Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, California:

Without a doubt, California is still the most innovative state. But we won’t stay that way unless we face facts. And they are grim. 

We have the nation’s highest poverty rate and highest unemployment rate. Our energy costs are the highest in the continental United States. Nearly half of America’s unsheltered homeless people live in California. And all the while, Californians bear the nation’s second-highest state and local tax burden and must reckon with hundreds of billions’ worth of unfunded pension liabilities and deferred maintenance on public infrastructure in the years ahead.

As a mayor, I have the responsibility of addressing these challenges. My constituents don’t accept excuses, nor should they. In San Jose, we have not waited for Sacramento and have invested in quick-build housing solutions and are reducing our unsheltered homeless population. We are using new technologies and old-fashioned, street-level policing to become the safest big city in America again. We have embraced the responsible use of AI to make government more effective, from spotting potholes before they form to helping buses run faster. 

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On a city-to-city level, we’ve seen the benefits of close collaboration. […] However, statewide, Sacramento and local governments are not collaborating in a way that yields the best results for the public. 

The most pressing example is homelessness. Last year, when 68% of Californians voted yes on Proposition 36, they agreed that those suffering from severe addiction should be required to go to treatment if they steal to buy drugs. This policy would save thousands of lives, billions of dollars, and help people get the treatment they need to escape the streets. Where is it? Sacramento refuses to implement it.

California has seen nearly as many people die on our streets in the last 12 years as the nation lost in the Vietnam War, with most being overdose victims. A commonsense bill allowing — not requiring — dedicated sober living spaces for the homeless was just passed by the Legislature. Where is it? The governor vetoed it.

Energy costs are a serious problem. California energy costs have gone up 34% since 2019 while Nevada fell 8% and Arizona fell 3%.