One of the key problems facing Californians right now is the affordable housing crisis. It is estimated that in order to address our housing shortage we need 3.5 million homes by 2025. The good news is that a problem created by public policy can be fixed, in due time, with better public policy.

The first step should be to fully restore the ability of local governments to use redevelopment authorities to fund workforce and affordable housing for teachers, nurses, firefighters, seniors, low-income families and the homeless. For generations, redevelopment was a powerful public policy tool to make investments in economic development and housing. These agencies had the power to fund strategic local investments by capturing the increased tax revenues generated by new projects.

Beyond this initiative, we have to get smarter and faster in Sacramento. I’ll give you one simple example. We waive CEQA and provide exemptions to build football stadiums. If we can do that for stadiums, we should be able to modify it to build affordable housing and mass transit.

When I was Mayor we financed more than 2,500 permanent supportive housing units for the formerly homeless. And we partnered with the L.A. County Departments of Mental Health and Health Services to provide support for those residents. I also announced an ambitious plan to increase affordable housing for families. We set a goal: 20,000 new rental units for a family of four making up to $100,188 a year. Within four years, we not only met, but exceeded that goal.

We know what we need to do, but we also know it won’t be easy. We need to build dramatically more housing. We need to provide the mental health and substance abuse care to address the reasons so many people end up on the street. And we need to have the health care workforce to make this care a reality. We need to create more good jobs. And we need to keep fighting this fight even though it seems impossible – because basic human dignity tells us we do not leave our brothers and sisters on the streets.

Fighting poverty and income inequality is something I have done my whole life – because I have lived it. This is not something I heard about on a panel in Davos. This is not just some theory, this is my life.

I believe that poverty and income inequality are our biggest challenges. We are the 5th largest economy in the world, but have the highest effective poverty rate in the nation. That’s unacceptable and it’s why I intend to lead on the issues that are contributing to the crisis of poverty in our state, including creating high wage jobs, building more housing and rebuilding our infrastructure and education systems for the 21st Century.

High wage jobs are the top priority of my campaign. Creating high-wage jobs and expanding the middle class helps heal the festering wound of income inequality for all Californians.

What is so powerful about economic opportunity and economic growth is that they both create a virtuous circle. Lifting people out of poverty lowers crime, increases levels of health and even increases academic achievement in schools, because children in stable economic situations do better in school than children living in poverty. And certainly, creating high wage jobs creates dramatically more tax revenue – which we can invest in better schools, better roads and rail, creating affordable and universal healthcare, protecting our environment and any one of a number of pressing priorities.

I am fighting for an economy that creates more opportunity and more equality everywhere – not just in a few places along our coasts. I am doing this in a way that is grounded in fundamental truth and hard realities. I don’t think we make our state more progressive with press releases or empty promises. We make it more progressive with sound policies that help all Californians prosper.

This is one of the many issues we as a state are going to have to look at to ensure that working people are able to retire with dignity.

Earlier this year, it was reported that CalSTRS unfunded liability grew to $97 billion and its funding level dropped to nearly 64 percent. This is a critical and complicated issue, which is going to require a number of measures to fix. One thing I do know is that in 1998, the system was fully funded for the first time in its history because of increased state contributions. In order to do that again, we need to increase the state’s revenue, and the way to do that is to grow our economy. As Mayor, I worked with our City Administrator to make our pensions more sustainable, and I will do that as governor.

I think we can all agree that retirement benefits for public employees should be fair and sustainable. As unfunded liabilities continue to grow, we’re duty-bound to protect the next generation of public employees and the taxpayers who support them. I will work with our public employee unions to make sure we do.

I support high-quality public schools and high-quality public charters. I think it’s important to support those public institutions, which are innovating and successfully educating our children. I don’t support for-profit charter schools. Additionally, we need to hold charter schools to the highest standards and not be afraid to revoke charters if those schools are failing.

Our goal is to lift up every kid and every school – whether a traditional public school or a public charter. And we need to do a better job of getting those two parts of our public education system to learn from each other. Charters are not the only answer, but they are one part of the answer when it comes to improving our schools.

Wealthy families can send their kids to private schools – or they can move to high-cost communities with excellent public schools. Low-income families don’t have the same opportunities unless there are high-quality public charter schools in their communities.

