2021 Governor Recall Race: My Solution for What Troubles the State

Here is the problem:

If we don’t know where we are going, any road will take us there.

There are 2 underlying problems that no one is addressing:

Massive inequality due to California’s growth and uneven success.

Indifference and wrong diagnosis by Sacramento.

California needs a vision and a way forward. Not shouting and finger-pointing about things that don’t make a difference.

My dream and vision for California 2031 and beyond:

Growth and employment is the practical solution to our current problems. We can not tax and spend our way out of the mess. My goals for California are as follows:

Enable CA to become the 3rd largest economy in the world by 2031, from 7th (or 5th) today. It means doubling the economy in 10 years. It is totally feasible, given the high growth industries already in the state.

Create massive employment, which will reverse the outward migration trend, and increase state revenues.

Global Leader in next-generation sustainable solutions to solve global problems

Provide a world-class safety net for folks down on their luck or those who genuinely can not participate in the economy.

Health Care and Education as Rights, not privileges. We are the richest, most powerful state and country in the world. Let our citizens feel like it!

An Inclusive, Caring, Capitalist California that works for all. And is again the role model for the rest of the country and the world. We can do it!

How to Achieve California 2031 Targets:

Fix the Short term issues. In parallel, start on the Underlying Problem.

A. Fix the Symptoms. Short-term fixes. Day 1–365

B. Fix the Foundation. Long-term solution. Day 1–3650

A. Fix the Windows. Short-term fixes. Day 1–365

1. Get the homeless off the street and into livable housing: The Army and National Guard understand how to create housing quickly. Get a state level Czar to co-ordinate the activities of many helpful individuals and non-profits.
2. Water and Energy: Get agreement from stakeholders like environmental groups on a sustainable plan that works for all sides. Most people understand what needs to be done. The big issue is lack of alignment, leading to court petitions that jam up approvals for years and decades.
3. Forest Management: Get the experts in the room. There are 5 agencies responsible for Wildland Fire Management. Build break lines, use shelterwood techniques…. This is not rocket science. But is hard work. There will be fires. But the new intent would be to minimize the impact to people and the environment.
4. Law and Order: This is non-negotiable. My view is colored by my immigrant experience, coming from an emerging country. I see the US police as fair, overworked and under-appreciated. There are always bad apples. We can not use those examples to paint the entire force as evil. We need to be clear about their mandate. Is it to preserve law and order, or solve for other societal issues? We need other teams for mental health, for drug addicts, or absconding parents, or truant teenagers, etc. It is unfair to expect the Police to fulfill multiple functions. No one should be allowed to break the law. If the law is unfair, it is the job of Sacramento to change it. I will also work with the Legislature to pass a law that calls for time-bound decisions, and community policing of problem areas in partnership with the local Police.
5. Reinvigorate the next iteration of Local Communities: Run 5 Pilot programs in different areas of the state. The people closest to the situation, and with vested interest in the community, are the best to solve the problems. We’ll work on top 5 areas where communities need help, along with Local and State agencies, non-pofits and private companies in partnership mode.
6. Immediate reduction of State Gas Tax. The prices at the pump are getting insane. How do we expect people to drive and get to work?
7. Weekly Update report to the people of California about what and how we are doing on the key goals. Today, it takes painful digging through data to get the info.

B. Fix the Foundation. Long term solution. Day 1–3650

Grow overall tax revenues by 3X, while cutting tax rates 50% within 10 years.

How will we grow the pie?

The answer is in our problems!

Focus on Next-Gen Infrastructure (water, energy, transportation systems, affordable housing, education, healthcare….) as new areas to drive massive growth and low/mid-tier employment enablers across the state.

Tech and Entertainment industries will keep growing rapidly, as long as Sacramento stays out of the way.

This growth will enable us to provide a social safety net that is the envy of the world, while also reducing the tax rates, and reducing the welfare burden.

Refocus Sacramento to engage with small and big businesses in the state and globally in a Public-Private Partnership model. This model has been used successfully in many places across the world.

Get Industry-Government Councils to drive Simplified Regulations that small businesses and big businesses can work with. Benchmark against other states and countries to get best in class solutions agreed to and implemented.

Social Policy Enablers

We need to again build up these areas where we have lost focus because of our current success.

Communities need to be reinvigorated. And empowered to again provide on-ground, local social support, and other services. In the past, extended families, religious institutions, and other community organizations took on a large portion of the burden. All this is now falling on Sacramento and local bodies, sometimes unfairly.

The entrepreneurial and innovation capability of Californians can not and must not be destroyed. Our Golden State is still the global heart of Innovation and pioneering spirit. The entire world wants to emulate us. We can not lose what has made us great.

Really and truly provide a helping hand to the ones who are struggling, instead of expanding policies that are creating a permanent underclass.

Healthcare and Education as a Right. We are the richest and most powerful country in the world. We can not have a big section of our society struggle without basics. But the answer is also not to throw more and more money. Let’s think through innovative and more affordable models. These have to include the private sector, with Government support and oversight.

Strong Law and Order in partnership with local cities and communities is non-negotiable. This is the bedrock of any advanced, civilized society.

This includes a humane but firm control of our borders. Immigration is a privilege, not a right. We don’t keep our homes open for anyone to walk in. The Country is also our collective home. I say this as a first-generation immigrant.

Are these pie in the sky ideas?

Most of these ideas have been implemented in different states and at the Federal level at various times in our history. With great results.

Other countries have also been following this model. It has created globally competitive industries and an upwardly mobile middle class in just one or two generations.

Sound interesting and different. But how do we pay for all this? More taxes?

The good news is that most of what I have proposed is actually extremely cost-effective. We will marshal existing resources, and money available on tap across the world to drive the growth.

In addition, the Covid Economic Stimulus Plans have resulted in an unexpected increase in Sacramento’s tax receipts. This should continue for 1–3 years.

Let’s not waste this unexpected gift. We can use part of the windfall to pay for our short term and long solutions.

Who will implement this solution?

Let’s get our 40 million strong Team California engaged!

As a small company owner and a global executive, I learned that people closest to the problem understand it the best. Ironically, they are also the ones no one listens to.

I also understand how large, complex organizations get work done. The job of the leader of a large organization is to get buy-in, spread the message, build a great team, and provide them the right tools. This is not ‘cool’ stuff. But that is what it takes.

There are wonderful people across the state who are looking for a clear message and plan to rally around! We owe it to ourselves and the rest of the world to again make California a role model. An Inclusive, Caring, Capitalist California that works for all.