STATE SENATE - DISTRICT 39
The San Diego Union-tribune recently sent survey questions to State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, a Democrat who is running unopposed for Senate District 39. Here are the questions and responses. For interviews with other candidates in other r
TONI ATKINS
Q:
What single fix does the state most need to implement to address the housing crisis? A:
There is no singular fix to correct the housing crisis facing our state. The problem didn’t emerge overnight, and it won’t be corrected overnight. But we will continue to address this issue in the months and years to come.
We have a two-fold problem — too little affordable housing (subsidized), and lack of housing affordability (market). And it’s going to take a multifaceted approach to begin setting us on the right path. Housing has been a top priority for me, from my time on the San Diego City Council to my work in the Legislature. In 2017, I authored legislation to create a permanent, reliable source of funding for affordable housing. This past year, our state budget included more than $2.4 billion for housing and homelessness programs, including money for infill grants, low-income housing tax credits, and the state’s affordable housing lending program, to name just a few. We will continue to work hard on this issue for the millions of Californians who want to live, work, and raise families in our state.
Because there is not enough affordable housing construction to meet the demand, we have to be thoughtful about building homes in places that will increase access to jobs, reduce the time people have to spend in their cars, and help us meet California’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. Housing was a focal point of our work last year, and it will continue to be a top priority. Q:
What more should Gov. Newsom and the Legislature do to address climate change?
A:
Without a doubt, the Legislature, as well as our governor, will be focusing much energy on climate change and its impact to our state in coming years. I am particularly proud that this year, the Senate will be advancing a $4.1 billion bond measure that will help communities invest in climate resiliency — including addressing sea level rise, preparing for droughts, and preventing wildfires.
Our region has a strong recreation and tourism industry, and is home to the largest concentration of military facilities in the world. These vital sectors of our economy all are facing threats from climate change, and we must continue to deal with the realities. We are in the drench portion of a drenching/ drought cycle, icebergs are melting at an incredible rate, and sea level rise is impacting our coastline. In San Diego, we are witnessing serious erosion along the shoreline, with the bluffs in Ocean Beach and Del Mar experiencing the biggest impact. The toll could be devastating, and have massive impacts on our rail transportation and tourism. We must, and will, continue to work on finding solutions that will best serve our state and our residents.
We also will continue to pursue ways to safeguard our state from federal attempts to unravel protections for our environment, public health, our endangered species, and our workers.
Q:
What should the state do address homelessness and are you aware of a specific approach being used elsewhere that would work in California? A: The homelessness problem facing our state is troubling, and it is imperative that California provide the resources and programs people need to live healthy, productive lives. Last year, our state budget included $1 billion in much-needed funding to address homelessness, including funds to expand and build emergency shelters and navigation centers, rapid rehousing, and job programs. We also invested in wraparound services to better assist people those experiencing housing insecurity, so that they can find the resources they need to overcome challenges that may be contributing to their housing instability.
We have been working on this for years, and our efforts have helped thousands of Californians in need. In 2014, then-assembly Speaker John Pérez and I co-authored Proposition 41, which helped provide affordable, transitional and supportive housing for veterans and their families by repurposing unused bond funds. To date, that funding has provided thousands of housing units. These are the types of solutions that truly can change lives.
We will continue to seek solutions that will help our state better address this problem, and will continue to look at best practices that could help more Californians secure a safe place to call home, or avoid homelessness altogether.
Q:
Is California adequately taxed or no? If so, why? If not, what new taxes do you support? A: Our state flourishes because of the people and businesses that call California home, and I am proud that we have enacted tax credits and incentives that help Californians and California businesses. In 2019, we expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit, which provided a $600 million tax cut for lower-income working families. It was the third year the tax credit had been expanded since being enacted in 2015, and I am so proud that the legislation I championed as Assembly speaker has now helped millions of people. And as part of our most recent budget, we provided a $460 million tax cut for small businesses.
Over the years, we also have listened to the business community and enacted effective incentives to attract new business to the state, extended an exemption on almost all manufacturing equipment from the state’s sales-and-use tax, and provided incentives targeting key industries that pay high wages.
We also must hold corporations more accountable and have them contribute fairly. The federal government just provided a massive corporate tax cut that we were promised would “trickle down,” but it hasn’t. Many Californians have experienced their income taxes going up, yet haven’t experienced any relief when they go to the store or get their bills. That’s not OK.
We need to look at restoring a portion of those rates at the state level in order to generate benefits for lower and middle-income Californians who never got the promised “trickle down” benefits.
Q:
What would you change in the California school system, and how? A:
As a policymaker, it is imperative that we do everything in our power to ensure every California student receives a quality education and that our state continues to invest in K-12 and higher education.
Last year, we made big gains for California’s students at every level, from the highest Proposition 98 funding in history to increased support for the CSU and UC systems. We put a $15 billion education construction bond for our schools, community colleges, and universities on the March 2020 ballot. We ensured that more California students are prepared for and accepted to the UC and CSU systems, and we made the second year of tuition free at our community colleges.
But there is always room for improvement. Some of our students are being left behind, particularly our low-income, English learner, African American and Latinx students. Too many students come to school without the advantage of an early education program, or have experienced trauma, from not enough food at home to housing instability.
Academics are important, but so is ensuring our students are healthy, safe and have their basic needs met. That’s why the Senate has focused on academics and social services for students — providing more mental health services in our schools and universities, and access to basic services such as food, from K-12 through college. We also support more access to early education programs, particularly for our disenfranchised populations because getting a head start helps them succeed academically. There is always more to do and the Senate will continue to examine holistic approaches to these issues.
Q:
What is the most important issue we have not raised and why? A: Another critical issue we face is increasing access to health care for all. How we get there is complicated, but there must be solutions, and we need to continue having the conversations that will help us arrive at the answers that will work. We must keep going down the path to universal health care and make health care more affordable for lower and middle-income Californians. Last year, our final budget invested $450 million in increased premium support to make health care more affordable for middleclass and lower-income Californians. We are committed to strengthening our state through investments in our people.