The quality of life in the Bay Area for the next decades will be determined by the policy choices our representatives make today. With my unique policy experience in the State Capitol, I will legislate and advocate for these critical issues that will affect our daily lives.
My home is here in the Bay Area. Growing up, I saw more and more families struggling to build a future here. The rising cost of living is pushing friends and families around us farther away. I'm fighting for our home. I am committed to bringing affordable housing, investments in education, expanded transit, and climate adaptations to the Bay Area.
Click each issue below to expand.
My home is here in the Bay Area. Growing up, I saw more and more families struggling to build a future here. The rising cost of living is pushing friends and families around us farther away. I'm fighting for our home. I am committed to bringing affordable housing, investments in education, expanded transit, and climate adaptations to the Bay Area.
Click each issue below to expand.
Housing and Homelessness
ntroduced AB 946 to repeal California’s mortgage interest deduction on secondary/vacation homes to increase access to home ownership for all Californians. Currently, California is spending approximately $250 million to subsidize empty homes to the primary benefit of wealthier individuals. The bill would re-allocate $250 million annually to provide additional funds to the California Housing Finance Agency’s MyHome Assistance Program to support first-time home buyers.Housing is a human right. Homeownership, the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming less and less attainable to generations of Bay Area residents who grew up here. As rents and housing prices skyrocket, more residents will not only be priced out, but face potential homelessness.
I am fighting for:
Legislation
I've authored AB 387 which would establish Social Housing to provide affordable housing for all Californians. Social Housing, inspired by successful models in Europe and Asia, will significantly address our housing crisis by developing homes for the social benefit of all Californians. In Vienna and Singapore, 62% and 87% of its citizens respectively reside in public social housing. With the ultimate goal of housing as many people as possible of all incomes, social housing programs invest in affordable living costs and maintenance of properties. As a contrast to private developers, without an inherent need to turn a profit, investments can be made into maintenance of the buildings, grounds, and upgrades.
I've also authored introduced AB 946 to repeal California’s mortgage interest deduction on secondary/vacation homes to increase access to home ownership for all Californians. Currently, California is spending approximately $250 million to subsidize empty homes to the primary benefit of wealthier individuals. The bill would re-allocate $250 million annually to provide additional funds to the California Housing Finance Agency’s MyHome Assistance Program to support first-time home buyers.
I am fighting for:
- Smart Growth through Equitable, Dense, Mix-Use and Mix Income Housing
- Deliver Affordable Homes through Social Housing
- Stronger Tenant Protections against Corporate Landlords
- Rent Forgiveness to Residential and Business Properties Unable to Pay
- Lower Barriers for Seniors to Sell Homes
- Supportive Services and Housing for Homeless Californians
Legislation
I've authored AB 387 which would establish Social Housing to provide affordable housing for all Californians. Social Housing, inspired by successful models in Europe and Asia, will significantly address our housing crisis by developing homes for the social benefit of all Californians. In Vienna and Singapore, 62% and 87% of its citizens respectively reside in public social housing. With the ultimate goal of housing as many people as possible of all incomes, social housing programs invest in affordable living costs and maintenance of properties. As a contrast to private developers, without an inherent need to turn a profit, investments can be made into maintenance of the buildings, grounds, and upgrades.
I've also authored introduced AB 946 to repeal California’s mortgage interest deduction on secondary/vacation homes to increase access to home ownership for all Californians. Currently, California is spending approximately $250 million to subsidize empty homes to the primary benefit of wealthier individuals. The bill would re-allocate $250 million annually to provide additional funds to the California Housing Finance Agency’s MyHome Assistance Program to support first-time home buyers.
Reinvest in Education
The greatest tool of socioeconomic mobility should be education. However, California remains subpar in the nation for K-12 per-pupil spending and has enormous barriers to achieving higher education.The Silicon Valley is famously the global hub of innovation, so our state needs to have a world-class education to produce the next generation of leaders and thinkers.
I am fighting for:
I introduced AB 762 which would require charter schools and private schools to follow the same siting requirements as public schools in order to ensure the public health and safety of all students and school employees. The bill would require private and charter schools to identify nearby sources of air pollution, consult with their local air districts, and meet siting requirements by evaluating the schoolsite for potential hazardous substances, hazardous emissions, or hazardous waste.
I am fighting for:
- Tuition-Free College for Californians
- Reinvestment in K-12 Public Schools
- Accountability for Charter Schools
- Equal Pathways of Opportunity After Graduation
- Stronger Wages for Teachers
I introduced AB 762 which would require charter schools and private schools to follow the same siting requirements as public schools in order to ensure the public health and safety of all students and school employees. The bill would require private and charter schools to identify nearby sources of air pollution, consult with their local air districts, and meet siting requirements by evaluating the schoolsite for potential hazardous substances, hazardous emissions, or hazardous waste.
Traffic and Transportation
Wasted time stuck in traffic congestion is not only bad for the economy, but it’s bad for our health and the environment too. Freedom of mobility should be afforded for all Bay Area residents. No one should have to drive to work or school if they don’t want to. We need convenient reliable public transportation options with less crowding and rush hour headaches.