One of my chief opponents in the race for governor attacks charter schools, but he moved his family from a city to a high-cost suburb where there are excellent public schools. That was his choice. But none of us should try to deny that same opportunity to low-income families when it comes to public school options.

I grew up living side-by-side with undocumented immigrants. When I was young, I couldn’t speak a lick of Spanish, but I could hear the voices of those who lived on the edge and in the shadows. I have always stood up for them.  Let’s be very clear here: immigrants are under attack by the Trump Administration. But we’ve been here before. With Props 187 and 209. And we stood together as a state to fight back and to protect EVERY Californian. And I was proud to take a leadership role in those fights.

Now we need to stand and defend Californians again. I’m proud we’re a sanctuary state – but we need to do more. We need more legal assistance for those who are targeted. If Trump wants to raid a schoolhouse, library or community center, he’s going to need a special warrant because he can’t just sweep up our state.

My record in defending immigrants is clear. I authored a bill, the contents of which were adopted as part of State Budget negotiations, which provided subsistence cash benefits to legal immigrants who lost eligibility for SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Program) benefits due to the enactment of federal and state welfare reform in 1996.I also worked to expand access to State Disability and Worker's Compensation benefits through the Uninsured Employers Fund to help immigrant workers.

If we succumb to Trump on DACA, we’re surrendering our next generation of leaders, educators, health care workers and more to the political machinations of the far right.

800,000 DACA recipients live in in the United States-- nearly 223,000 here in California. We need to stand and defend our people. I’m proud we’re a sanctuary state – but we need to do more. We need more legal assistance for those who are targeted. If Trump wants to raid a schoolhouse, library or community center, he’s going to need a special warrant because he can’t just sweep up our state.

These young people inspire me every single day for their bravery. We must protect them because we’re protecting the future of our state.

It’s simply unaffordable to live in California anymore. A third of our state’s renters spend more than half of their earnings on housing costs. California is home to 12 percent of the nation’s population and 22 percent of the nation’s homeless. In a public survey last year, 60 percent of Californians said housing costs have forced their children and close friends to move away – and shockingly, a full 40 percent said they have someone in their immediate circle living on the streets. That’s why I’ve made affordable housing such an important priority in my time as Treasurer and in my campaign for governor. California needs to get serious about fixing our affordable housing crisis.

I’m already taking steps to address affordable housing right now. As Treasurer, I overhauled my office’s affordable housing programs, leading to an 80 percent increase in the number of homes built or rehabilitated since 2014. I also helped lead the coalition last year to fight for an affordable housing bond, and advocated for SB 2 and SB 3, placing a $4 billion housing bond on the ballot in 2018. But that $4 billion is just a down payment for what our state really needs.

I strongly believe we need to look at this issue holistically—from land use, to bonding authority, to redevelopment agencies, to housing development—if we’re going to solve this issue. Rent control needs to be a part of our affordable housing strategy, too. However, California is short an incredible 1.5 million units of affordable housing. We need to fix the supply issue if we want to stabilize and bring down housing costs. That’s why, within the decade, my goal is to place a roof over the heads of an additional four million low- and moderate-income Californians by investing additional public resources into affordable housing production and doubling local government permitting activity for all types of housing.

I’m running for Governor because I’m proud of my record fighting for creative and effective solutions to improve the lives of California families. I have consistently fought to protect California’s economy and build a better future for working people, so that all our kids have the opportunity to achieve their American Dream. This is one of those instances where California could benefit from my nearly 20 years of experience and my record of finding fiscally responsible ways to improve the lives of Californians.

California needs a governor with a proven track record of fighting for working families.

Look at my record. I stood up to Gov. Schwarzenegger when he tried to reduce the salaries of state employees to the minimum wage. I withheld the pay of our state lawmakers when they failed to pass a balanced budget on time, as required by the state constitution. And when Wells Fargo ripped off millions of Americans, I held them accountable for their predatory practices and cut them off from their most profitable line of business with the state.

1)    We need to protect working families and their ability to provide for their families. . I proudly supported the Fight for $15 because every worker deserves to earn a living wage. It’s time we close the wage gap, ensure equal pay for equal work, expand paid family leave, and raise wages so workers can afford to care for their families. I also support expanding childcare and universal free early childhood education.

