Marc Berman is a politician and attorney, currently serving as a member of the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat representing the 24th Assembly District, encompassing parts of the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley. Before being elected to the Assembly, he was a member of the Palo Alto City Council.
The 24th Assembly District is a wonderful place to live. Our economy is strong, many communities have high-performing public schools, and our open space and coastline are breathtaking. But these positive qualities have combined to create a housing and affordability crisis that we must address before it threatens to undo much of the progress we’ve made. Rents have increased 43-63% across the district over the past five years.
Marc has tackled this challenge head-on in Palo Alto, including:
Leading the effort on the City Council to put a plan in place to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2018.
Opposing the city’s vehicle habitation ban so people with nowhere else to go could sleep in their cars rather than on the streets. The ban was eventually overturned.
In order to foster a community discussion on the housing crisis, Marc helped create a group of Palo Alto residents focused on finding solutions to the housing crisis.
Protecting Palo Alto’s small businesses by prioritizing ground floor retail in the city’s commercial corridors.
Solving this crisis means taking a balanced approach that prioritizes affordable housing, transit-oriented development, investing in public transportation, and better pay and benefits for workers, including:
Increasing the state affordable housing tax credit. Last year the legislature passed two bills with overwhelming bipartisan support, Assembly Bill 35 and Senate Bill 377, that would have increased the affordable housing tax credit by $500 million, leveraged an additional $1 billion in federal funds, and increased the value of the state affordable housing tax credit by 40%. Unfortunately, Governor Brown vetoed the legislation. California must increase the amount of affordable housing tax credits to a level capable of sustaining necessary development.
Passing an affordable housing bond. In 2014, Californians approved Proposition 41 to provide $600 million in funding for affordable housing for veterans, and last year San Francisco passed a $310 million affordable housing bond. We need to broaden that approach to provide funding and financing for affordable housing projects across the state. We should pass a statewide affordable housing bond measure, and by 2028 we should be well on our way to meeting current and future affordable housing needs.
Improving access to child care. The skyrocketing cost of housing is exacerbated for working families by the expense and lack of access to high quality child care services. Without subsidies, child care is only affordable for 20% of California families, and current subsidies often aren’t enough to make up the difference. We can close the gap through tax credits for employer-funded child care, expanded subsidies, and finally offering universal preschool. By 2028, high quality child care should be accessible and affordable for every child in California.
Silicon Valley is the heart of global innovation and has contributed mightily to progress made thus far in reducing California’s greenhouse emissions. The state on track to achieving the economy-wide carbon target for 2020 established in AB 32 (California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, 2006). California’s leadership has also provided much needed momentum to international efforts to manage greenhouse gas emissions.
The state is a shining example of the decoupling of economic growth and environmental progress. Declining emissions and enviable growth rates, including job growth at twice the national average, disprove the notion that these two must be in opposition. California’s clean energy sector already supports 500,000 jobs, and the state is supporting the emergence of the clean energy giants of the 21st century.
The state’s policy approaches and its clean technologies are being adopted around the globe, providing new hope that we can leave our children with a safe climate. Yet even more innovation is needed to get to the near zero levels required by mid-century. For Silicon Valley, this is a classic opportunity to do well by doing good.
Marc has been a leader on the Palo Alto City Council to make the city one of the greenest in the country, including:
With no sign to the end of gridlock in Washington, California’s vision, energy, and can-do attitude is needed anew. Now is the time to finish putting in place California climate policy version 2.0. Innovation requires long term market certainty to flourish, which is why policymakers have focused in recent years on putting together a package of 2030 policies. Last year, California’s SB 350 solidified a 50 percent renewable electricity standard for utilities. The adoption in 2016 of SB 32 and AB 197 are important new milestones, but much work remains to be done. Marc is eager to push forward the practical solutions needed in four key areas:
Revamp Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) efforts to put the state on track to achieve existing ambitious targets (1.5 million in 2025). NRDC recently assessed the state’s plan and finds the state’s current trajectory puts it on track to be about 500,00 vehicles short of its 2025 goal. The state needs to re-evaluate and optimize the package of consumer incentives, the zero emission vehicle regulation meant to incent manufacturers to bring more ZEVs to market, and the policies being put in place to ensure broad benefits, such as low income ZEV car sharing programs that have been successful in their pilot phase.
