Here’s how the candidates see what’s next for California
We asked gubernatorial candidates Gavin Newsom and John Cox their thoughts on some of the most pressing issues facing the state of California. Here’s what they had to say.
The economy
Read the Times’ story about the future of California’s economy here »
John Cox (R)
In the event of a recession or a multi-billion dollar budget deficit during your governorship, what state programs and spending would you prioritize against cuts?
I am more concerned about the millions of forgotten Californians that are experiencing severe economic hardship right now. We should be asking how to help the nearly 40% of California families living near or below the poverty line.
I would do several things immediately. I have promised to call a special session of the Legislature to reform CEQA to shorten housing project approval times. I build apartments for $80,000 per unit in the Midwest that would cost four times as much to build here. We need to start swinging hammers and give people real jobs that will support a family and provide a good living wage.
I will lead an army of auditors through Sacramento where politicians waste millions while people can’t afford groceries. I’ll start with Caltrans and the DMV. Why should it cost California far more to build and maintain roads as in the rest of the country? Short answer: It shouldn’t, and when I’m governor, it won’t.
I agree that maintaining a strong surplus is a good cash flow management tool, but I absolutely reject the idea that when the economy puts people under extreme economic hardship, that our first concern ought to be keeping some of these agencies fat and happy. Let’s use some common sense.
We must also ensure a sufficient social safety net is maintained for those who need our help most, and cannot provide for themselves. We must protect students – from preschool through kindergarten to college – making certain they will not be denied access to learning and the resources they need to realize their potential. Early childhood education is important and essential. We must protect our people and environment from growing threats from fire or other natural disasters. These will always be some of California’s highest priorities.
The time is now – before the next economic downturn, and with $15.9 billion in total reserves – to grow our economy even more through housing and job growth, and institutionalize an unprecedented culture of prudent, compassionate stewardship and accountability throughout California. And I would empanel a commission to come up with a revenue neutral plan to bring California’s tax system into the 21st century. We could have done this already, but the politicians aren’t interested in any solution unless it wrings more money out of California’s working families, and for me, that’s a non-starter.
Do you believe California’s tax system needs to be changed? If so, what specifically would you seek to change? And if you don’t see the need for change, can you tell us why?
California’s sales and gas taxes are among the highest in the nation, and hit those with the lowest income hardest. Now the political class in Sacramento has piled on a whopping $52-billion gas tax increase, both on every gallon of gas as well as with higher vehicle license fees.
This is where I would start and where we need change.
What many fail to realize, and what the politicians refuse to acknowledge, is that their fuel and energy tax increases have a direct impact on higher transportation costs, which means higher food costs. Californians are already paying far more for many food products than people in other states.
Some in the Sacramento political class — including my opponent — support extending the sales tax to services. Like his support for increased car and gasoline taxes, his proposal places a disproportionate burden on lower- and middle-income workers and families, while having little impact on the wealthy and well-to-do.
Politicians love to talk about the future, but we need to act in the present to help the millions of forgotten Californians that my opponent and the politicians in Sacramento have been ignoring for years. Let’s start by repealing the new gas and vehicle license fee increases.
Additionally, I’d quadruple the renter’s tax credit so people don’t lose the roofs over their heads. This is a reform that needs to be passed immediately. The reality everyone in California knows is that while the politicians in Sacramento love to pass lofty goals that take effect in 20, 30 or 40 years, people need help now – and that’s my immediate concern.
Gavin Newsom (D)
In the event of a recession or a multi-billion dollar budget deficit during your governorship, what state programs and spending would you prioritize against cuts?
First, I think we must be proactive in maintaining the state’s fiscal health. We can’t just react and be left in a defensive posture when a contraction or recession arrives. California’s revenue stream is legendarily volatile and prone to large increases and decreases depending on economic conditions. When the nation catches a cold, it’s often said, California catches the flu. The next governor should work to stem that volatility, something I have long committed to doing through comprehensive tax reform. But there are other measures we can take to protect our state and the budget against an eventual downturn.
Our state has done important work over the last eight years funding a rainy-day reserve, paying down debt and using one-time surpluses for one-time investments. As governor, I would continue and build on that approach. I’m also deeply committed to building revenue by fostering sustainable and inclusive economic expansion. We should be investing in and developing our state’s long-term growth engines and implementing a workforce development strategy to meet the needs of the 21st century economy.
