Two face off in race for state Assembly

Though he acknowledged state legislators have taken steps to invest in much-needed transportation infrastructure projects, he noted there is still a great deal of progress to be made on the housing front.

“I think in transportation we’re making significant strides, but there is much more to do going forward on housing,” he said. “San Mateo County is ground-zero for this affordability crisis so that is top of mind for me going forward.”

In leading a charge to pass Senate Bill 1, a bill he co-sponsored that is otherwise known as the gas tax increase, Mullin noted the Managed Lanes project — which will add two express lanes with tolls to Highway 101 in San Mateo County — has been able to secure a significant portion of the close to $500 million needed to fund it. Together with Regional Measure 3, a bridge toll increase he helped craft that was approved by Bay Area voters in June, and legislation enabling SamTrans to put a half-cent sales tax on the ballot this November, Mullin said the county’s pool of transportation funding has taken somewhat of a quantum leap.

For Laskowski, a Redwood City resident, recent efforts to boost funding for transportation projects have sparked questions about where the state’s resources are being allocated and if they could be used more efficiently. With a background in finance, Laskowski said she has years of experience examining how funds are used at a wide array of organizations, including corporations and nonprofits.

If elected, she said she would be focused on improving the transparency of state government, noting there’s currently not a lot of visibility in how state funds are being used.

“I’d really like to take a look at the financials and see how the money’s been utilized,” she said. “How can we better allocate our resources … how do we make the most bang for our buck with existing resources?”

Though Laskowski acknowledged the rising cost of housing in the Bay Area is a concern for residents, she said leaders should also take into consideration the impact of high-density developments and other building projects have on established communities.

She said she would focus on job training and improving educational opportunities for county residents to help them feel job security as the cost of living continues to rise. An advocate of vocational training, Laskowski hoped to broaden the scope of what is taught in schools to include skills like communication and teamwork, noting a focus on academics alone can leave critical gaps in one’s education.

Acknowledging Silicon Valley companies import talent from other countries, Laskowski also supported encouraging companies to hire locally, especially for roles that may not require a science or technology background, such as project management.

“We need to address some of those gaps,” she said. “There are ways for us to start pulling our own citizens ... into these types of opportunities.”

With confidence Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom will prevail in November to be the state’s next governor, Mullin looked forward to the opportunity to take on ambitious structural changes to the way the state funds affordable housing and redouble his efforts to restore local redevelopment agencies under Newsom’s watch.

Both Laskowski and Mullin pegged the growing pressure the state faces with regard to its pension obligations as an area to monitor in the coming years. Acknowledging what was promised to current employees should be maintained, Laskowski favored a reduction in the pensions and benefits offered to new employees and structuring benefits much like corporations do.

“It’s not practical to maintain that,” she said. “We do need to have a new approach because it’s not sustainable.”

Mullin emphasized the importance of meeting the state’s pension obligations to its workers, but also doing it in a way that doesn’t put traditional state services at risk. In the face of an impending economic downturn, Mullin also pegged comprehensive tax reform as a focus to stabilize the state’s revenue and budgeting.

“There’s no question that within the governor’s upcoming term, I think it’s almost inevitable that we face an economic slowdown,” he said. “This recovery can’t last forever.”

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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