The State of California, in conjunction with water districts throughout the state, needs to develop and implement municipal scale water recycling for agricultural purposes which will then free up fresh water supplies for residential use.

Funds should be redirected as possible away from increased storage plans which will be less or completely useless if efficient and effective water recycling infrastructure is brought online.

Water recycling is a proven technology which has already been implemented on a national scale in many countries throughout the world. The costs and reliability of water recycling are well know which will simplify the planning process and allow for transparent cost projections.

Individual water districts should take the lead in designing specific projects and then work with the State of California and the private sector on financing construction and operation of these new systems based on local supply and demand factors. The State of California should assist with funding research and technical expertise as well as providing any appropriate and effective regulatory relief or clarity to facilitate these projects.

Any attempt to spend billions of dollars building new pipelines under the Sacramento River Delta will be a complete waste of funds if not also an environmental disaster. Installing pipelines in the Delta to move water from one place to another is just like putting more straws into a single glass of water - it does not increase the supply at all, and in fact it simply drains the glass more quickly.

Water recycling actually increases the supply of water, and can be implemented around the state in quantities flexibly tailored to match local needs.

I support the effort to overturn Citizens United in order to remove the corrupting influence of vast amounts of special interest money on our elections and in our government. In conjunction with this position, I have been a long-term supporter of the California Clean Money Campaign, and I received a 100% rating from the California Clean Money Action Fund in 2014.

In addition to overturning Citizens United, it is imperative that campaign contribution limits be implemented at the local level throughout California. At present, many California cities (including Carlsbad and Oceanside) have no campaign contribution limits at all which creates a massive loophole for campaign finance considering that all statewide campaigns have contribution limits. Currently, local candidates can amass huge war chests of campaign funds while running for local office and then transfer the funds into committees used for statewide offices that have contribution limits. In addition to creating this loophole, a lack of local campaign contribution limits for local races has a much greater impact because grass roots and first-time local candidates are relatively limited in their abilities to raise campaign contributions. This overall landscape tilts the electoral playing field very much in favor of the large political parties and away from authentic community based self-representation.

Additional steps that can be taken to reduce the undue influence of money in politics include:

• Greater transparency in terms of contributions received and money spent;
• Limitations on transfer of funds between campaign committees;
• Longer waiting periods for elected officials and staff before they can work as paid lobbyists; and
• Increased access for candidates to broadcast free candidate statements on local cable channels.

We should also look at other states that have experimented with public funding for campaigns for local offices and/or voucher systems that allow voters to direct small contributions to campaigns in order to increase the number of viable grass roots and first-time candidates.

At the legislative level, additional transparency is required at the committee level so the public can better understand the source of the language that is included in bills and amendments.

As an economist, I understand and believe in the basic forces of supply and demand, and I hope that all Californians believe in them too. That said, many events over the years (including but not limited to actions taken by our state and federal governments) have interfered with the natural equilibrium in the supply and demand for labor in California, and in that context, I believe that it is a reasonable step for government to take to assess whether or not our labor market is out of equilibrium and why.

Adjusted for inflation, the current minimum wage in many areas is lower than it was in the late 1960's and millions of Californians with full time jobs still do not earn enough to exceed the poverty level and thus are ongoing recipients of state and federal economic aid. The result of this is that California employers who pay these wages are receiving a taxpayer subsidy in the form of government aid to their employees.

I believe that it may be a rational and efficient economic step to ensure that minimum wages are high enough to eliminate this corporate subsidy that currently is funded by California taxpayers.

End the High Speed Rail project.

Increase the Rainy Day fund.

Live within our means.