Click here to read the The Leader May 2014
Traffic Relief
By Carl Guardino, President and CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
If you don’t ask, you don’t know.
Annually, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group commissions a professional survey of 600 likely Silicon Valley voters. As a policy organization consisting of nearly 400 CEOs and senior officers, it is important for us to understand if the concerns expressed in board rooms are similar to the concerns conveyed in our employee’s living rooms.
Our most recent survey was completed on April 13. We asked voters for their views on housing and homelessness, traffic and transportation, education and the economy, taxes and fees. The responses underscored, in this visionary Valley, that voters still want to invest in making our communities better. This was clearly conveyed in the questions about transportation.
When voters were asked if they would once again tax themselves for specific transportation improvements:
More than 2/3 said YES for Phase II of the BART extension, from Berryessa to downtown San Jose and Santa Clara.
More than 2/3 said YES for Caltrain commuter rail improvements from Gilroy to Palo Alto.
More than 2/3 said YES for street maintenance and pothole repairs in all 15 cities and towns.
More than 2/3 said YES to improve all eight county expressways: Almaden, Capitol, Central, Foothill, Lawrence, Montague, Oregon, San Tomas.
More than 2/3 said YES to bike and pedestrian improvements, especially near schools.
And more than 2/3 said YES to transit services for seniors and the disabled.
Our question – which will have to be thoughtfully considered by all stakeholders – is simple: Is the timing right to invest again?
Silicon Valley Gives
By Zoe Mullendore, Housing and Transportation Associate, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
When is a dollar worth more than a dollar? When Silicon Valley gives!
On May 6, our region will participate in Silicon Valley Gives, a 24-hour fundraising event designed to inspire and unite our local community to support philanthropic causes. This first-ever Silicon Valley day of giving is expected to benefit hundreds of local nonprofit organizations.
Currently, there are more than 650 nonprofits registered for Silicon Valley Gives. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group and our partners are excited that Educare of California at Silicon Valley, a project we have invested in with a great deal of time and resources, is one of these participants! Educare of California at Silicon Valley is part of a national network of schools committed to changing the life trajectories of the most at risk children at a critical time, from birth to 5-years-old. Children and their families go through comprehensive and research based early childhood education programs, family support and teacher professional development. As part of the capital campaign, Educare is seeking donations to help build the Family Resource Center, the Professional Development Institute, early learning classrooms and the outdoor learning space.
You can donate to Educare here. Donations through Silicon Valley Gives to nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible and irrevocable (donations will not be refunded). Contributions may be made via credit and debit card only. Matching gifts from local foundations and prizes during the Silicon Valley Gives event will make local donations go farther.
Days of Giving have become a national platform to connect charitable citizens with local worthy causes. Recent Day of Giving events have seen $1.2 million dollars infused into Arizona non-profits and over $14 million distributed to nonprofit organizations in Minnesota. Locally, our day of giving is being sponsored by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in celebration of the 100th anniversary of community foundations. One of the pillars of the Community Foundation’s mission is to strengthen the common good locally. In 2013, the Community Foundation managed more than $4.7 billion in assets and awarded grants totaling more than $367 million to 40 countries including the United States. Its long history of supporting important causes locally will strengthen Silicon Valley Gives and allow this event to reach a much wider audience.
We hope you will take this opportunity to support local projects and consider a donation to Educare at Silicon Valley as part of your support.
Silicon Valley Goes to Sacramento
By Dennis Cima, Senior Vice President, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
If Silicon Valley is going to remain the state’s economic engine, it is important that our policy makers from throughout California are aware of the kind of fuel and maintenance that our engine needs, particularly in these uncertain economic times.
That’s why the Silicon Valley Leadership Group will take approximately 50 member company executives to Sacramento on May 14. The day-long Sacramento Advocacy Trip is an opportunity for our members and state policy leaders to talk directly with each other about what’s needed to grow Silicon Valley’s and the state’s economy, the development of sustainable policies and practices, and investments in our water, transportation, energy and educational infrastructure.
Our specific agenda will include:
Recommendations on the expenditure plan for the Cap & Trade Auction Revenue in areas like energy efficiency and solar power.
The establishment of a California Green Bank to coordinate and promote the state’s efforts to finance emerging clean energy technologies and projects.
Solutions to improve California’s R&D tax credit.
Recommendations to make substantive changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to protect our environment while encouraging economic development.
Public investment in high-quality early learning as well as workforce development.
Efforts to stabilize the state’s budget and bolster its “rainy day” fund.
As in years past, the Leadership Group delegation will include local elected officials (county supervisors, mayors and city council members), which among other things highlights our robust public-private partnerships in areas such as transportation and affordable housing.
This year’s trip will again feature small and large group visits with the Governor’s Office, the Senate President Pro Tem, President Pro Tem Elect and Speaker-elect, Republican leadership, Latino Legislative Caucus, Legislative Black Caucus, Women’s Legislative Caucus and the chairs of the policy committees that are most important to Silicon Valley. The day will also feature our second quarter Silicon Valley Caucus meeting, our regular session with members of the Valley’s state Senate and Assembly delegation. Our principal topic of our caucus meeting is the state’s higher education system and our workforce pipeline.
Please follow the progress of our trip on Twitter and Facebook. If you wish to learn more about our annual Sacramento Advocacy Trip, contact Kirk Everett at keverett@svlg.org.