Unlike my opponent in this race, I’ve held elected executive office in difficult economic environments and had to make tough decisions to keep government afloat. I was mayor of San Francisco during the worst fiscal climate in generations. And because San Francisco functions as both a city and a county, I steered our city through more numerous fiscal challenges than most other mayors. We righted the ship, and I was proud to balance every budget without laying off a single teacher, firefighter or police officer. We did all this while implementing some of the most progressive programs in the country like universal healthcare and universal pre-kindergarten. By finding efficiencies, leveraging state and federal grants, and passing a number of fiscal reforms, San Francisco stepped out of the recession and onto firm financial footing. In fact, the credit rating agency Moody’s credited reforms I championed as mayor in upgrading the city’s credit rating – a key indicator of fiscal health. I would take that same approach as governor.
Do you believe California’s tax system needs to be changed? If so, what specifically would you seek to change? And if you don’t see the need for change, can you tell us why?
Our fiscal volatility has long been the Achilles heel for our state’s financial health. California is long overdue for a conversation about reforming our tax code for the 21st century. And, after the passage of Donald Trump’s disastrous tax bill that raised taxes on millions of California families, our state’s tax code is in dire need of comprehensive reform.
Let’s modernize our tax code. Let’s tax the economy that exists today, not one that existed decades ago. I believe California can create a tax system that greatly reduces the volatility of our annual budget process, helps working California families hurt by Trump’s bill, fosters a more competitive business environment and generates the revenue we need to pay for the progressive priorities we hold dear like cradle to career education, health care and public safety. And we should start that conversation with everything on the table.
Ultimately, we can only grow – not tax – our way to prosperity. Creating sustainable, long-term economic growth that lifts families at every income level is my passion and will be my top economic priority as governor.
Natural disasters
Read the Times' story about the California's preparedness for a natural disaster here »
John Cox
What as governor would you do to reduce fire risk in the state? Specifically, what policies would you pursue to address risk in the wildland-urban interface where many communities are built?
Fire safety and protecting our forests are paramount public safety and environmental concerns. Yet for far too long, the California political class has failed to do its job, and has refused to allow local governments, private landowners, concerned non-profit organizations and others engage in the necessary removal of dead trees, overgrown brush and dead combustible fuels that have contributed to making our recent wildfires so deadly.
According to the February 2018 report of the Little Hoover Commission, "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported in December 2017 that approximately 27 million trees had died statewide on federal, state and private lands since November 2016. The tally brought to 129 million the number of trees that have died in California forests during years of drought and bark beetle infestations since 2010." State and federal authorities have failed to take the steps and allocate the financial resources necessary to address this unprecedented die-off, and prevent these devastating wildfires. This inaction must end now.
In addition, even when land and homeowners have done everything within their power to prepare — fire does not respect property lines. Too often a raging inferno that started on neglected state lands cannot stop once it reaches a private property line.
First and foremost, legislation should not be driven by the big utility companies, or any other special interests. On my watch, California will always have the necessary firefighters, pilots, helicopters, airplanes and equipment needed to respond immediately and effectively when lightning literally strikes. I will expedite grants to local governments and nonprofits that can and will take immediate action in our most fire-prone and vulnerable areas. I will support additional urgency legislation that will protect the environment while allowing long overdue efforts to remove dead brush and trees and restore habitat to occur.
We must call for additional federal forestry assistance, and make certain the federal government provides better management of all forest lands under its jurisdiction. As California will require federal assistance when disasters strike — whether it's earthquakes, flood or fires — it's critical that our governor have a constructive relationship with any federal administration.
We can and must protect our lives, property and communities, while also protecting the environment. We must take decisive action now to avert more tragedies in the future.
Besides wildfire, which natural disaster represents the biggest threat to the state, and how would you prioritize preparing for it? Please list examples of measures you would pursue in advance of disaster striking.
Californians face natural and manmade disaster threats from earthquakes, forest fires, coastal spills and floods. Ensuring public safety most certainly includes preparation — to the greatest degree possible — for the impact of these disasters. While we may not be able to "prevent" or "avoid" an earthquake, wildfire or flood, we most certainly can and must take all preventive actions in order to minimize the damage and harm these natural disasters can inflict upon individuals, property and the environment.
As we have seen several times over the last three decades, California's crumbling levee system not only poses an imminent threat of rupture and flooding, but a massive levee breach threatens to disrupt the water delivery system as well as cause serious environmental harm. While well intended, current state laws — including CEQA — make levee repair both before and after a flood far too time-consuming and expensive.