I am fighting for:
I am fighting for:
- Convenient Cross-Bay Transportation Options
- Expanded Bike Infrastructure & Last Mile Transit
- Expanded Bus & Rail Coverage
- Affordability of Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicles
- Merging of all Bay Area Transit Agencies
- Completion of State High Speed Rail
Eliminating Corporate Influence in Politics
Our government works best when more people are at the table, making decisions. When only a fraction of our society participates in our democracy, we are not making the best long term decisions for California. We need to take out the undue influence of special interests and dark money in policy-making. Only by empowering everyday Californians and matching the power of special interests can we make a democracy that works for everyone.
I am fighting for:
Legislation
On my first day in office, I hit the ground running and introduced my first bill, AB 20, to root out corporate special interest money in our democracy. Each year, business entities contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to campaigns across California, with over $785 million spent on the 2020 election in California alone.
In order to stay competitive in their races, many candidates are pressured to accept the money from these business entities. Corporations are already completely barred from making direct contributions to federal candidates and are barred from contributing to candidates in 22 states. The intent of the AB 20 is to build on that foundation and go a step further to bar all business entities from contributing to candidates running for office in California.
I am fighting for:
- Banning Corporate Contributions to Political Campaigns
- Lowering the Voting Age
- Establishing Publicly Financed Campaigns
Legislation
On my first day in office, I hit the ground running and introduced my first bill, AB 20, to root out corporate special interest money in our democracy. Each year, business entities contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to campaigns across California, with over $785 million spent on the 2020 election in California alone.
In order to stay competitive in their races, many candidates are pressured to accept the money from these business entities. Corporations are already completely barred from making direct contributions to federal candidates and are barred from contributing to candidates in 22 states. The intent of the AB 20 is to build on that foundation and go a step further to bar all business entities from contributing to candidates running for office in California.
Climate Change
Human-driven climate change is an existential threat to all people. You’ve seen it in California’s droughts and destructive fire seasons. We are on the precipice of climate disaster. Even though California has remained a leader in mitigating climate change, the Federal Government continues to undermine the global effort to reduce carbon emissions and pollution.
I am fighting for:
I am fighting for:
- Building Sustainable Communities
- Public Ownership of our Energy Grid
- Ending our Reliance on Fossil Fuel Energy & Cars
- Reducing Single Use Plastics from the Waste Stream
- Increase Recycling & Biomass Efficiency
- End Fracking in CA
- Enacting the Green New Deal
Healthcare for All
For the wealthiest nation in the world, our spending on healthcare outcomes is miserable. Many Californians still lack health insurance, and even when they do have health insurance, they cannot afford egregious copays, predatory fees, and costly drugs. If the COVID19 pandemic has proven anything, it's that employment-based healthcare does not work. Only by guaranteeing healthcare for all can we ensure the physical and mental health of our people as well as our economy.
I am fighting for:
I am fighting for:
- Establishing Universal Healthcare for All
- Cracking down on Predatory Health Fees & Charges
- Lowering the Price of Essential Pharmaceuticals
Fighting for the Marginalized
We are only as strong as the most vulnerable in our society. As someone who belongs to multiple, marginalized identities I personally will fight for the rights of our communities and ensure we have fair, equitable chances to succeed in education, housing, employment, and our democracy. A strong equity lens is needed in policy making to uplift Californians who are from communities of color, LGBTQIA+, unhoused, differently abled, and economically exploited.
I am fighting for:
I introduced AB 339 which would allow residents’ the ability to continue participating in government while staying socially distanced: through digital and remote participation for government hearings. Democratic governments work best when we have ALL voices at the table. Having your voice heard during legislative hearings or city council meetings are often limited to those who are able to take time out of their busy days to travel to meetings to speak in-person, and to those who speak and read English.
I am fighting for:
- Stronger Workplace Protections including Right to Unionize
- Anti-Discrimination Laws to Ensure Opportunity
- Common Sense, Restorative Justice Reform
- Stronger Renter Protections
- Rent Forgiveness to Residential and Business Properties Unable to Pay
I introduced AB 339 which would allow residents’ the ability to continue participating in government while staying socially distanced: through digital and remote participation for government hearings. Democratic governments work best when we have ALL voices at the table. Having your voice heard during legislative hearings or city council meetings are often limited to those who are able to take time out of their busy days to travel to meetings to speak in-person, and to those who speak and read English.
Fiscal Responsibility
Even before our most current recession, our state budget was based on a tax system that was inequitable and unreliable. California’s vast social safety net is almost entirely reliant on the income and sales of ordinary working people — not the massive corporations and millionaires that thrive in our state. To build a sustainable economic future, we need to tax the rich and uplift working families.
I am fighting for:
I am fighting for:
- Raise Taxes on Corporations, Capital Gains, and the Rich
- Close Loophole on Corporations Benefiting from Prop 13
- Vacancy Tax on Purposefully Underused Homes
- Property Transfer Tax on Multi-Million Properties
- State Study on Land Value Tax and Value Added Tax systems
To learn more about my stances and experience, feel free to reach out!