Upgrade electricity policy to better support system optimization. The modern grid must balance supply and demand, and utility regulation has to support this. Performance based regulatory reform can help. Californians invested millions on smart meters and there are opportunities for better use of the data these provide, such as smarter, more targeted energy efficiency efforts.
Solidify early progress toward smart growth in policy to help build more walkable communities, mixed use development and 21st century mobility solutions. Increasingly this is a point of importance in attracting top talent. Nothing is more important to innovation than human capital. San Francisco has exceeded Silicon Valley in recent years in attracting venture capital in part because of its walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods.
Ensure the clean economy works for everyone. While the majority of social equity concerns will be best addressed through education, job training, and an effective social safety net, measures to ensure lower income residents are not negatively impacted are the right thing to do. California has already been a leader with SB 535 and myriad new efforts, from community solar to low income EV car sharing in Los Angeles supported with a $1.6 million grant from the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction fund. Still more can be done.
Growing up in Palo Alto and attending public schools, Marc Berman saw firsthand the critical role that a high quality public education can play in creating a level playing field where every student – regardless of socioeconomic background – has the opportunity to get the education they need to succeed. Marc believes that every student in Silicon Valley and across California deserves the same high quality public education that he received.
This is not the reality for every California student today. Marc is committed to making sure that all students go to schools that are equipped to teach them the skills they’ll need to thrive in the 21st century economy. He has worked hard to make that a reality here in Silicon Valley, and now, he’s ready to work hard in Sacramento to make that a reality for every California student.
Marc has a track record of bridging the achievement gap in Silicon Valley:
In 2010, Marc served on the campaign committee for the Measure A parcel tax measure, which raises $12 million a year to improve the educational experience of all students in the Palo Alto Unified School District.
Marc joined the Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF), an education non-profit whose objective is for Silicon Valley to be #1 in the percentage of high school graduates academically prepared to complete post-secondary education. At SVEF, Marc helped lead a Gates Foundation funded pilot program that brought classroom teachers together with education technology entrepreneurs to identify effective ed-tech products, improve them, and integrate them into Silicon Valley schools.
Marc organized a Women in STEM forum with female executives from Yahoo, Google, Flex, and others to encourage women and girls to pursue STEM related fields.
As the Development Director at SVEF, Marc raised almost twice as much money as the Foundation had brought in previously, allowing the organization to scale its programs to help more students and teachers throughout Silicon Valley.
Marc is committed to making our public education programs, from pre-K through higher education, the best in the nation again, including:
Leading the fight for universal Pre-K. Learning begins long before kindergarten, and too many low-income and immigrant children start their educational career already behind.
Ensuring that every California student receives the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy. As of 2014, only 44% of high school students had access to computer science instruction, and only 15% had access to an AP computer science course. This is unacceptable for California, and this digital divide is often felt the most in low-income communities and school districts.
Rededicating our state to the visionary goals of the 1960s Master Plan for Higher Education. It’s time to again promise California’s students who work hard and get good grades an accessible, affordable, and high quality higher education.
Making community college free. Community colleges are the gateway to higher education and living wage jobs for over two million students, and they are vital to ensuring California’s workforce meets the needs of our dynamic and innovative economy. Community college should be free for students who complete an Associate degree, career technical education program, job re-training program, or transfer to a four-year college.
There’s an old saying: think globally and act locally. It’s never been more true than when it comes to protecting our environment. And there’s never been a more important time to act than right now.
Globally, 2015 was the warmest year on record. Here in California, we’ve seen the devastating effects of that climate change, including increased wildfires, flooding, and a historic drought.