2)    Tackling Affordable Housing- One third of our state’s renters spend more than half of their earnings on housing, and those statistics are much worse for communities of color. We must think big and act boldly to address a problem that has metastasized from a crisis to an economic and humanitarian crisis. Every Californian has a right to an affordable, decent place to call home.

3)    Making Higher Education Affordable Again- Higher education creates ladders of opportunities for individuals to achieve their dreams and escape poverty. Unfortunately, the ability to afford higher education is becoming increasingly difficult for California families. As governor, I will fight to cut UC and CSU tuition by more than 40 percent over the next decade for in-state residents. My plan also calls for all Californians to have access to two free years of community college, and prioritizes Californians in the enrollment process for public colleges and universities.

4)    Protecting Retirement Security- Nearly half of California’s workers are on track to retire with incomes below 200%  of the federal poverty level. For this reason, I was one of the chief architects of Secure Choice, now called CalSavers, the most ambitious push to expand retirement security since the passage of Social Security in the 1930s. Despite efforts by the current Trump-era Congress to block CalSavers, as governor I will continue to push back and forge ahead with implementing this critical retirement savings plan for 7.5 million individuals.

California has tough issues we need to tackle. I have a proven track record of delivering concrete solutions to our state’s fiscal challenges. If California is going to continue to lead on the issues we care about, we need a governor who can manage our money. Voters can trust that I not only have a progressive vision, but you can also trust me to manage the world's sixth largest economy and fight to protect California's working people.

After a lifetime of hard work, every Californian deserves a secure retirement.

I strongly support defined-benefit pension plans for all workers, especially public employees who sacrifice higher wages in the private sector to serve our communities. I reject the idea that pensions are a thing of the past, and that lawmakers need to make a false choice between either increasing taxes to fund retirement benefits or else get rid of pensions altogether for public employees. That’s why, as an ex-officio board member, I’ve fought to protect benefits and improve the financial stability of the CalPERS and CalSTRS systems.

At a time when more and more Californians are facing an uncertain and unsecure retirement, we can’t exacerbate the problem by taking away pensions. Instead, we need to create a secure retirement for everyone. That’s why I helped create and now chair the CalSavers (Secure Choice) program, so that workers without a pension on the job still have access to a secure retirement. CalSavers has been described as the most significant change to retirement savings since Social Security was enacted in the 1930s, and will help up to 7.5 million Californians save for their retirement— with almost no cost to the state.

That’s not to say that we should avoid the tough questions about how to put our public pension systems on sounder footing. Those issues are absolutely necessary if we want to protect defined benefit pension plans in the future. But we cannot replace defined benefits plans with 401(k) defined contribution plans, which were only ever meant to be a supplemental way for workers to save for retirement. As someone who has held all three of the state's elected financial positions, and as a board member of our state public pension systems, I have a strong record of fighting to protect public pension benefits. I believe it is a moral imperative to ensure all seniors can retire with dignity. As governor, I will tackle these issues with the same sensible fiscal solutions I’ve offered my entire career.

Whether we like it or not, charter schools are here to stay. The best charters provide a laboratory for experimentation and allow students and parents to explore varied educational options not provided in the mainstream public schools. Some charters do an outstanding job of preparing students for college—just as traditional schools and magnets do.

However, charter schools are public schools. They need to be transparent and held accountable in the same way that traditional schools are. Charter schools should be subject to the Brown Act and state conflict of interest standards. Charter schools must be operated in the interest of the students of the district as a whole; we must avoid creating a two-tiered educational system where all of the most motivated and ambitious families abandon traditional schools. Charter schools should remain neutral and not oppose efforts by its employees to form or join a union if they so choose. At the same time, school districts must recognize the innovative education opportunities charters provide and work to offer the same types of programs and alternatives.

In the end, we want every student to have an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams. As governor, I will continue to boldly lead on this issue and do whatever it takes to bring transparency, accountability and fairness to California’s charter schools.

My parents came to this country with virtually nothing, dreaming of a better future for their family. My father came here with just three shirts, two pairs of pants, and hardly anything in his pocket. And despite the taunts and the ugly racial slurs, my family never gave up believing in the American Dream— just like the millions of other immigrants that come to this country believing in that dream.

California has long paved the way in the national battle for immigrant rights.

