I was incredibly lucky to be brought up in a family that understood the blessings of our roads, bridges and parks were not free, nor did they happen by accident. In fact, my dad often reminded us how lucky we were to live in America, while stopped at a stop light and surveying the scene around him, or swimming in a public pool, a sentiment that came from his years of traveling the world as a young man and seeing how others lived.
For most of the world, what we experience every day as Californians is something of a dream. I have never taken for granted the immense blessing that is the state and country in which I live. That’s not feel-good talk, it’s the truth.
That said, there is work to be done here at home. The American Society of Civil Engineers has given the cumulative U.S. infrastructure a D-plus as recently as 2017, and California a C-minus. The infrastructure plan promised by the administration at the time never materialized. This oversight has left our bridges, roads, and other public infrastructures in an active state of decline. We need decisive leadership to correct the course.
One of the reasons I initially decided to run is my desire to bring historic investment into our infrastructure in California. I will work so that the Federal Government dramatically increases its infrastructure investments in California in proportion to the enormity of Californian’s funding share of the U.S. Federal budget.
I believe infrastructure investment can be one of the wisest investments to ensure long-term economic sustainability and quality of life in California. A strong economy relies on strong infrastructure and positive incentives for hard working citizens to participate in that economy. To this end, we must invest in our state’s core infrastructure and services, such as roads, schools, and public transportation.