but transformation has caused and will continue to cause wide-spread job loss. It is paramount that we address this challenge head on. And as an ever-growing number of Californian's are receiving the majority of their income as Independent Contractors, we need to follow Seattle's lead and give independent contractors the right to collective bargaining to ensure they are receiving their fair share. In addition to reducing housing and education costs as mentioned above, we will

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