State of CaliforniaCandidate for Governor

51% of America’s unsheltered homeless live in California. California spent $4B on homelessness last year, yet the problem is getting worse - homelessness increased 17% in 2019 first year and another 7% in 2020.

My plan will refocus problem solving at the root causes. We must reduce the homeless population and lower the price of housing.

First, I will audit existing services and shelters. We have nine state agencies overseeing 41 programs to address homelessness. After the audit, I will fill gaps and ensure the homeless are legally bound to use housing options provided to them rather than occupying public spaces.

Second, I will require every city to gather the names, ages, and veteran/non-veteran status of the homeless for accurate data measurements.

In addition, I will ensure funding is focused on coordinated care managed at the local level, with specific focus on sufficient substance abuse and mental health support.
Finally, I will accelerate building. Government-funded housing is not the answer. California has a shortage of over 1.4 million homes, and the average California home costs over $700,000. Yet just 102,800 residential building permits were issued in 2020, down almost 9% from 2019. I will streamline regulatory approvals and development impact fees, and will incentivize localities to stop new local growth ordinances which increase house prices by up to 5% per ordinance.

Abundant, stable, and clean electricity is necessary to build an innovation-driven economy.

The Problem

Californians pay the 7th highest electrical rates in the nation. Even at that premium, the state can’t keep the lights on.

The state's current policies have hurt our economy and left us with insufficient power. The current administration pledged “giant leaps forward” in our energy infrastructure but when it became clear that these policies couldn’t stop rolling brownouts, we were asked to just accept them as the “new normal.”

These brownouts have impacted millions of Californians. Elderly Californians had to go without cooling and sick Californians had to go without power for medical devices. There were 5 power availability alerts about power limitations issued in 2020 and 8 in 2021, according to CAISO records. The government is projecting an “unforeseen shortfall” of 5,000 megawatts through 2022, and our vulnerable populations are at risk.

In addition, we pay the highest gas taxes in the nation - $0.51 per gallon, with another planned increase this summer - all while we have a record surplus.

The Plentiful Power Solution

I will never accept electricity shortages as “normal.” I have a data-driven plan to build a power system for the future that uses all available power sources. We will ensure flexible, adequate supply and add new clean energy.

First, as long as we have a state surplus, I will suspend the gas tax - putting money back in the pockets of California’s middle class.

Second, I’ll continue the use of the Diablo Canyon power plant (slated to close in 2024). The plant is clean, safe, and carbon-free. At a time when California can’t meet the energy demands of its residents, we should not be shutting down any viable energy source. The plant, which provides nearly 10% of California’s power, has been rated safe by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and could run well beyond 2040.

In addition, I will reverse current policy that would ban hydraulic fracturing starting in 2024. The crisis in Ukraine has shown America that energy independence is a security imperative, and we can produce oil right here in California.

Furthermore, our problems of water and power are interrelated. If we don’t manage our water, the water levels in our reservoirs drop so low that hydroelectric power generation declines. Hydroelectric power is an important source of clean energy. I will work to retain this source of power.

Californians need a Governor who is determined to prevent disruptions in their lives. As Governor, I will never accept any problem as “unsolvable” - and will fight day and night to ensure every Californian can afford to keep their lights on.

I will continue to move California toward clean and renewable energy sources using incentives instead of mandates, but I will not disrupt current power supply in the process.