On the Issues

By Marc Boyd

The following report states my position on important issues in the foothill district and throughout California.

Currently 850,000 rural residents live in a "state responsibility area" (SRA) that is within the authority of Cal Fire. 90% of those residents live in a fire district that provides the initial response to structure fires and other emergencies. Cal Fire needs to have a presence in those districts for forest fires and in case a structure fire spreads beyond the capability of the local fire district. Therefore because of the deep budget cuts, Governor Brown has been forced to look for other means to provide adequate fire protection for residents in SRAs. The $150 fire fee (with a $35 discount for those in a fire district) has been declared a temporary charge. If Governor Brown's budget proposal is approved by the voters in November, I would hope that legislation is presented immediately that will repeal the fire fee for rural residents.

Realignment (AB 109)

In May 2011, the United States Supreme Court ordered California to reduce its prison population by 30,000 in two years. Governor Brown weighed his options and decided to go to the counties for help. Californians should be very concerned about the need for counties to decide who to release early in order to make room for more serious offenders. It is very important that the state provide the funds needed to cover the additional expense. Every released inmate in California should be provided an opportunity for rehabilitation based on best practices. If state and county officials are able to work together in a collaborative fashion there is hope that California can reduce a recidivism rate (70%) that is the highest in the nation.

California Budget

As Governor Jerry Brown said in his 2012 State of the Union address, "California is on the mend." Over the past year, the Governor and the Democrats in the Legislature have made tremendous progress reducing the deficit. I'm very proud of their efforts and the California economy is now poised to make a remarkable recovery. However, we still have a remaining budget deficit to solve, but any more cuts to education and public safety would be devastating. Therefore, I support Governor Brown's proposal to ask the voters for their approval to raise the remaining funds necessary to finally balance the budget.

Education Spending

One report I read says that the cost of a college education for someone born today could exceed $400,000. California has always been a place where if you work hard, stay in school, and graduate from high school, a college education will be available to you. That promise is now in jeopardy. We cannot allow budget cuts to education to eliminate the possibility of a college education to tens of thousands of high school graduates. In addition, we need to make sure that our K-12 schools have all the resources they need to prepare students at each step along the way.

California High Speed Rail

There are a lot of naysayers who want to put the brakes on High Speed Rail in California. I'm not one of them. I agree with Governor Brown that the California High Speed Rail Authority needs to "get its act together." Hopefully, the upcoming revised business plan will give us a realistic view of the challenges ahead. I believe that a less expensive high-speed rail system, blended in with existing rail systems in metropolitan areas, and with significantly more funds allocated from the federal government, it will be a landmark infrastructure investment in our 21st Century economy. According to reports, California's population is projected to grow from 37 million (in 2010), to 42-48 million by 2020. If we don't build a high speed rail system, we will be left with building more airport runways, more airport gates, and more freeways at about the same cost or possibly even higher. In addition, the Central Valley of California has many of the nation's metropolitan areas with the highest unemployment, the highest air pollution levels, and the fastest growing populations. It is important to keep in mind that the Interstate Highway Act of 1956, and completed in 1991, also significantly underestimated the total cost.

California Universal Health Care Act (SB 810)

Single-payer health care is a sensible way to provide high quality health care to all Californians. The money for the program will come directly from expenditures that are already being made. The major difference is that insurance companies will be required to lower their overhead expenses to 5% versus the current average of 25%. It will continue to allow patients to choose their own doctor. It will also allow workers to keep their insurance if they change jobs and they cannot be turned down. Moreover, it will allow us to improve efficiencies by using our purchasing power to lower costs and will provide patient focused care.

Renewable Energy

California is projected to have 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020. We are definitely on-track to produce 33% of our electrical energy by 2020. As a result, California will remain a world leader in high tech jobs and clean energy investments. In addition, California will lead the way towards lowering our greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall economy, and transitioning to the clean energies of the future.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

It is clear that California's water system is outdated and needs to be upgraded for the 21st Century. Therefore we need a collaborative solution from water agencies, farmers, and environmental advocates. I believe it can be done, but the process needs to be transparent, balanced, and accountable to the taxpayers. The size and scope of the plan will make it very challenging.

California Disclose Act (AB 1648)

AB 1648 would help turn the tide against unlimited and undisclosed campaign spending. Voters need to know who the top spenders on political campaign ads are. A healthy democracy is dependent upon transparency and accountability. It is my intention to run a positive grass roots campaign primarily funded by small contributions.

"Feed-In Tariff" for Residential Solar Power

The 2006 California Solar Initiative (CSI) set a goal of one million homes with solar panels which will generate 3,000 megawatts of solar power by 2016. In a 2011 CSI update by the California Public Utilities Commission it was reported that we are currently within 10% of reaching that goal. That is good news. The CSI had an initial budget of $2.167 billion. In order to catch up to the CSI goals we need an additional $200 million (about 10%) in new funds. Residential "feed-in tariffs" would allow homeowners the opportunity to sell excess solar power to the electric utility companies. Instead of adding to the current budget deficit we should create a residential "feed-in tariff" incentive program that would put CSI goals back on track. In addition to creating clean renewable energy, it will also add good paying jobs to local economies.