I supported SB 54, California’s sanctuary state bill, and I will defend it as governor. I strongly believe it is not the job of our state, county and local law enforcement officers to turn the cogs on President Trump’s deportation machine. I will explore all legal routes and provide legal assistance to ensure all individuals have access to legal defense. We can’t let the federal government tear families apart and build walls to separate us.

And we must fight to keep this country’s promise to Dreamers — like the young woman on my staff, who joined our campaign as an intern from UCLA. We were able to hire her after she graduated. Now Dreamers are back in legal limbo because of President Trump. Congress must protect our DACA kids and pass a Dream Act.

As governor, I will fight for Congress to adopt a long-term solution to fix our broken immigration system. First and foremost, we need an immigration reform plan that gives immigrants a path to citizenship. We can’t keep workers in a temporary status forever. For those immigrants working in our country through a guest worker visa, many are shackled to their abusive employers for fear that that their visa may be revoked. Immigrants should have the right to report abuses from their employers and to change jobs without risking their visa status or risk deportation. We must do more to fix the system so we’re not creating and perpetuating a permanent subclass of marginalized immigrant workers.

 There used to be an old adage, an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay (at least if you were a white male.) When Delaine was young, 30% of the country was unionized, including her own as her father was a machinist, and the middle class thrived. Over the past several decades, productivity has skyrocketed and corporations have made billions, but more and more is being hoarded at the top as union membership has fallen to historic lows. Today, only 10% of the country is in a union, and Janus vs. AFSME threatens to lower this even further.

Over the decades, workers have seen reduced or stagnated compensation, all while living costs such as housing, healthcare, childcare and education have skyrocketed. This is unsustainable. California must have a full court press on the issues of income inequality.

This means working to lift wages, pay equity for women, helping families secure affordable housing, childcare and preschool that doesn’t cost the same as a mortgage, healthcare for all, providing excellent k-12 education and free college tuition again.

Whether you’re a machinist in Modesto, a teacher in Tulare, a laborer in Los Angeles or a techie in Silicon Valley, California needs to be a place where you can buy a home, send your kids to college, and live a comfortable retirement. 

There used to be an old adage, an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay (at least if you were a white male.) When Delaine was young, 30% of the country was unionized, including her own as her father was a machinist, and the middle class thrived. Over the past several decades, productivity has skyrocketed and corporations have made billions, but more and more is being hoarded at the top as union membership has fallen to historic lows. Today, only 10% of the country is in a union, and Janus vs. AFSME threatens to lower this even further.

Over the decades, workers have seen reduced or stagnated compensation, all while living costs such as housing, healthcare, childcare and education have skyrocketed. This is unsustainable. California must have a full court press on the issues of income inequality.

This means working to lift wages, pay equity for women, helping families secure affordable housing, childcare and preschool that doesn’t cost the same as a mortgage, healthcare for all, providing excellent k-12 education and free college tuition again.

Whether you’re a machinist in Modesto, a teacher in Tulare, a laborer in Los Angeles or a techie in Silicon Valley, California needs to be a place where you can buy a home, send your kids to college, and live a comfortable retirement. 

Last year I joined the NAACP in calling for a moratorium, and I am the only candidate that I know to do so. I am also not taking charter school developer or charter school PAC money (I am also the only candidate not taking corporate money). Here is the article: https://medium.com/@delaineeastin_13262/california-needs-a-moratorium-on-charter-schools-b9bab2f44add

When I was in the Assembly I authored one of the first charter school bills as charters were being proposed. My bill had more oversight, including requiring teachers to be credentialed and greater accountability.  Unfortunately, the Republican governor signed a colleague’s bill which had little accountability and is in part responsible for the problems we have today. Some charters cherry pick high achievers and do not accept special needs students, while others find excuses to expel or turn away low achieving children. Because of lax accounting requirements, some charters have redirected taxpayer dollars to charters that are not following the auditing standards regular public schools are held to. The fact that one-third have gone out of business is telling. We must have a moratorium on new charter schools and tighten up the oversight and ensure they are not allowed to buy public lands or public buildings, buy the principal a convertible, as did happen, or to charge children from another country $30,000 a year to attend a charter high school while guaranteeing the families there would be guaranteed admission to UC Berkeley upon graduation, as happened in Livermore.

