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ISSUES
Environmental Protection, Climate Justice & Clean Energy
Dan is a longtime environmental leader in the East Bay and statewide. He’s spent most of his professional career developing policy and leading advocacy campaigns to promote clean energy, implement effective climate solutions, combat air and water pollution, fight for environmental health and justice regulations, defend the rights of animals, promote biodiversity, facilitate recycling, and protect our parks, wetlands, waterways and open spaces. Dan will also prioritize the elimination of toxics in our workplaces, in consumer products, and in our food supply. Dan believes that by growing our clean energy economy, we can create good, green jobs for Bay Area residents while protecting our precious environment for generations to come. Dan authored the law to ban the storage and handling of coal in Oakland and has been a leader in statewide efforts to promote more renewable energy.
Dan's strategy on climate change includes:
• Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) – Expand electric vehicle infrastructure statewide w/ resources targeting multi-family housing and lower income communities. Make sure we have incentives in place to help people purchase cleaner vehicles. Support alternative zero emission fuels that are made from clean sources. In the heavy duty sector, we must phase out fossil fuels to reduce unhealthy black carbon pollution.
• Renewable Energy – Work to facilitate more utility-scale solar and smaller, behind-the-meter rooftop solar as well as large-scale wind and solar in appropriate locations, including offshore wind. Rein in abuses by investor-owned utilities. And support massive distribution of battery storage technology to further facilitate our clean energy future.
• Green Buildings/Building Decarb – New buildings should be built as all electric. I am proud to have been the author of this law in Oakland that requires clean, all-electric new buildings. Existing buildings should also transition to no longer use unhealthy natural gas. This will take time and money. The state should assist local jurisdictions in creating such plans/timelines. Dan has been a long-time advocate of energy efficiency and green building requirements
• VMT Reduction – We must reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) if we are serious about reducing overall heat-trapping GHG emissions. Focusing the building of new housing in highly urbanized areas must be a priority—particularly transit-oriented development locations. We must respect urban growth boundaries and build up, not build out (no sprawl!). We need dedicated funding for public transit, as well as other non-car mobility options (ped and bike safety, safe routes to schools are key) that are inviting to more people. We should implement and adhere to the state's Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure.
• Waste/Recycling – Reduce food waste into our landfills, and fully implement green waste diversion, Promote recycling and reuse. Dan is a board member and former chairperson of StopWaste. Dan authored the law in Oakland to ban single-use plastics and to promote environmentally-responsible reusables. Dan will be a leader on these issues to remove plastics from our waste stream.
• Climate Justice and Adaptation – Promote and fund wetlands preservation/expansion; put resources into strong 30x30 preservation/implementation; expand climate resilience hubs—particularly in disadvantaged communities; promote environmentally responsible wildfire prevention. I will lead policy and budgetary efforts in coalition with advocacy groups and policy experts to strengthen and implement the State’s Climate Adaption strategies. Further, we must take advantage of the air quality co-benefits that would come with GHG emission reductions when the reductions are at the source in our communities.
Dan has worked on state issues for the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Sierra Club. If you want to elect someone who comes from and has deep expertise and background in the environmental, climate justice and clean energy community, Dan is that guy.
Comprehensive Public Safety
Dan has led efforts to get guns off our streets, including writing the laws to ban ghost guns and the parts that make ghost guns, and require safe storage of guns in homes. Dan always stands up to the NRA and will continue to fight for tougher gun laws. And he knows that keeping our communities safe requires smart investments in effective violence prevention/intervention and rehabilitation programs that provide education, job training and other assistance to people emerging from the criminal justice system. Dan has consistently supported community-focused policing and increased funding for violence prevention and intervention, and he has been a consistent and passionate advocate for increased staffing for robust investigations of serious crimes--including borrowing FBI investigators to help with violent crime investigations.
He also authored the charter measure that created an independent police commission in Oakland and was one of the Council authors to create our innovative Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) to address certain neighborhood challenges that don't require a police officer.
State government absolutely must increase funding for rehabilitation in our state prisons and reentry services at the local level in order to reduce recidivism and help those in need. Dan toured San Quentin prison several years ago and knows that when inmates engage in rehabilitation programs, they have a much lower rate of recidivism. Early on, Dan proposed to extend this strategy to all our state prisons!
Dan is determined to push back on hate crimes and make sure we have serious consequences for those who commit these violent acts of hate against our neighbors.
Moreover, Dan wrote and worked to pass a multi-faceted local law recently that will tangibly reduce crime in Oakland. He will not give up until you and your neighbors are safe in your neighborhood. Dan also took a significant role in the statewide cell phone kill-switch bill passed into law in 2014.
Public Safety means many things. Dan is a leader in local/regional efforts to reduce wildfire risk and is passionate about fighting for policies and funding for pedestrian and bicycle safety and safer routes to schools.
Housing Affordability and Homelessness
Dan knows that high housing prices and rents are contributing to displacing long-time residents in much of the East Bay – changing the character of our neighborhoods and making it harder for people who work here to live here. Dan has been, and continues to be, a passionate and consistent leader in the effort to address our housing needs and create more affordable and workforce housing in our communities. He’s also a consistent leader in ensuring that renters are protected from unfair displacement and will seek additional authority for local cities to help them protect more renters from exhorbitant rent increases. Dan will lead a legislative effort in Sacramento to bring back a modified form of Redevelopment focusing on below market housing.
