When California State Controller Betty Yee attended the California Economic Summit in Ontario last November, she praised the regional approach the Summit takes to tackling the difficult economic issues of workforce, housing and water that face California.
What she calls the “power of the regions” is based on the fact that collaboration and commitment and identified regional leadership already exist in the regions.
“The power of the regions is not always recognized or even embraced in Sacramento,” Yee said, urging regional leaders to be more visible as state policy is formulated.
She thinks the same regional approach can help state officials address the state’s largest issue: how California can pay for tomorrow.
When California Forward published its analysis on the state titled Financing the Future, it took a look at Proposition 30, explored where California needs to invest and how to pay for it, and compared some of the tax proposals that have been discussed.
For Controller Yee, the answers to these questions lie not in Sacramento, but in the regions of the state. The regions can and should play a key role in how governing and finance authority is shared.
Look for more videos from leaders who spoke to us at the Summit on CA Fwd’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/caforward.