"Our Dreamers and our DACA Californians are as American as I am. And I am proud California became a sanctuary state." Delaine Eastin

Delaine's father was born in Kentucky and he was fond of saying that "Californians are people born somewhere else who came to their senses." In 2015, the most current year of data, 27% of California's population was indeed, born somewhere else. California is home to more than 10 million immigrants with half of California’s children having at least one immigrant parent.

California is the second most diverse state in the country, and Delaine considers it our greatest strength. Immigrants are the most entrepreneurial people in our country. They dream and do and sacrifice to give their children the American dream. 

Delaine strongly supports California’s status as a Sanctuary State. She believes we must provide a path to citizenship for DACA recipients that includes granting protected status to their parents, and that the very idea that the government would betray these amazing young people by targeting their parents is anti-American. Family is everything.

Regarding workplaces, our state Attorney General has said the state will fine any business that voluntarily cooperates with ICE. As Governor, Delaine would certainly support this to make sure that our undocumented (and documented) workers are protected from the predatory behaviors we have witnessed the federal government take.

Under the Constitution, state and local governments have every right to refuse to help enforce federal law. In cases like Printz v. United States (1997) and New York v. United States (1992), the Supreme Court has ruled that the Tenth Amendment forbids federal “commandeering” of state governments to help enforce federal law. Most of the support for this anti-commandeering principle came from conservative justices such as the late Antonin Scalia, who wrote the majority opinion in Printz.

Few if any federal grants to state and local governments are conditioned on cooperation with federal deportation efforts. The Supreme Court has long ruled that conditions on federal grants to state and local governments are not enforceable unless they are “unambiguously” stated in the text of the law “so that the States can knowingly decide whether or not to accept those funds.”

Throughout Delaine's career she has stood up for all Californians to live with dignity and to be treated with respect. As State Superintendent she stood strong against Governor Pete Wilson after the passage of Prop 187. He ordered Delaine to have teachers act as immigration agents. When Delaine said no he threatened to have her recalled. She joined the lawsuit against Prop 187 and they won. Delaine also opposed Propositions 209 and 227. In her race to serve a second term as Superintendent, she was specifically attacked for being a strong supporter of bilingual education.

Housing is one of the greatest challenges facing our state, and we must have every tool on the table. Having lived in all parts of our state, I also understand that there isn't any one-size-fits-all solution, as what works for San Francisco, won't be what works for the Central Valley, which won't be what works for L.A.

As governor I would also:

- Declare homelessness a State of Emergency in our hardest-hit cities in order to unlock new tools for immediately addressing homelessness

- Appoint a Housing Specialist that directly reports to the governor to establish a long-term housing plan - Expand tax credits and housing assistance for low-income and middle-class families

- Partner with cities and counties to solicit federal funds for housing development

While there are many policies that California should enact to reduce the dangerous levels of income inequality and poverty, my top three priorities would be to:

1. Declare a State of Emergency on Homelessness and call for City Housing Plans across the state. We need every possible tool to combat the growing number of families on our streets. I will work with mayors, city councils, and housing experts on combating homelessness in the short term and creating long-term planning for a sustainable solution going forward.

1. Adopt single-payer, universal health coverage for every Californian. Our state should pave the way for single-payer, universal health coverage nationwide, ensuring that every Californian has coverage, driving down health care costs to levels comparable to every other advanced country in the world, and dramatically improving health outcomes.

1. Enact into state law President Obama’s overtime wage protections that have been undermined under Trump. Until President Obama’s update to the U.S. Department of Labor’s overtime wage protections, workers lost ground for decades as fewer and fewer were covered by overtime rules. California should put in place the Obama overtime regulations that President Trump has undermined and ensure the salary and compensation levels are updated automatically in order to maintain their value over time.  

Public sector workers deserve a secure pension that rewards their selfless public service. For too long, however, politicians have not made the contributions that they were required to in order to fully fund public retirement systems. It is critical that the state and local governments make their annual required contributions to pension funds so that the percentage of unfunded liabilities does not increase further. To ensure that state and local governments are contributing enough, I will work to review the assumed rate of return on pension assets to ensure that current expectations are realistic.

For the private sector, we need to ensure a strong implementation of CalSavers. Particularly, we need to ensure that California uses its huge negotiating power to lower fees down to levels comparable to the federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Investment options should also be very simple, with target-date funds with the most appropriate mix of assets based on expected retirement dates.

