Issue Position: Good Jobs & A Fair Economy

Issue Position

Working Families First
David Garcia is running for Governor to fight for working families and against a rigged economy. Too many Arizonans are forced to rely on working two and three jobs and too many people are living paycheck to paycheck without achieving financial security. Not only is this unfair, it contributes to the systemic problem of financial and family instability. Instability robs children and families of opportunities for upward mobility and limits our ability to give children the chance to achieve the American dream -- and do better than their parents.

A fair economy means investing in diverse businesses, fighting for equality in the workplace and creating opportunities to lift families out of poverty. In Arizona, we have suffered under decades of self-serving politicians looking out for themselves and those at the top. They have allowed the big corporations and special interests to rig the system. Fairness is the backbone of an economy that eliminates poverty wages and advances prosperity for every family. As Governor, David will focus on creating good jobs and real careers -- not dead end poverty jobs.

We need to put Arizona first which means investing in and supporting Arizona businesses and entrepreneurs every chance we get. It means prioritizing and encouraging the use of local businesses for public contracts and encouraging local investment in Arizona innovation. Putting Arizona first means that we have a 15-county strategy that invests beyond Maricopa and Pima Counties and identifies and supports the economic engines in the rural parts of our state. One way to grow our agricultural economy is to improve sustainable agriculture and value-added agriculture practices, including craft breweries, vineyards, locally grown and made products, and farmers markets. Arizona's agriculture industry already has a $23 billion impact on our state's economy and there's more room to grow. Improving sustainable irrigation techniques through technology will also benefit farm driven communities.

Arizona's ability to sustain long-term growth depends on the ability for businesses to connect with the rest of the global economy through high-capacity broadband. We must remove the barriers that inhibit expansion of high-speed digital infrastructure that meets the needs of all Arizonans. This lack of infrastructure investment disproportionately impacts our rural and tribal communities. In our 21st century economy, dependable high-speed internet access is a necessary tool for nearly all workers and businesses.

Arizona tribes should be an integral part of our economic development strategy. David is committed to ensuring that tribes receive the benefits of all our economic development efforts and infrastructure investments while respecting tribal sovereignty and supporting the needs of each unique tribe.

A clean energy economy will create thousands of jobs, many of them in rural Arizona. It will also curb the cost of energy and will attract manufacturing and energy intensive industries. As we work to get more clean energy in our state, we will need a larger and well-trained workforce. As renewable energy and energy efficient technologies grow, state government needs to work with the private sector and labor partners to identify the necessary skills and education needed to support this industry.
Make Arizona a Solar Superpower
Arizona should be a solar superpower. We are not because monied and powerful local utility interests have bought and paid for politicians who do their political bidding, at our expense. Our utility rates go up and corporate profits soar while rooftop solar is stalled and innovation is stifled. We must leverage our natural resources and assets, working together across sectors, to build an economy for every worker. Let's imagine more for our state and create an economy that leads the world in advanced energy jobs and local innovation.

David was the first statewide candidate to endorse the Clean Energy for Healthy Arizona initiative. A ballot measure that will increase the amount of our energy that comes from renewable sources like wind and solar to 50% by 2030.
Gubernatorial candidate David Garcia Endorses the Clean Energy for a Healthy AZ Initiative
Arizona's Tech Future
Arizona must be able to compete with any state or country by having the most competitive economic development tools possible while encouraging innovation, business attraction, retention and growth. We must move on from our over-reliance on real estate economies that put us in a deeper decline during the Great Recession. We need to invest in a diverse economic landscape. We will implement a sector-based strategy to drive investment, growth, and jobs in industries that are growing and have growth potential including aerospace, biosciences, cybersecurity, energy, defense, optics and photonics. These kinds of technology jobs are well-paying careers and the kind of smart economic growth Arizona needs.
Investing in a Competitive and Dynamic Workforce
AZ Central Op Ed
The best way to create jobs is to invest directly in workers.

As Governor, David will fight for universal community college for all Arizonans seeking a degree or certificate which will develop the high-skilled workforce that Arizona needs to attract and support the high-wage economy of the future. An economy where good jobs are common place and prosperity is shared.

As a teacher and professor, David has seen how a good education changes lives for generations. After serving in the Army, David was able to receive a college education at an affordable public university with the help of the GI Bill. But Ducey's policies have created a tuition crisis. Arizona tuition hikes are among the highest in the country and state support for community college has been completely eliminated. Rising student debt is crushing Arizona's middle-class families.

While Arizona's university system gets most of the attention, most high school students begin their postsecondary aspirations at a community college, particularly in underserved and rural communities. It's where students get their credentials to become police officers or firefighters. Where radiology technicians and Licensed Practical Nurses get their training. Where assembly line workers learn new skills that allow them to move into precision manufacturing jobs. It's where education and industry work together to identify the jobs of the future and develop the training necessary to provide a skilled workforce.

Two-thirds of future jobs will require some type of postsecondary education, with many of those jobs in high-skilled careers that don't require a 4-year degree but may require a vocational or technical certificate. Community college provides an opportunity for Arizonans whose jobs have been displaced to retool for a new career. And people who earn an associate's degree or certificate earn more than people with a high school degree. Households with a college education will make over $1 million more than their counterparts with only a high school education over the course of their lifetimes.

The idea is simple. Invest in Arizonans to complete an Associate's Degree or certificate in two years. The degrees should lead to entrance in a university and the certificates should focus in high-demand, high-skill areas. These skilled workers then enter the workforce without a suffocating debt burden and are able to contribute to Arizona's economy for the rest of their careers.

After an initial investment to help Arizonans get an education, this proposal pays for itself as more people are able to fill and create high wage jobs, contributing back to Arizona's economy over the course of their long careers.

The proposal is a shared commitment between the state investing in students and students themselves having skin in the game. Students must pay for living expenses and commit the time and energy to stay on track to complete their degree. New York, Tennessee, Arkansas, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon -- many of these states led by Republican governors - have passed free community college initiatives. Many more states will follow suit and will lead the way in attracting and developing a diverse, high-skill, high-wage economy. Arizona cannot be left behind.

Once two-year degrees and certificates are accessible to all Arizonans, we will begin opening the doors to our four-year public universities. Big ideas like these are the only way to make Arizona competitive, dynamic and able to serve all Arizonans, not just a few. It's time to take the next step forward in Arizona to build a better future for our state and our people.

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