California is the 5th largest economy in the world, yet has more children going to sleep hungry than any other state in America. We must break the poverty cycle for good, invest in our most vulnerable communities, and lead with equity-first solutions.

Despite progress in recent years, California’s educational system is still underfunded, incomplete, and in crisis. We need to guarantee a high quality education to everyone regardless of zip code, learning differences, or career aspirations. Our future depends on what and who we invest in today.

The pandemic has accelerated vast disparities between communities, small and big businesses, genders, and levels of wealth (or lack thereof). As we recover and rebuild we can choose to go “back to normal” or build back with fairness and generosity. Meek solutions will allow the pandemic’s destruction to ripple for generations.

The housing and affordability crisis are getting worse because no one is putting California’s future ahead of its past. Prop 13 must be reformed to meet the moment. Our brothers and sisters living on the sidewalk need holistic help to give them a second chance at a dignified life. Special interests must be pushed aside. Working families and our youth need real paths to making California their forever home.

My dad started a small business with a few dollars and my mom as his business partner. I have seen how small businesses lift families and communities, and offer them a chance to bring their vision to life. Anyone with honest work not only gets a paycheck but also the pride of helping their family thrive. The pandemic has made it harder for people to hold on their to their shops and their jobs. The complicated bureaucracy makes it nearly impossible for dreamers to get started. I want to make California the Small Business Capital of the World.

Instead of investing in our communities we expand the power of law enforcement and build more prisons. Rather than rehabilitate, we punish. Rather than give people a chance to build back, we push them back to a cell. My dad was a cop who tried to do good but too often saw the badge abused without consequence. I believe people who enter law enforcement do it to help their community, but their institutions obscure accountability, and creates a culture in need major reform. These institutions work for us, not the other way around.

The people walking the halls of Sacramento don’t represent their communities. Most of them are wealthy or well-connected. Few know what it’s like to fear checking their bank balance. Few represent the values or stories of working families. This is so because the current system rewards those who protect the status quo. You can’t run for office if you don’t have the means. You can’t beat an incumbent whose pockets are padded with special interest or dark money. We need more sunlight to expose the darkest corners of our government, and more working class heroes with power.

California is the leader on the environment, which is why we must share a bold vision with the rest of the country. Electric cars and renewable is good, but not nearly enough. Every part of our economy, especially the building block industries like cement, glass, paper, plastic, fossil fuel, and agriculture, need a clear and prosperous path to green economics. Time is no longer on our side; the next decade will dictate the next century.

I didn’t have healthcare most of my life because I didn’t have the luxury of affording it. For years I had to endure broken bones, asthma attacks, and anything that was too expensive to treat. In California, we still have over two million people without health insurance. These families are one accident or illness away from losing their job and their home. Healthcare should not be a luxury. It must be affordable to all. This starts with fixing the bloated system and providing working families with affordable options to quality care.