Marc has been a leader on the Palo Alto City Council to make the city one of the greenest in the country, including:
Working with leaders from Palo Alto’s environmental and faith-based communities, Marc led the effort on Council to pass a resolution requesting that CalPERS divest from fossil fuel companies.
Marc voted to approve a Carbon Neutral Electric Resource Plan, committing Palo Alto to using 100% carbon neutral electric resources. During Marc’s time on the City Council, Palo Alto has moved aggressively to approve large solar power purchase agreements at very good rates, and the city is on track to achieve a 57% Renewable Portfolio Standard by 2017 at rates that will be cheaper than PG&E (the electricity provider to most of the cities in the 24th Assembly District).
After voting to remove carbon from Palo Alto’s electricity portfolio, Marc is leading the effort to encourage residents to transition away from natural gas appliances toward those powered by the city’s clean energy. Natural gas is almost as harmful to the environment as coal because of the methane released during extraction and delivery.
Locally, we have the power to act, and the potential to help reverse the trend. One of the main reasons Marc is running to represent Silicon Valley in the State Assembly is to harness our region’s innovative spirit to combat climate change and protect our environment, including:
Reducing our dependence on oil. California has been a national leader on increasing the renewable portfolio standard and setting ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals. But if we are going to achieve the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions necessary to slow the pace of climate change, we must improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. By 2028, we should be on the cusp of meeting Governor Brown’s goal of reducing our petroleum use by 50% by 2030.
Protecting our state’s natural resources. California’s 1.6 million acres of state parks are essential to our economy, our people, and our environment. However, years of underfunding have led to a maintenance backlog, restricted access, and threatened closures. By 2028, we should fully implement the recommendations of the Parks Forward Initiative to better manage our parks, make them more accessible, and ensure they protect our vital resources.
Restoring Bay Area wetlands. Sea level rise threatens to destroy billions of dollars worth of homes, roads, and critical infrastructure, and to disrupt communities across the Bay Area. Restoring our wetlands is the best prevention measure we have - but we must act now. By 2028, we should fully fund the $1.5 billion it will cost to restore 54,000 acres of wetlands around the bay.
Leading the way on sustainability. Silicon Valley companies are pioneering software and devices that can drastically reduce the natural resources we consume. In Palo Alto, we use behavioral software to educate utility customers about their energy use and suggest easy ways to cut back. By 2028, these technologies should be deployed statewide with incentives for municipal and consumer adoption.
California has been living off of major civic investments we made in the 1960’s and it is long past time that we refocus on, reinvest in, and strengthen California’s infrastructure – those foundational assets we need to thrive as a state for the next 50 years.
Infrastructure is incredibly important and includes our physical assets, like roads and bridges, as well as water and sewer systems, the electricity grid, and communication systems.
Marc has led the effort to rebuild Palo Alto’s infrastructure:
In 2010, Marc was appointed to Palo Alto’s Infrastructure Blue Ribbon Commission (IBRC), which developed a comprehensive plan for Palo Alto to repair its infrastructure backlog and put measures in place to ensure it doesn’t fall behind again.
As a member of the Palo Alto City Council, Marc has led the effort to identify and set aside the funding necessary to implement the IBRC’s plan for public safety, street, sidewalk, and park improvements.
Marc’s work to rebuild Palo Alto’s infrastructure has led to a fully funded plan to:
Replace two fire stations that were built in 1948 and 1953;
Build a new, seismically safe public safety building (police department, 911 emergency dispatch, and emergency operations center) that has been at the top of the city’s infrastructure needs for over two decades;
Make Palo Alto’s roads the best in the Bay Area by bringing the pavement condition index up to a score of 85 by 2019; and
Fully fund the bicycle and pedestrian master plan to make it safer and easier for residents to get around town without using their cars.
