On the issues

• Joe has never and will never cross a picket line

• Address the realities at the root of many societal issues: economic inequality and worker exploitation

• Stand up for all workers, and fight to raise the minimum wage of Santa Cruz, strengthen safety, and work for workers

Picture description: Joe organized the first Starbucks in all of California to go out on a three day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike. The strike was attended by Former Assemblymember, County Supervisor, and Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley.

• Ensure Santa Cruz meets its climate goals while protecting and restoring our local environment

• Reduce carbon emissions by investing in public transportation and bike infrastructure

• Prepare our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change and developing sustainable practices

• Protect & restore our coastline and watershed

Picture description: Joe helped bring together students, organizations, faculty, and climate activists to make posters for the annual Climate March.

• Build affordable housing and secure resources to address our homelessness crisis

• Prioritize building missing middle housing, and truly affordable housing

• Address mental health and substance abuse, getting people the treatment they need

• Deliver a more effective, coordinated, and regional approach to homelessness by working with County, State and Federal Officials

Picture description: Joe speaks at a protest about the lack of housing for students and the lack of affordable housing for all Santa Cruzans.

• Regularly hold town halls and other outreach events with constituents to make themself accountable, be informative and transparent with the community, seek their input, and give them a voice in city policy.

• Support initiatives to increase voter turnout.

• Advocate the creation of a Civil Service Commission, so city workers can use their perspectives and expertise to inform policy decisions.

Joe comes from a family of first responders. Their uncle was the police chief of the high school Joe attended. Joe’s mom was a CalFire Forest Firefighter and Joe’s dad was shot while in the line of duty.

• Create additional mental health resources for first responders and work to address the mentality that makes these resources underutilized. Joe will work to implement mental health checks for all of our armed first responders.

• Implement a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder response unit so those in crisis are given quick access to resources

• Work with regional and state leaders to make Santa Cruz better prepared for disasters like wildfires and floods.

• Advocate for protected bike lanes, multi-use paths, lighted pedestrian crossings and traffic calming in neighborhoods to make our streets safer for all

• Implement an easily accessible pothole or sidewalk cracking reporting system so residents can easily report the need for infrastructure maintenance and see results

• Listen to neighbors about their priorities when it comes to street design

• Fight for resources to address this critical need so families can focus on what matters, instead of stressing about bills. Working families in District 5 need affordable childcare.

• As Santa Cruz County’s public schools project declining enrollment of up to 25%, Joe will listen and work to address the needs of families, breaking down the economic barriers preventing people from putting down roots in Santa Cruz.

Joe understands the need for affordable childcare for all residents in the 5th district and throughout the city.

• Work to get affordable childcare for every family that needs childcare, providing opportunity for families in order to Move Santa Cruz Forward.

• Fight to get more resources to families in the 5th district in order to lessen the burden of unaffordable childcare while advocating for the children that need it the most.