Vallejo residents taking part in participatory budgeting event (Photo Credit: John Guenther/CA Fwd)
The California Economic Summit has initiated the development of an ambitious policy agenda designed to help lift the 18 million Californians who live in or near poverty into the middle class.
It’s called Elevate CA.
The policy development started with a conversation. Dozens of Californians—both from the public and private sector—have weighed in on what they think needs to be done in order restore the California dream for millions of Californians who are barely getting by.
There are a number of ideas, which underlines just how complex addressing this issue really is.
If you think that expanding the earned income tax credit, improving workforce development programs, making it easier to access school nutrition or to investing in children before they even get to school you’d find your idea being promoted.
Also, we address how can California through public and private efforts expand the various and diverse aspects of our economy whether it’s developing a biomass economy in rural California, expanding the blue economy that’s connected to the ocean and trade that dominates, or training workers for the exploding green economy in our state.
Tackling issues of economic insecurity and upward mobility is a policy imperative for California (and the rest of the country for that matter).
Two Latina leaders, Maria Anguiano, CFO at the Minerva Project and member of the UC Board of Regents, and Marta Segura, a long time environmental and health advocate and Southern California Engagement Director for The Center for Biological Diversity, believe that for real change to occur through more participatory and inclusive governance. For an agenda like Elevate CA to succeed, a more inclusive government needs to attract the support and energy of California’s diverse communities.
These two friends talked to Victor Abalos via phone and discussed how government will have to change its approach in order for ambitious policy agendas like Elevate CA to succeed.
Ms. Anguiano shared her own story in an earlier Elevate CA op-ed that showed what education and encouragement did for her and can do for others.
The Summit’s Elevate CA policy agenda will be finalized when the Summit meets in San Diego November 2-3. Registration and program information can be found on the 2017 Summit Registration Page.
