I am running for State Assembly because I want to:
Bring jobs here to our community.
I’m going to make sure that state agencies are buying goods and services from California businesses. The $7.2 billion dollar Bay bridge span was built overseas by thousands of workers. Can you imagine what a shot-in-the-arm that would have been for our struggling economy? When the Nummi plant closed every government official wrung their hands, but not a single state or local agency bought a car from Nummi. Not one. Now more than ever, we should be spending our tax dollars on taxpayers.
Bring high tech start-ups to the East Bay.
Other Bay area cities are outpacing Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro in creating green and information technology jobs. We have the potential to attract high tech firms. We have a workforce that is ready to lead the way. What we’re missing is a support network. As a business lawyer I saw firsthand what it takes to launch a successful start-up. I worked on the Oakland Green Business Incubator program to help entrepreneurs turn a good idea into a great business. I’ll develop public-private partnerships to educate young people, and I’ll work with our local elected officials to create a plan to recruit and retain firms.
Bring early childhood education to every child in our community.
We know that young men of color start to fall behind at an early age, and that as each year goes by it becomes harder and more expensive to intervene, right up to the point that they land in prison. We know that every dollar we invest in early childhood education saves almost three dollars in prison spending down the road. We know that, and yet we’ve failed to act. With your support I’ll make sure that early childhood education isn’t just for the wealthy, but for everyone.
