Job Creation
From conversations with residents of the 68th district, Phu met men and women bearing
the brunt of the deepening recession, and decades of growing strains on middle class
families. Phu realizes that we are not yet creating jobs on pace to help all those
families. Joblessness is a human tragedy. We must accelerate job growth while laying
the foundation for lasting economic growth.
Phu believes that all - businesses, universities, government – must work together
to train workers and to create sustainable jobs. The real job creators are small
businesses. Regulations must be streamlined to reduce the burden on small businesses.
Phu will fight to give businesses the incentive to invest, expand, and hire more
workers. California must also maintain an educated workforce to meet the demands
of the 21st century global economy. Phu also supports boosting investment in the
state's infrastructure to modernize our transportation and communication networks.
The men and women that Phu met, they are not looking for a handout. They are not
looking for a bailout. What they want is the opportunity to work and to succeed
using their talents and skills. Phu will focus all of his energy to give them that
opportunity.
Education
Phu understands the vast majority of families in the 68th have benefitted from public
education. Parents are deeply concerned that our once golden state has slipped to
47th in investing in k-12 education. As an Assemblymember, Phu will work diligently
to make education California's number one priority.
Many students and their families in the 68th district have shared stories with Phu
about the costs of tuition and how they have had to postpone their plans for attending
college. Phu will leave no stone unturned to find the resources to make attending
college accessible and affordable.
Phu also knows that there is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most
students learn in school and the ones they need in typical 21st century workplaces.
To successfully face rigorous higher education coursework, career challenges, and
a globally competitive workforce, California's schools must align classroom environments
with real world environments by infusing 21st century skills into their teaching
and learning. This is imperative for California to sustain long term economic growth.
As a member of the Assembly, Phu will fight for our schools, students and dedicated
teachers, and to make sure that California's schools are again the "golden standard"
for the nation.
Health Care
Even with the best-trained workers in the world, we cannot compete if our small
businesses are saddled with rapidly increasing health care costs. Businesses cannot
compete globally if health care costs for their employees outpace inflation. Phu
supports efforts to relieve this unsustainable burden.
Fiscal Responsibility
Phu will fight to restore fiscal responsibility. For far too long, politicians in
Sacramento had approved both spending programs and budget-busting tax cuts. Phu
will fight in Sacramento to make sure that all must take responsibility for every
dollar they spend. Phu will not do business as usual; for many decades, too many
in Sacramento had put off the hard decisions. Phu will not let partisanship and
scoring political points stand in the way of solving the challenges facing our state.