Policy

Budgetary and Fiscal Stability

Actively Support California Forward and their proposed budget reform measures:

Performance-based budgeting. The Governor and legislators should establish clear goals and performance measures for all programs. At least once every 10 years, lawmakers must review programs to determine if they should continue, or how they can be improved.

Multi-year budget planning. The Governor and Legislature should prepare two-year budgets and three- and five-year fiscal forecasts, and publish updates on the state’s forecasted fiscal condition prior to the budget vote and early in the subsequent fiscal year.

Pay-As-You-Go for new programs and tax reductions.
Major new or expanded programs or tax reductions (created through the legislative or initiative process) should identify how they will be financed by additional revenue or compensating spending reductions.

Manage volatile revenue and increase reserves.
Spikes in revenue, after meeting minimum K-14 funding obligations, should be used to fill the rainy day fund and for other one-time uses, starting with paying down debt.

Transportation

 

California High Speed Rail: Actively engaged in discussion and ongoing debate regarding the future of High Speed Rail on the Peninsula. Worked with CA HSR Authority and local outreach and engineering teams to disseminate information on the Peninsula segment including EIR analysis, proposed alternatives analysis, phased implementation, ridership studies, funding sources, financial projections and relationship with Caltrain.

Caltrain: Actively support efforts to “Save Caltrain” and identify a permanent and sustainable funding source for ongoing operations.

Grand Boulevard Initiative (GBI): Continue work with the Grand Boulevard Initiative and its efforts to revitalize El Camino Real and link housing, jobs and transit through these efforts.

Land Use

Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC): Actively following and engaging with regional business, economic development, housing, local government and non-profit stakeholders on proposed Bay Plan Amendment No. 1-08 dealing with climate change.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD): Actively following and engaging with regional business, economic development, housing, local government and non-profit stakeholders on implementation of the District’s CEQA Guidelines.

Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG): Actively following and engaging on the Plan Bay Area which is a joint effort led by ABAG and MTC in partnership with the Bay Area’s other two regional government agencies, BAAQMD, and BCDC. All four agencies are collaborating at an unprecedented level to produce a more integrated land use/transportation plan. Included in this effort are the nine counties and 101 cities and towns that have land use authority in their respective jurisdictions, and transportation partners who plan and manage the regional transportation network. Plan Bay Area grew out of California’s 2008 Senate Bill 375 (Steinberg), which requires each of the state’s 18 metropolitan areas to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars and light trucks.

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