Moreover, Dan knows that the state and counties must play a strong roll in working collectively to tackle our homelessness crisis. Dan will prioritize making sure the state takes seriously it’s role in providing assistance for housing our homeless residents, and will fight for greater attention to prevention, residential treatment for drug dependency, and addressing mental health challenges for those in need.
Dan is responsible for bringing in tens of millions of dollars for affordable housing and was recognized in 2020 as an Affordable Housing Champion by East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO). He also authored the law in Oakland to require that apartments buildings be seismically upgraded to keep people safe in their homes.
Combating Hate and Bigotry
We are living in challenging times with some of our neighbors under attack from extremists just because of who they are. Dan knows that we must step up our efforts locally and statewide to protect immigrants, stand up to subtle and not-so subtle forms of racism, and combat discrimination and hate in all its forms. Racism, anti-semitism, gender discrimination and homophobia are all too real--even here in the Bay Area. Dan has engaged with interfaith programs and broad, diverse coalitions for decades. As he has done in the past, Dan will stand up and stand with communities under attack.
STOP ASIAN HATE • BLACK LIVES MATTER • END HOMOPHOBIA • FIGHT ANTISEMITISM
Quality Public Education and Our Youth
Dan is passionate about public education and believes that our state government should increase funding for our K-12 public schools and our community colleges. Dan initiated an innovative partnership with Oakland’s school district to reduce chronic absenteeism and promote grade-level literacy, and will bring this effort statewide. He is a passionate supporter of community schools. Dan also will push for quality, affordable pre-school and child care as well as smaller class size in the elementary grades.
Dan worked at a Bay Area community college for five years and understands the tremendous value of our community college system. We need to better integrate our high schools with nearby community colleges.
As a U.C. Berkeley alum, Dan also knows the value of a 4-yr college education and will work to support funding and programs to make a college education more accessible. And no one has been a stronger supporter of our school and public libraries. In 2015, California Public Library Advocates presented Dan with their outstanding elected official of the year award.
Dan has engaged with young residents on a range of issues including climate justice. He plans to create a Youth & Young Adult Advisory Council immediately after he is elected to the State Senate.
Universal Access to Health Care, Defending Reproductive Freedom, Consumer Protection, Supporting our Seniors
With our population aging, we as a state and a society must make sure we are prepared to meet the needs of our older residents. From assisted living and skilled nursing operations, to isolation and mounting health concerns, to consumer fraud and financial security, our state must not forget our senior population.
We must rein in health care costs. Dan will go toe-to-toe with the insurance industry and fight for instituting a single-payer health care system in California and nationwide—somethings Dan has supported for more than 35 years. Medicare for some should become Medicare for All! He looks forward to helping lead this transition in our state. Dan also recognizes that community health centers are an integral part of our health care system and our safety net, and they must be supported and recognized as such. And Dan knows that mental health care is health care and will fight for parity.
***Dan is and has always been a steadfast supporter of reproductive rights and reproductive freedom. He has earned a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood Advocates. He will work tirelessly to ensure that reproductive health services are accessible to all women regardless of economic status.
Dan will fight to be one of our state's most passionate and effective consumer and public health advocates.
Universal Access to Health Care, Defending Reproductive Freedom, Consumer Protection, Supporting our Seniors
With our population aging, we as a state and a society must make sure we are prepared to meet the needs of our older residents. From assisted living and skilled nursing operations, to isolation and mounting health concerns, to consumer fraud and financial security, our state must not forget our senior population.
We must rein in health care costs. Dan will go toe-to-toe with the insurance industry and fight for instituting a single-payer health care system in California and nationwide—somethings Dan has supported for more than 35 years. Medicare for some should become Medicare for All! He looks forward to helping lead this transition in our state. Dan also recognizes that community health centers are an integral part of our health care system and our safety net, and they must be supported and recognized as such. And Dan knows that mental health care is health care and will fight for parity.
***Dan is and has always been a steadfast supporter of reproductive rights and reproductive freedom. He has earned a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood Advocates. He will work tirelessly to ensure that reproductive health services are accessible to all women regardless of economic status.
Dan will fight to be one of our state's most passionate and effective consumer and public health advocates.
Clean Money Elections
Big business and trade association interests and their allies have way too much influence in Sacramento! That’s why Dan has been a consistent leader locally and statewide in promoting campaign finance reform and clean money elections. Californians rightfully want a government that makes policy decisions in the light of day. Dan has always been a strong supporter of governmental ethics and transparency. That’s why the East Bay Express recognized Dan as the Best Good Government Politician a few years back. He was the Council author of the groundbreaking Democracy Dollars campaign reform program in Oakland. And as a former staffer for California Common Cause, Dan successfully advocated for strong campaign finance reform and open government laws. Dan is a passionate good government advocate and will be a leader advocating for clean money elections and pushing back against special interests.
Delivering Services for Northern Alameda County and West Contra Costa County
Dan knows that real solutions require hard work, collaboration, tireless leadership and the experience to get things done. He is ready to get to work on day one to serve the constituents of West Contra Costa County and Northern Alameda County by maintaining a level of service that should be expected of an state elected official, including holding regular community office hours throughout all portions in the district, meeting with constituents about bill ideas, helping residents navigate state agencies for assistance, attending community events and regularly sharing updates about the State Legislature’s work.
Dan will establish a West Contra Costa Advisory Council and a Northern Alameda County Advisory Council to ensure that each area of the district is heard and so he can take the ideas from the advisory groups to Sacramento and fight so that every area of the district gets its fair share of resources from the state.
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