This state gave me and my family everything. My grandfather was a farmworker. Two generations later, I am Speaker of the State Assembly. That’s the California Dream.
But today, that same dream feels out of reach for way too many Californians. California is the land of possibility. Our spirit of innovation is unmatched. So why are so many people struggling to get by?
I hear it from my constituents every day. I feel it in my own life, raising a family with my wife Christen: the cost of living is way too high.
We can all feel it at the grocery store and when we pay our bills. We feel it when we fill up our gas tanks for the long commutes between work and home. And anyone who pays rent in California — or who hopes to someday own a home here — knows that housing costs are just unacceptably high.
We must make our state more affordable.
This requires us to embrace new solutions instead of sticking to the comfortable paths we’ve walked in the past. It requires us to focus on results — not on press conferences or soundbites.
Most importantly, I believe we must listen to what Californians actually need, not what politicians think they need. The people of this state know best what will improve their lives.
Making California more affordable will lift up millions of residents, from small business owners to first-generation immigrants. Affordable housing will get people out of homelessness. Affordable childcare and elder care will ease the burden on so many families. Lower costs for gas and utilities will allow working people to save more money for the future.
Together, we can build a California that works for everyone — while continuing to stand up for the values that define our state: equality, justice, and human rights.
Sincerely,
Speaker Robert Rivas