The time to repair our levees is before disaster strikes, not after. If we can make exemptions to CEQA for sports stadiums lobbied for by billionaire campaign contributors and corporations, we can make environmentally sensitive changes necessary to repair our levee system.
We also must never again allow the neglect and failure to maintain our water storage and delivery systems that occurred at Oroville Dam to occur. Due to the failure of government, California narrowly avoided a disaster that could have cost hundreds — even thousands — their lives, and tens of billions in destroyed property. As it is, the cost for repairing the Oroville Dam and its spillway now exceeds $1 billion.
I have written elsewhere of the many actions California must take to protect against the growing threat of wildfire. Once again, the lack of timely and effective action by our elected state officials has left all Californians vulnerable. Unfortunately, the Sacramento political class has given special interests precedence over the imperative of public safety. While we can never predict the next natural disaster, we can prepare for them. As Governor, I will take decisive action, not offer excuses.
Gavin Newsom
What as governor would you do to reduce fire risk in the state? Specifically, what policies would you pursue to address risk in the wildland-urban interface where many communities are built?
First, let me offer my sincere gratitude for the brave men and women who have put their lives on the line to fight these fires and my condolences to those who have lost loved ones, been displaced or lost property.
The reality is stark. Fires are becoming more frequent and more intense, and fire season is getting longer — sometimes stretching for most of the year. This has to be a top priority for the next governor, and our state needs a comprehensive strategy to protect Californians.
That starts with more resources to address this crisis — more prevention and better planning. We all can agree that fire crews should have the resources they need to fight the growing number of fires each season, and I will build on the work currently underway between the governor and the Legislature reexamining lands and vegetation management strategies.
As we look to increase the state's housing supply, we must also convene stakeholders to design the future of urban planning. And I support taking active steps to reduce the risk of fire in forests, including the removal of dead trees when appropriate, that threaten communities, wildlife and property.
But those are all short- and medium-term solutions. Addressing climate change and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions provides the only long-term fix for this problem.
The science is clear — increased fire threat due to climate change is becoming a fact of life in our state. Drier, longer summers combined with unpredictable wet winters have created dangerous fire conditions. California is leading the nation in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change. But we must demand that Washington does the same. Our nation must join the world community in addressing this existential threat of climate change.
Besides wildfire, which natural disaster represents the biggest threat to the state, and how would you prioritize preparing for it? Please list examples of measures you would pursue in advance of disaster striking.
Aside from wildfires, the biggest natural disaster threat to California is earthquakes and the other emergencies they can create.
As a former mayor of city with a long history of devastating earthquakes, I can tell you that the threat is ever-present and requires perpetual planning and vigilance. The shaking itself from a major earthquake has the potential to cause billions of dollars in property damage and take an unfathomable human toll.
Fortunately, there are at our disposal a number of thoughtful, cost-efficient solutions we can apply to buildings and infrastructure. Those strategies should be harnessed and mandated by communities across the state.
Ground shaking is just the most immediate danger posed by earthquakes. As we have so tragically experienced in California, fire can cause significantly more damage than the actual shaking itself. And many areas of the state risk catastrophic flooding after earthquakes due to infrastructure failure. We must maintain and improve the safety of our water infrastructure, especially those in areas on active faults.
We have learned so many lessons not only from our own earthquakes — Loma Prieta, Northridge, Napa — but also from natural disasters around the world — Haiti, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia. The lesson, over and over again, is that preparation protects lives and communities. Communities that plan ahead bounce back faster and stronger.
As governor, I will allocate funding for readiness and response and reinstitute the California Emergency Council, bringing all stakeholders together around one table because disaster planning and recovery requires an integrated, coordinated response.
I will ensure my administration is well positioned to react quickly and decisively by remaining in a state of constant attention to this threat. This starts with careful preparation, sufficient funding and strong intergovernmental partnerships.
Demographics
Read the Times' story about California's preparedness for its changing demographics here »
John Cox
California’s aging population will increase demand for long-term care services. How will you address this demand? In particular, what would you do to support middle-income Californians who do not qualify for Medi-Cal?
With Californians living longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives comes both the challenge and commitment to maintain an adequate level of services to help them meet their needs and live lives of good health, dignity, and a maximum of independence. I want everyone to have healthcare, and that includes everyone with a pre-existing condition, and I want it to be affordable.
