SVLG made waves in the infrastructure policy arena with its largest forum yet on April 27, with appearances by top Biden Administration officials on transportation and housing policy and other leading California voices on those important issues.
Viewers of the online event enjoyed an array of fascinating conversations with guest speakers including Adrianne Todman, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; Katie Thomson, Director of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation at the U.S. Department of Transportation; and Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California Transportation Agency. The Forum also featured special appearances by Governor Newsom, CA Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, Bay Area Transportation icon Rod Diridon, Sr., and other important voices.
According to UC Berkeley’s Institute of Government Studies and the Los Angeles Times’ April 2022 poll, fifty-six percent (56%) of registered voters “support the state continuing to build the high-speed rail project.” This week the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) Board of Directors has the opportunity to listen to voters – invest in affordable housing, make a significant dent in greenhouse gas emissions, and continue California’s legacy as an innovation hub for the world. Approval of the San Jose to Merced environmental documents brings the state closer than ever to giving Californians what they want: electrified high-speed rail that alleviates congestion, avoids high gas prices, and addresses the climate crisis.
California’s housing affordability crunch ranks at the top of all serious public policy and business competitiveness agendas. The state’s median home price set a new record in March 2022 at $849,080, which is out of reach for most—only 25% of Californians can afford a median priced home, compared to 50% nationally. Here in Silicon Valley, the median home price in Santa Clara County was a whopping $1.6 million in March 2022, up nearly 20% from the previous year, according to Redfin.
In an Executive Roundtable moderated by Jason Baker, SVP of Health, Housing and Transportation Policy on April 4, special guest Congressman Ro Khanna spoke to SVLG members about his key concerns and initiatives, including Biden’s Build Back Better framework, well-crafted antitrust legislation, and U.S.-based manufacturing.
In a roundtable discussion on climate leadership in the Golden State on March 22, Lauren Sanchez, Senior Climate Advisor for Governor Newsom, shared the latest insights from Sacramento on topics including natural gas resources, EV charging, environmental justice, and carbon capture.
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