It is critical that we hold charter schools accountable. I support requiring charter schools to protect against conflicts of interest and ensure good governance requirements. That includes increased fiscal monitoring of charter schools.

I strongly support the package of bills recently enacted into law, including the Support Immigrant Worker Protection Act. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration is now waging an all-out attack against California’s efforts to protect its residents. As Governor, I would vigorously defend the State both in court and in the public. I would also continue to ensure that no state resources are used to help the federal government enforce unjust immigration laws. As the former Chief of Operations at California’s Justice Department, I know the importance of working with the Attorney General to ensure the Department has the resources it needs going forward.

I also strongly believe that every individual and family in California who are threatened by the enforcement of unjust immigration laws have access to immigration attorneys who will defend their rights. My administration will also increase social service supports to immigrants who face unprecedented threats from federal authorities. For example, the constant fear of deportation and the splitting up of families is damaging the health and well-being of immigrant communities. It is particularly urgent that we help children with the daily trauma that they are experiencing. Finally, California must continue to educate immigrants and their allies of their rights to resist federal immigration authorities.

1.- We need to reduce the over-regulations,that are making the construction of houses more expensive.

2.-We need more smaller units for small families.

3.-We need to construct modular homes since they are  more economical and affordable for more people.

1.- We need to have a better and economical educational system in California. We are 44th in the Nation in our education System, and our universities are very expensive.

2.- When you have a good education and a good career, your chances of getting a good job are better. (making tuition free at public colleges for all).

3.-Also we must demand that the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share in  taxes.

4.- Increase our minimum wage.

5.-Making sure that women earn the same pay as men for the same job.

6.- Making sure that we have free health care.

7.- Investing billions of dollars for fixing our crumbling infrastructure, thus creating millions of jobs all over California.

8.-Invest in renewable energy thus creating jobs and at the same time protecting our enviroment.

9.-Create jobs for our disadvantaged young citizens.

We need pension Reform, otherwise sooner or later California is going to be bankrupt!

What we need is to make our public schools  better instead of finding alternatives.

We cannot continue this division of State and federal, we need to work together for the benefit and safety of our citizens. We are a country of laws and due process and we must obey our laws, but also we are a country that helps everyone. What we need is to invest more money at the federal level so we can make our immigration system more efficient so we can process people more quickly especially people that are here like the dreamers and others like them that are here without documents, so that they are given an opportunity to stay legally in  the US. If they could prove that they are good citizens they can stay legally in our country. But we have to do it with more compassion and understanding and try not to separate families.

There's a shortage for one reason and one reason only: Government regulation of the building industry is out of control. I made my money in real estate I know how difficult and practically insane it is to get anything done. The California housing crisis can be fixed by eliminating 75% of the regulation for builders. Only keep the most essential safety requreiments. Within a few years, a great majority of the housing woes will be over. And of course there will be a boom for the CA economy too.

I am a Gubernatorial candidate that supports a basic income. Mine is called a Federal Land Dividend, and it monetizes unused Federal land to pay a monthly basic income. California has 10 to 20 trillion dollars worth of Federal land. I say lease 75% of it to big business, and pay out the interest to Californians. If 75% of the Fed land is leased out at going prices, that would general approximately $5400 per month per California household. Poverty would forever be eliminated, and so would income inequality.

I would make a promise to pay all agreed pensions, but stop any new type of benefits. Quite simply, we need to be more fiscally responsible, and that begins with hard choices. But for those pensions that exist, I would utilize federal land and monetize it to help pay for existing pension concerns and liabilities. I would absolutely not raise taxes. 

I would highly encourage charger schools, and I believe that if a tax payer pays into the system, then the certain part of that money should go towards the education opportunities of their choice, including charter school, public education, private schooling, etc. We need more control of our educational choices. 

I support California being a sanctuary state, and I would encourage far more open border policies. I have easily the most open border policies of any CA gubernatorial candidate--and I propose better technology to monitor people so we can keep tabs on who comes across the border. Ultimately, I simply believe people should live where they want. But I would not give any welfare resources to the illegal immigrants, and I will not allow homelessness. You are welcome to come to California, but you must not be a burden on the state, nor be a burden on the public.