Policy Priorities
Community-Based Policymaking & Fiscal Responsibility
As a current public policy professional, former farmworker, and community advocate of many years; I've become a big believer in the idea of community-based policymaking. I don't believe you can be an effective public servant unless you are actively engaging with and building personal relationships with the communities you serve, regardless of their ethnic background, socio-economic status, gender, or political status. It is this diversity of perspectives and lived experiences that should be informing our public service institutions. Community-based policymaking simply asks the question, how can you know your community's most pressing public policy issues unless you are actively listening and engaging with your communities? It is your taxpayer’s dollars, not the government's, and I will work hard to ensure that our taxpayer money is spent responsibly and conservatively, efficiently, and at your guidance. The following is a list of my public policy priorities and my plan to address these issues proactively.
Homelessness
Most of us know the causes of homelessness are complex and multifaceted. However, what a lot of us might be surprised to know is that the majority of the homelessness population in Tulare County, are people who are from Tulare County. For example, in 2019, over 90% of homeless individuals in Tulare County had their last stable residence in Tulare County. Data also suggests that rising costs of living and lack of affordable housing units in California is directly linked to a rise in homelessness in our local communities. Just 13 years ago, in 2010, the average asking rent in Tulare County was $750 a month. Recent reports show that asking prices in Tulare County are now $1,109 a month, a 47.87% increase.
Although the solutions to homelessness are complex and multifaceted as the causes, there are 3 approaches we can take to proactively address the root causes of this problem.
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Involvement of Nonprofits and Community Organizations: Partner with local nonprofits and community organizations that specialize in addressing homelessness to leverage their expertise and resources. For example, local nonprofit, Salt & Light works directly with our homeless population in Tulare, CA and other communities in District 2, they are the experts on the ground, and as County Supervisor I will directly with organizations such as this to implement policy that can systemically reduce our homelessness population. Secondly, organizations such as Self-Help Enterprises are proven experts in working with our most vulnerable communities to build affordable housing units throughout District 2 and beyond. As your county supervisor, I will work directly with organization such as this to streamline and increase the number of affordable housing units throughout our communities.
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Supportive Services: Tulare County needs to continue providing supportive services, such as mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, job training, and medical care, to help individuals address the underlying issues contributing to their homelessness. As your County Supervisor, I will work to proactively work with homeless individuals or those at risk, to address their underlying needs and reduce the number people having to live in our streets or encampments.
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Affordable Housing Initiatives: We have to build, build, build, not just in Tulare County, but throughout California the number of affordable housing units. There is simply not enough supply for the demanding needs in the Tulare County housing market.
Public Safety
Public safety is a top responsibility of the Board of Supervisors. As your Tulare County Supervisor I will work to reduce farm theft, crimes against farmworkers, other property theft, violent crimes, and improve natural disaster preparedness to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods. I will work hard to allocate the resources needed to the Sheriff and Fire Departments to keep us safe, in Tulare, CA but also so our rural unincorporated communities like Earlimart, Pixley, Tipton, Allensworth, Alpaugh, and Waukena are not neglected. The Board of Supervisors cannot allow our rural communities to continue to be overwhelmed and decimated by floods, and instead build the proper infrastructure to capture water for beneficial uses.
Education and Vocational Training
Only 15% of Tulare County has a Bachelor's degree or higher. As a first-generation high school and college graduate, I have experienced first-hand the power education has to open doors of opportunity. Higher education can lead to thriving careers in engineering, finance, government, business, health, and other fields. As a product of Tulare County K-12 schools and the world's top-ranked public university, I will work hard to ensure our educational institutions can continue to support our youth through enrichment programs, internships, and opportunities to apply education into the workforce. However, as someone with blue-collar origins, I also know that higher education isn't for everybody. That is why I am proud to say I have the support of Tulare County Carpenter's and Sheet Metal Workers, organizations that have apprenticeships so youth that want to go into the trades can get the experience they need to earn good-paying jobs with no debt and help us build the infrastructure Tulare County needs to continue to thrive.
Rural Infrastructure
The rural communities of District 2 in Tulare County have been neglected for years under the same leadership of the last 15 years. As your Tulare County Supervisor, I will work to ensure sidewalks and lighting is built in our rural unincorporated communities to improve public health and safety. I will also work to ensure our rural communities have access to basic utilities like internet, phone service, water, electricity, and gas through public-private partnerships to build modern infrastructure.
Fixing Roads
A priority for Tulare County Board of Supervisors should be to ensure our county roads are safe and reliable. Roads in Tulare, Earlimart, Pixley, Tipton, Allensworth, Alpaugh, and Waukena have been neglected for years under the same leadership of the last 15 years. I will work with urgency to ensure the county roads in Tulare and in our rural communities are being maintained, safe, and reliable for our hardworking citizens of Tulare County.
Water Supply Reliability
Water is life and the most crucial natural resource in our community. Our agriculture-based communities and economies depend on this invaluable resource to thrive. The Tulare County Board of Supervisors must continue to do the work to ensure our farmers have adequate resources to produce the food that feeds the nation. I believe in building more water storage, doing what we can to keep water in our county, and working with farmers to come up with voluntary conservation solutions. I also believe access to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water is a must for every family in Tulare County, especially our rural unincorporated communities where oftentimes this is not the case. 1 million people in California today do not have clean drinking water in their homes, many of them in District 2 of Tulare County. I will rely on my work experience helping rural communities in the valley build water and wastewater infrastructure to ensure this dream of access to safe drinking water in our communities of Tulare County, District 2 becomes a reality.
