Jim's Priorities
ECONOMY
As Californians have felt the effects of the nation’s recession, Jim has made it his top priority to help struggling families stay in their homes, feed their children, and find gainful employment.
By working closely with federal legislators, Jim has ensured that the State of California received its fair share of federal dollars. He has stressed that the second federal stimulus package must create new jobs while providing much needed assistance to families who are working hard to keep from losing their homes. Jim has worked tirelessly to secure funding for ready-to-go infrastructure projects that get Californians back to work, while simultaneously eliminating the red tape that holds them up. He has helped pass critical legislation to delay foreclosures and encourage lenders to find alternative solutions that keep families in their homes. Finally, he has simplified the process for food stamps in order to make the program easily accessible to those families who have hit hard times.
STATE BUDGET
As a former county supervisor and city councilmember, Jim has twenty-six years of practical budget experience. 
During his three decades in public office, Jim has been able to balance budgets on time while still establishing vital programs for the public, including the Children’s Health Initiative and the Housing Trust. Jim made funding for these programs possible even during deficit years by eliminating administrative waste and partnering with both the private sector and other jurisdictions. With the effects of the recession being felt all over the state, we need experience like this is in Sacramento now more than ever.

While in the State Assembly, Jim voluntarily cut his own pay and per diem. He believes we need to overhaul the existing state budget process by instituting a multi-year budget, supporting a bipartisan commission to reform the state’s antiquated tax system and stabilize revenue streams, and eliminating outmoded tax breaks and unnecessary contracts to private consultants. Finally, we must eliminate the 2/3rds requirement to pass the budget in order to prevent a hardcore group of lawmakers from controlling the state’s fiscal agenda.
EDUCATION
All children deserve to receive the best quality education available and the opportunity to pursue a college degree.
Coming from a family of educators, Jim recognizes the value of education. Over the years, he has worked alongside parents, students, educators, and school officials to achieve creative solutions to balance the education budget and protect core services.

Despite a huge budget deficit, Jim helped to pass a budget that gave increased funding flexibility to local school districts and prevented devastating cuts to special education, K-3 class size reduction, and the school lunch program. He also voted to place a constitutional provision on the ballot that would require the state to increase annual school funding by $9.3 billion in futures years.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Jim believes we can reduce crime by fully funding local police and fire and giving them the necessary resources to keep our neighborhoods safe, and reducing our over reliance on the prison system by investing in crucial prevention and early intervention programs for at-risk youth. 
In four years, the cost of the prison system has risen by 74% percent. And yet, California has the worst recidivism rate in the nation, with over 70% of parolees ending up back in prison within three years. Clearly, our prison system is failing and needs to be reformed. Jim is doing his part by working to ensure that rehabilitation is a substantial part of our criminal justice system. Substance abuse is evident not only in our prisons, but also in our child welfare system, our emergency rooms, and our schools. That is why Jim fought to create the Select Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, whose purpose has been to reexamine, refine and recast the prevalence, prevention, and treatment of substance abuse. 
 
HEALTHCARE  
Jim believes that access to affordable healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.
It is Jim’s ultimate goal to expand health coverage to all Californians, increase access to quality services, and focus on prevention and early intervention services. He has a proven record in expanding health care coverage in his constituencies. Jim was a founder of the Children’s Health Initiative, making Santa Clara the first county in the nation to ensure all children would have access to quality health and dental coverage. The initiative enrolled 154,000 kids in various health programs. While in the Assembly, Jim supported and voted for single payer universal healthcare and authored AB 12, a bill that created the Healthy Workers Program in Santa Clara County. This program works with employers to provide health coverage to low income workers. He has also introduced legislation to expand health plans to cover mental health and substance abuse disorders, and legislation that would institute brief intervention for pregnant women suffering from substance abuse problems.
TRANSPORTATION  
With twenty-eight years of experience in transportation issues at the local, state, and national levels, Jim is considered an expert in this area.
Utilizing his extensive knowledge of transportation issues, Jim has built numerous coalitions to ensure that Santa Clara County has received the funding it needed to meet our transportation infrastructure needs. He has served on VTA, MTC, and the Caltrain Board, proving that he knows how to get projects funded and completed on time. Jim brought relief to commuters with traffic projects such as Highways 85 and 87, while also laying the foundation for BART and High Speed Rail in San Jose.
ENVIRONMENT  
As one of the legislators who received a perfect 100% rating from both the California League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club, Jim is a champion for preserving our valley’s natural treasures for future generations to enjoy. 
As a county supervisor, Jim strengthened land use and permit policies to better protect our hillsides from being overrun by over development. He fought for continued funding for regional parks in Santa Clara County by getting the Parks Charter Fund on the ballot, which was approved by voters in 2006. Jim has continued these efforts at the state level, focusing on restoring the delta along with other conservation efforts.
ENERGY  
Jim has emphasized the importance of moving away from our dependence on foreign oil, and moving towards alternative and clean technologies. 
Under Jim’s leadership, the County of Santa Clara initiated an energy master plan and reduced its consumption and energy costs by 20% in a single year. This significant benchmark laid the groundwork for the county’s green building policy, which requires that county departments utilize green building concepts and the LEED program for the construction, maintenance, and demolition of county buildings. While in the Assembly, he coauthored a solar panel bill to help making energy efficient solar panels within financial reach of all homeowners.