News

. . . Summit leaders have spent the last few months developing a five-year plan that aims to build on these successes. The Summit’s new Roadmap to Shared Prosperity, scheduled for release in January, integrates the work of the Summit’s seven action teams and once again identifies the “right next steps” the state must take between now and 2020 to advance prosperity—from developing a workforce that can compete in the global economy to making needed infrastructure investments and encouraging the state to find new ways to fund these vital efforts.

In the next decade, the state will have to fill a projected gap of more than 1.5 million skilled workers with “some college” experience. In a recent report issued by the Public Policy Institute of California titled, “California’s Need for Skilled Workers,” those workers are defined as people who have some post-secondary education, such as a vocational certificate, an Associate’s degree or who have attended some college, but not received their Bachelor’s, 

Spending on transportation has not kept up with our growing population and aging infrastructure for many years. But now, state funding is being cut in half, and this transportation fiscal cliff will only make matters worse.

In the next decade, the state will need nearly 450,000 more workers in all areas of healthcare – from lab technicians to dental hygienists to medical support positions, according to, “California’s Health Workforce Needs: Training Allied Workers,” a report released last week from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

This report details how these nine Summit proposals are the foundation for rebuilding California’s struggling middle class and restoring upward mobility. It also highlights a wealth of opportunities for the Summit’s seven action teams to engage and collaborate to make them a reality.

This summary report on the 2013 Summit lays out the background behind the Summit and gives a roundup of Summit commitments, a collection of some of the best thinking from across the state about how to drive sustainable economic growth in California.

California’s State Auditor last week released its updated assessment of high-risk issues that loom over the state, and the failure to keep up with the state’s infrastructure needs made the cut.

There was no fanfare, no big press conference, not even a signing statement (though maybe this should have sufficed). In the end, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Sen. Darrell Steinberg’s final CEQA reform bill late on a Friday afternoon, a time-honored way to avoid media attention.

Those in the California transportation infrastructure game are becoming even more worried. The head of the transit advocacy group Transportation California told the Sacramento Business Journal (paywall) that funding the capital region’s transportation needs will be increasingly challenging with federal funds drying up and state infrastructure bonds running out soon.

. . . provides a roadmap for promoting California’s jobs and competitiveness . . .presents recommendations on the state and local level to add value to our business climate by investing in infrastructure and people and reducing the cost of doing business by streamlining our complex regulatory process.

It continues to be a mixed bag for the California economy. In fact, sometimes the signals are downright confusing.

There’s no doubt about it—the competition is fierce. States like Texas and Nevada are openly trying to lure away business from California. The debate about how effective they are is still going. But with a PR push highlighting lower taxes and easier environmental regulations, moving out sounds tempting.

When you talk with Californians about the state of the state, the conversation turns to the economy, and especially to jobs. A recent poll by the PPIC showed that 67 percent of California voters say jobs and the economy are the state’s biggest priority.

As we approach year’s end, the news about the California economy is less gloomy than it was a year ago. A look at some recent reporting shows a mixed bag, but with the trends in the right direction.