California Attorney General in San Diego, discussing success of local economy
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — California Attorney General Xavier Bacerra was the luncheon guest speaker at the Chambers "Good Government" speaking series.
The audience was executives from a broad area of San Diego businesses who wanted his views on issues important to San Diego.
He began his remarks saying somehow California has figured out how to create jobs and create them at a pace where we’re now the 6th largest economy in the world.
What he did not say is that failed to take into consideration the cost of living in California. Still, California’s economy is gaining strength.
"Somehow California has figured out how to blend things together to come up with a secret sauce that lets us succeed," Bacerra said.
That secret sauce is money, taxpayer money.
Take Cap-and-Trade for example. That could add another $0.20 to a gallon of gas, on top of the $0.12-increase coming November 1, along with higher vehicle registration fees in January.
"You fill up your gas tank, you pay more, but we’re polluting less," Bacerra said.
The environment is his top issue, followed by immigration and health care, and housing.
His feelings on immigration tow the Democrat line, saying California will cooperate with federal immigration agents, but we should not be enforcing immigration laws.
On housing, he advocates a shared responsibility. In other words, local governments including San Diego, have favored development over affordable housing.
"We pay a premium to live in the state of California. You pay a premium to live in the San Diego area and we have to recognize that," Bacerra said. "If we’re gonna get somewhere, the burden has to be shared just the way Cap-and-Trade shared the burden on how you deal with the environment."
On business leaving the state, Bacerra recognizes the tax and regulation burdens but said California has thresholds that have to be met.
The environment for example.
"We have to be prepared to either support, subsidize these industries so we can keep them here instead of seeing them all flee," he said.
On health care, the attorney general favors the proposal for a single-payer system. That’s before the state legislature as the most affordable if Obamacare goes away. Even at a cost of $4 billion a year.
" … to me, health care is like education, water or electricity. Everybody needs it," he said.
After the effort to recall Senator Newman in Orange County began, Sacramento changed the recall law adding months to the timeline to certify a recall election. It also manages the election in the primary, which has a low-voter turnout benefiting the chance of defeating the recall effort.
The attorney general sidestepped the issue.
"That question is one that you’d want to direct to the legislature and to the governor, who worked on passing that law," Bacerra said.
Sidestepping was little odd because the attorney general writes the ballot language which is being challenged in court.