Our current system was designed by political insiders and healthcare corporate lobbyists to protect their monopoly profits, not to provide decent healthcare at a reasonable price. I want to break up the healthcare corporate monopolies, make insurance companies compete and turn patients into consumers with power over their healthcare dollars.
As we seek to improve and reform our current healthcare system, we must also place an increasing emphasis on healthy living programs, and establish greater accessibility and opportunities for individuals to make the lifestyle choices today that will allow them to live more active and healthy lives tomorrow, while reducing medical costs for themselves and our healthcare system.
Looking at the future, my goal is to also increase opportunities for individuals to save for retirement, so their healthcare costs comprise less of their total after-tax income. Increasing deductions for healthcare and retirement savings can help, but will be of little benefit if everyday costs of living and taxes consume what little remaining income might be dedicated to savings.
The aging demographic will have widespread implications for the state budget and demand for services. Aside from long-term care, how will you account for the needs of older Californians in your policy agenda?
California's seniors — regardless of gender, income, education or origin — will be best served by a policy agenda that looks first at every person as a unique individual, each with their own personal aspirations and goals but all possessing equal dignity, and deserving of respect, independence and autonomy. I am committed to developing a master plan for aging.
Master plans are vital for important core topics spanning decades, administrations and political parties. They enable us to articulate a clear vision and comprehensive approach to solving problems. Other states have master plans for aging, which greatly improved their services for seniors and their families. As the fifth largest economy in the world, California should be leading on this critical issue, rather than falling behind.
Developing a master plan takes thoughtful consideration, and I am committed to putting forth an inclusive, transparent process to capture input and consolidate a range of good ideas and strategies that allow older adults to live and age in the place they call home; provide pathways for Californians to access the necessary services; improves efficiency in service delivery; identifies approaches for how to pay for this now and into the future.
While California has an important role to play in making certain that all seniors — and indeed all Californians — can meet their basic needs, have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare and are able live a healthy, fulfilling life — an equally high priority must be placed on allowing all seniors who are able to do so to live independently, in their own homes or apartments, and not driven out by ever-increasing costs and higher taxes.
Preserving, protecting and improving our state's healthcare system will be a top priority of my administration. We must increase access and drive down costs, while improving both quality and continuity of care. Reducing the cost of housing, and increasing affordable housing options for seniors and for all Californians, will provide important disposable income seniors can use for healthcare, savings or to live a more active and fulfilling life. I will also ask the Legislature to work with my administration, the attorney general and district attorneys across the state to develop legislation that will provide additional tools to protect seniors from fraud, and to better prevent crimes directed at seniors.
As governor, I will look to engage the full spectrum of California's unsurpassed diversity in my administration, including individuals with extensive public, private and non-profit sector expertise in enhancing the quality of life of seniors. I have a particular passion in this area, helping to establish an affiliate of Rebuilding Together, a nationwide organization that repairs the homes of low-income seniors and disabled persons. I will also seek to identify and establish additional opportunities for seniors to volunteer in our schools as instructional aides, assisting our teachers and providing additional one-on-one attention to help make certain students do not fall behind. We know that partnering with seniors to be active and engaged in purposeful, stimulating service-oriented activities promotes enhanced health and wellbeing, while at the same time providing invaluable services to communities across our state.
Gavin Newsom
California’s aging population will increase demand for long-term care services. How will you address this demand? In particular, what would you do to support middle-income Californians who do not qualify for Medi-Cal?
Older Californians are part of the rich fabric of our diverse state, and being able to age with dignity and a sense of purpose is part and parcel of the California Dream. California must be prepared to meet the Golden Wave, the massive swath of Californians entering the later stages of their life, with compassion and intentionality. We have a moral obligation to ensure these Californians can thrive.
Older Californians face special challenges, especially when it comes to health care. And like so many others in this state, they too are ¬feeling squeezed by the affordability crisis that makes it so expensive to live here.
I support the creation of a statewide master plan for aging, not just to tackle the unique challenges this Golden Wave presents for state and local governments but also to ensure California seniors have the chance to find meaning and a sense of belonging in their golden years.
Healthcare will be central to that plan. Seniors know firsthand how important high-quality health care is to their wellbeing. Healthcare is a human right — not just a privilege for those with means. That’s why I enacted the first municipal universal health care plan in America when I was mayor of San Francisco, and I strongly support moving the state toward universal health care and a single-payer financing strategy.
