Health care and housing affordability: Top priorities for candidates for California governor

Five Democratic candidates for California governor recently participated in a forum to speak about their priorities if they are elected. On Sept. 28, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) welcomed former Congresswoman Katie Porter, former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, former State Controller Betty Yee,  and California Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond to talk about their plans. 

The forum was focused mainly on health care and affordability. All candidates agreed that health care is vital and promised to fight especially for the most vulnerable, like the elderly and low-income and undocumented people. 

“When I'm governor, I'm going to make sure that everyone from the largest providers to frontline workers is able to focus on what is most important, patient care,” Porter said. 

Becerra, who identifies as the future California's health care governor, said he’s ready to get things done, just as he did it as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and in other political positions he held in the past. 

Villaraigosa highlighted that health care goes hand in hand with affordability. He said not only physical but mental health are key to being healthy. 

“So as your governor, I'll work with you every single day to make sure we address that health care crisis and that we take on the issue of mental health parity,” Villaraigosa said. 

On affordability

Becerra and Thurmond said they would provide a tax break for the working class while taxing the wealthy instead. Thurmond said he will address homelessness, create more affordable housing, offer good paying jobs and expand health care. 

“I will build two million housing units using the surplus property that exists in California school land, all across the state and every one of our 58 counties,” Thurmond said. “And we will take care of the homeless in our state, 40% of whom are older Californians.” 

Villaraigosa considers that the lack of affordability is because of the leadership.

“We have the highest gas price in the United States of America on the issue of utility costs, the second highest utility costs in the nation. They've gone up 60% in the last six years,” he said. 

He also agreed with his counterparts that affordability in housing should be addressed immediately by building affordable housing. 

“The average unit is almost $900,000 a unit, and so as governor, I am going to focus on affordability,” he said.

While the L.A. City Council opposes SB 79 to allow high density housing near transit hubs – which sits on the Governor Newom’s  desk– candidates like Porter strongly support it. 

She said SB79 allows more development near areas of transit and  is much needed now as it would be cheaper for people and would allow them easier utilize public transportation

“We're talking about adding density in areas that are ready for density, because they already have that transit bandwidth,” she said. “We are not going to grow as an economy in California if we do not attract new people, and we do not retain the amazing workers and young people that we have. And to do that, housing needs to get more affordable.”

Defending the state

Candidates were asked about  the recent Supreme Court rulings against California on issues like immigration, climate or health care and how would they defend the state without breaking the law or jeopardizing federal resources.

Yee said California has been a leader, and she put as an example the climate issue stating that some rollbacks on environmental goals have been set, but California is not backing down. She said leadership is vital to make the state the next industrial climate leader of the world. 

“We have technologies that can be deployed in terms of how we're going to meet our climate goals, that can create jobs, that can really strengthen our economy and these are things that we can do, not running into any roadblocks by the federal government,” Yee said. 

Becerra said he will make sure to use every law in the books from stopping decisions that go against the state’s interests. 

“Donald Trump can send ICE enforcement in, but he can't do policing on our streets. The Constitution leaves that to us. You need someone who knows how to fight Donald Trump,” said Becerra, priding himself of his record of suing the Trump administration over 120 times when he was California’s  attorney general. 

None of the Republican candidates participated in the forum. The race is starting to take shape as another candidate, former state senator Tony Atkins,, dropped out. Entrepreneur Rick Caruso hasn’t decided whether or not to enter the race.