San Diego’s leading car-sharing company recently announced it is transitioning its fleet of all-electric vehicles to those powered by gas due to a lack of available EV charging stations. 68% of California’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 47% of our bridges – which are typically built to last 50 years – are more than 50 years old. Another 20% are between 40 and 49 years old.
These deficiencies aren’t acceptable in a state as forward-thinking and innovative as California. It is imperative that we re-invest in our infrastructure so that we’re positioned to grow and compete in the 21st century economy, including:
Repairing our crumbling highways. A recent national study ranked California’s highways as the worst in America, with 51% rated poor. This costs California motorists $44 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and congestion-related delays. Drivers in the Bay Area pay an extra $1,700 a year. By 2028, no stretch of California state highway should be in poor condition.
Developing a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations. Governor Brown has set a goal of 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. But while we have encouraged automakers to develop these vehicles, and consumers to purchase them, we haven’t installed a network of electric vehicle charging stations capable of reliably keeping these vehicles on the road. By 2028, California must have a statewide network of charging stations capable of meeting current and future demand.
Improving access to faster broadband. Our economic growth and competitiveness is increasingly determined by access to fast, reliable broadband service. Yet only 62% of Californians have access to broadband speeds of 100mbps or higher, with residents in rural and coastal communities disproportionately impacted by lack of access. By 2028, all Californians should have access to higher broadband speeds that unlock greater educational and commercial opportunities.
Modernizing our energy grid. California is leading the nation in the development and deployment of renewable energy. We’re on pace for 50% renewable energy by 2030. But our energy grid hasn’t kept pace with our innovation in clean energy. By 2028, we must build a smart, clean energy grid that better manages peak demand, empowers consumers to monitor and manage their energy use, and more efficiently delivers energy to end users.
Silicon Valley’s prosperous economy is creating tens of thousands of jobs, but that growth is also creating increasing traffic congestion and strain on our public transportation networks. Marc has a proven track record of improving transportation in Palo Alto:
In 2010, Marc was appointed to Palo Alto’s Infrastructure Blue Ribbon Commission (IBRC), which developed a comprehensive plan for Palo Alto to repair its infrastructure backlog and put measures in place to ensure it doesn’t fall behind again.
As a member of the Palo Alto City Council, Marc has led the effort to identify and set aside the funding necessary to implement the IBRC’s plan, including making Palo Alto’s roads the best in the Bay Area by bringing the pavement condition index up to a score of 85 by 2019 and completing the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan to make it safer and easier for residents to get around town without using their cars.
In order to foster a community discussion on the housing and transportation crisis, Marc helped bring together a group of Palo Alto residents to focus on finding forward-thinking, creative solutions to these complex issues.
Marc will take his expertise in improving transportation infrastructure to Sacramento to improve public transit options, improve road quality and safety, and prepare our transportation system for the future, including:
Completing Caltrain electrification. Completing the Caltrain electrification project will almost triple current capacity, take thousands of cars off the road, and relieve current and future traffic congestion up and down the Peninsula. Working with the federal government and local agencies, California should fully fund this vital project to ensure completion by 2020.
Reviving the Dumbarton Rail Corridor. Due to rising housing prices, more and more workers are commuting from the East Bay to jobs on the Peninsula, but there aren’t adequate public transportation options to serve them. Commuter rail via the Dumbarton Rail Corridor would reduce congestion on local roads and bridges and connect Caltrain to public transit networks in the East Bay, including BART. Working with local government and private sector partners, the state should provide funding and logistical support to the Dumbarton Rail Corridor project.
Enabling safe deployment of self-driving vehicles. Driverless cars have the potential to change the way we live, but state government has fallen behind in creating a regulatory framework that will allow for the use of driverless cars when the technology is ready. The legislature should convene a task force on driverless cars and work with Stanford, UCLA, Caltech, and other leading universities to develop a new set of laws governing safety, liability, insurance, standards, and other issues that will be needed to propel this industry forward. By 2028, California should have a comprehensive legal framework and the necessary infrastructure in place to enable broad deployment of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles.
