2020 election: Q&A with Sarah Davis, candidate for California’s 78th Assembly District

The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board recently emailed a series of questions to Sarah Davis, a Democrat who is running for election to California’s District 78 against Democrat Chris Ward. Here are the questions and responses.

What more can be done to limit the financial and environmental damage of climate change and wildfires especially?

California needs public utilities. Investor-owned utilities like SDG&E and PG&E have cost the people of California too much in both dollars and damage to our environment and communities. Public ownership of utilities and public purchasing of power will help invest in our future and good green jobs with labor protections.

Read our Q&A with the other candidate in this race below:

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2020 election: Q&A with Chris Ward, candidate for California’s 78th Assembly District

Chris Ward is a candidate for California’s 78th Assembly District.

Sept. 29, 2020

Has the pandemic and so many people working from home made you rethink housing and transportation policies? If so, how?

The pandemic has reinforced my positions on housing and transportation policies. We need to focus on solving housing and transportation challenges for the most vulnerable low-wage workers first. They are most likely to be exposed to high COVID-19 risk jobs and situations, and we need a housing and transportation justice perspective, centering their needs. The increase in people working from home is an added bonus, which helps reduce vehicle miles traveled and reduces carbon emissions. I also support any solutions that reduce vehicle miles, such as paid family leave for families which reduces trips to daycare, providing safe pedestrian streets, and eliminating food and health care deserts.

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What specific policy changes do you support after months of racial justice protests to improve law enforcement practices or racial equity?

I support reallocating resources from law enforcement agencies to social service agencies for responsibilities such as assisting with homeless Californians and mental health needs. I support statewide standardization of use of force guidelines and demilitarization of law enforcement agencies. Ending institutionalized racism in all areas of public life is a top priority of mine, including but not limited to law enforcement, health care, education and environmental policy.

What more should the state be doing to improve student distance learning and public education overall?

California should be providing lessons on broadcast television to be used by students and districts that are unable to effectively use other methods of distance education or to supplement those other methods. The pandemic has reinforced existing inequities in digital access, and I continue to support broadband internet access as a public utility.

Should taxes in California be increased? If so, which ones?

For the vast majority of Californians, taxes should not be increased. However, California should raise the income tax rates on those earning millions of dollars annually, as well as on our highest-earning corporations. California must tax oil and gas extracted from our state as part of phasing out fossil fuel extraction entirely in our state. I support Prop 15, closing the loophole allowing giant corporations to siphon billions of dollars in lost property taxes away from our schools and communities.

What is the most important issue we have not raised and why?

Access to health care. During this pandemic, my support for universal single-payer healthcare has only increased, as I see families lose access to employer-sponsored health care, struggling small businesses unable to pay bills including their health insurance bills, and a haphazard approach to testing and treating COVID-19 due to our fractured health system.