Critical to those efforts will be reinvesting in our long-term care system and the workers at the heart of it. Older Californians want to stay in their homes longer as they age — close to family, friends and the support networks they have spent a lifetime building. They deserve to have that opportunity, and their long-term care needs will be reflected in a Newsom administration’s efforts to expand healthcare access for all Californians.
The aging demographic will have widespread implications for the state budget and demand for services. Aside from long-term care, how will you account for the needs of older Californians in your policy agenda?
California owes our aging population a focused commitment to identifying and solving problems. Our state has lacked intentionality on this critical, looming social challenge. As governor, I will convene stakeholders to create a master plan for aging — a comprehensive strategy that crosses disciplines from healthcare to housing to economic security. Only by setting goals and honestly grappling with the challenges can we do right by California’s seniors.
Our senior population will become increasingly diverse, and the master plan process will work to identify to the needs of our diverse communities and offer strategies to solve them. For example, LGBT seniors are statistically more likely to suffer from social isolation, making access to healthcare more difficult. Similarly, seniors who aren’t fluent in English should be able to access the resources the state provides to older Californians. Our master plan should be tailored to meet the unique needs for all our seniors.
As we look into the future, we know that access to affordable housing, nutrition and social inclusion are just a few of many ways that the state can help seniors age with dignity. This begins with being honest about the issues we face, convening stakeholders to identify solutions, and committing to implement them. I look forward to working alongside committed advocates and activists as we develop these solutions.
Work
Read the Times' story about the future of work in California here »
John Cox
Advancing technology could dramatically affect the types of jobs Californians will hold in the future. As governor, what would you do to prepare workers for a new labor landscape? Specifically, how will you address the needs of people currently in low-skill, low-wage jobs that are considered especially vulnerable to automation?
California has an affordability problem – and we must ensure that all Californians are prepared for and able to find a job that allows them to pay their rent and support their family. This starts with the classroom. California is now near the bottom when it comes to our education system – we can and must do better. We must provide an outstanding public education in all subject areas, including STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and career technical education.
As Mayor of San Francisco and as a Lieutenant Governor sitting on the CSU and UC Boards, Gavin Newsom has had two decades to tackle our failing schools, yet more and more California students and workers have fallen behind on his watch.
As the Sacramento political class has ignored the growing learning gap in our schools, they have neglected – and often eliminated entirely – real world training programs that provide vital skills and opportunities for students who immediately enter the workforce after high school. In addition, too much money has gone into administration and not directly into the classroom.
New technology, the impact of artificial intelligence, innovation and automation require us to prepare students for the reality that in their lifetime they may change careers two to four times – and must often compete in a new, international marketplace with workers from around the globe.
We must recognize and respect the dignity of all honest, hard work. Entry-level, lower-wage jobs are important – and teach essential skills and discipline . However, these jobs cannot become a dead-end where hard workers who have not received the training or opportunity to learn the necessary skills to advance their careers become trapped -- and become vulnerable to losing their job to modernization and technology.
As Governor, I will work to expand STEM programs in all our schools, expand essential career tech education, and provide effective educational enrichment and enhancement opportunities, particularly through our community colleges. Nothing, however, is more important than improving our schools and making sure education money goes directly into the classroom. For two decades Gavin Newsom and the Sacramento politicians have failed California’s students, but I intend to put California back on top as a national and global leader in this area.
The Dynamex decision by the California Supreme Court has thrust the business world’s increasing reliance on independent contractors into the spotlight. Do you agree with the Court’s decision that establishes a new test that would likely result in more workers being classified as employees, not contractors? If not, how would you address the ruling as governor?
The recent decision by the California Supreme Court in the Dynamex case is yet another example of just how badly broken the Sacramento political class is, and how desperately our state needs bold new leadership that is not beholden to any special interests to address our most important problems.
Regardless of one’s opinion in the case – and let me be clear I strongly disagree with the ruling – we must respect the independence and integrity of our judicial system. However, the Governor and Legislature have every opportunity to right this decision. Once again, California’s politicians have failed the people.
Hundreds of thousands of hard-working Californians risk reduced paychecks, and even losing their jobs and their livelihoods, as a result of the Dynamex decision. In just one example, a hair stylist who rents a chair in a salon may no longer be able to work if a salon owner must now reclassify them. Perhaps even more importantly, the stylist will lose their independence and flexibility of a job that allows them the work, life, family balance they desire.
Make no mistake -- we need to protect and make accessible healthcare, time off and family leave benefits, and retirement savings options. Unfortunately, the Dynamex decision goes too far and will eliminate countless job opportunities. As Californians are struggling to pay their rent or put food on the table, we must create more jobs, instead of restricting opportunities.