Repairing our crumbling highways. A recent national study ranked California’s highways as the worst in America, with 51% rated poor. This costs California motorists $44 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and congestion-related delays. Drivers in the Bay Area pay an extra $1,700 a year. By 2028, no stretch of California state highway should be rated in poor condition.
Developing a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations. Governor Brown has set a goal of 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. But while we have encouraged automakers to develop these vehicles, and consumers to purchase them, we haven’t installed a network of electric vehicle charging stations capable of reliably keeping these vehicles on the road. By 2028, California must have a statewide network of charging stations capable of meeting current and future demand.
Incentivizing transit oriented development. Locating new housing and commercial development close to planned and existing public transportation hubs makes it easier for commuters to utilize public transportation, thereby reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. The legislature should provide financial incentives and regulatory relief to local governments to enable more transit oriented development.
Marc has been a leader at the local level, working to prevent flood damage and advocating for environmentally conscious solutions to the state’s water shortage, including:
Serving on the Citizen Oversight Committee for the Clean Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection Plan of the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Supporting the coequal goals for the Delta of ecosystem restoration and water supply reliability, as required by state law. He opposes the Governor’s Delta water tunnel plan because it does not meet both of these goals.
Due to climate change, we must plan for a future with more severe droughts and less water. Marc will advocate for a comprehensive approach that includes:
Developing and implementing cheaper, quicker, and more efficient ways to conserve water while simultaneously offering long-term solutions to Southern California cities and Central Valley farmers. Marc will promote efforts to capture and recycle more water, invest in wastewater recycling plants, rainwater collection systems, and greywater systems, and incentivize residents to switch from water thirsty lawns to water-efficient landscape design.
Establish plans to incentivize farmers to invest in drip irrigation systems that will conserve significant amounts of water, creating a more sustainable system for the future. 80% of our water is used for agricultural purposes, and far too many California farmers still use flood irrigation to produce their crops.
Protecting against sea level rise by fully funding the $1.5 billion it will cost to restore 54,000 acres of wetlands around the bay. Sea level rise threatens to contaminate up to 38% of California’s drinking water supply, destroy billions of dollars worth of homes, roads, and critical infrastructure, and disrupt communities across the Bay Area. Restoring our wetlands is the best prevention measure we have - but we must act now.
Leading the way on sustainability. California companies are pioneering software and devices that can drastically reduce the water we consume, including behavioral software to educate utility customers about their water use and suggest easy ways to cut back, sensors to prevent unnecessary landscape watering, and greywater systems to reuse household wastewater for nonpotable uses. By 2028, these technologies should be deployed statewide with incentives for municipal and consumer adoption.
Modernizing and strengthening the levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that safeguard the freshwater supply for 25 million Californians. The current levee system is vulnerable to earthquakes and other natural disasters that could trigger breaches and long-term shortages of freshwater for much of the state.
Marc has always been a staunch supporter, and longtime champion, of equality for everyone, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation:
Marc earned the sole endorsements of Equality California, the largest statewide LGBT rights group in California, and the Peninsula Stonewall Democrats.
Marc received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte for his commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose and expanding access to reproductive health services.
Marc served as an analyst in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Justice Department, working to protect the voting rights of all Americans.
In the State Assembly, Marc will work to ensure that all Californians are treated equally under the law and that a woman’s right to choose is always protected, including:
Supporting a woman’s right to choose an abortion and to make her own reproductive health care decisions. Marc will advocate for more funding and access to reproductive health care services so every woman can seek safe and adequate care.
Strengthening pay equity laws so everyone receives equal pay for equal work. The pay gap between men and women in California is almost $8,000, which is completely unacceptable.
Supporting full marriage equality for all Californians and standing with the LGBT community in the fight for equal rights and against the discriminatory laws being passed in other parts of the country.
Restoring voting rights to felons who have served their time and returned to their communities. As part of the rehabilitation process, we should restore full rights to people committed to leading productive lives.