As with so many issues in our state, these decisions are made in a vacuum. Sadly, we’ve come to expect this of the Sacramento political class. Furthermore, Gavin Newsom has taken millions of dollars from special interests across the ideological spectrum; he is hopelessly compromised on this issue, and on so many other vital issues facing our state. As Governor, I will focus on programs and policies that will help those Californians who, for so long, have been forgotten by the Sacramento politicians.
Gavin Newsom
Advancing technology could dramatically affect the types of jobs Californians will hold in the future. As governor, what would you do to prepare workers for a new labor landscape? Specifically, how will you address the needs of people currently in low-skill, low-wage jobs that are considered especially vulnerable to automation?
We find ourselves at a hinge moment in the history of California’s economy. With a rapidly changing labor landscape driven by globalization and emerging technology, the next Governor has a responsibility, especially to middle-class working families and our next generatio, to prepare the state for the future of work.
California must be ready to support displaced workers and empower them to acquire the skills to succeed in the 21st century economy. That means encouraging a mindset of career-long learning, investing in retraining through our community colleges and expanding apprenticeship programs. Our state’s policy leaders must have a laser-focus on workforce level re-skilling. The state can also work to complement the federal wage insurance program so that Californians who have to change jobs can ensure a smooth transition as they invest their time and energy in re-training and job hunting.
I also support expanding the earned income tax credit for those out of work. This is one of the most wildly successful anti-poverty programs in the history of the United States, and California can improve it by expanding eligibility for working adults and having it disbursed to recipients in periodic refunds as opposed to one lump sum annually. This smoothing will help families struggling to get by with a more predictable cash flow, because in these economic times, every little bit helps.
We need a statewide strategy for workforce development, one that builds upon the unique economic strengths of each region while preparing our workforce to meet the demands of the future economy. No one predicted the pace of change which technology would transform so many industries. As the economy changes, our state’s workforce must change with it. My administration will work workforce development experts, CEOs from companies large and small, labor leaders and local elected officials to ensure that California leads on these reforms.
In addition, we have to be intentional about ensuring that the jobs of the future are good jobs. Leading economists warn of continued growth in income equality and continued wage stagnation. Therefore, it’s important to pair workforce development strategies with job quality strategies. That means jobs that pay a living wage, offer benefits, and give workers a voice at work. The right solutions can help ease the transition and protect the workers most vulnerable and susceptible to automation.
The Dynamex decision by the California Supreme Court has thrust the business world’s increasing reliance on independent contractors into the spotlight. Do you agree with the Court’s decision that establishes a new test that would likely result in more workers being classified as employees, not contractors? If not, how would you address the ruling as governor?
California’s economy is a super-charged engine of innovation and creativity. Over the past six years, California employers have created 2.5 million new jobs, putting us at the lowest statewide unemployment rate since the great recession and catapulting us to become the fifth-largest economy in the world. But with this growth, and the changing economic trends that undergird it, has come inequality. We live in both the richest state and the poorest state in America. It is this gap – this opportunity gap – that defines our challenges in the years to come. How can we as a state harness this historic growth and innovation to benefit working people and their families, alleviate poverty and create a more equitable state? Answering this question is one of the principal reasons I’m running for Governor.
The ensuing policy discussion around Dynamex is an important one for us to have – and long overdue. Our economy is changing before our very eyes, and policymakers have an important and proactive role to play. As parts of our workforce shift to non-traditional employment structures, some suggest our labor laws and benefits rules have to adjust to meet the new realities of our economy.
The current benefits system of retirement, vacation and sick leave were designed in a different era of more traditional employer-employee relationships, but the principles that undergird these rights and benefits were hard-won. While benefit and employment structures may be changing, we cannot walk away from the gains we have made in improving the lives and wages of millions of working Californians.
Meanwhile, there are anywhere between one and two million gig workers in California. Many of these workers depend on independent contracting and emerging technologies to make ends meet and accommodate schedules that don’t conform to traditional employment. Unfortunately, they also bear the entirety of the risk in a downturn or accident.
I am committed to both encouraging innovation and protecting the workers of the emerging economy. One solution I have proposed is establishing a robust, sector-by-sector system of portable benefits, so that benefits that workers earn are not tied to one company or industry. I’m not ideological on this question, but I firmly believe California can and must be a leader in this conversation.