Newsom visits Fresno to unveil economic plan like the state 'has never seen'
Nov 21, 2024
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Gov. Gavin Newsom stopped in Fresno to discuss economic regional plans that he says have been there some time in the making and will be the first of its kind in California's history.
During Thursday's press conference, Newsom says he joined other state leaders to work on an economic plan, recognizing that California is not under "one simple economy." The plan would address the concerns of residents who were not feeling like they were "fully engaged in the prosperity that is the State of California" despite it being "the largest economy" in the nation.
"The economy in California is really a network of regional economies," he said. "We started to break down in conversations over the course of the last number of years, a framework around 13 specific regions in this state, from the Redwood coast down to the border, in the south."
The 502-page strategy plan combines 13 plans from 13 regions around the state - including the San Joaquin Valley area - that the governor says will be the first of its kind in California's history and are expected to come together in January.
"In January, we'll be releasing the most comprehensive, nuanced sectoral strategy and workforce strategy in this state's history," Newsom said.
If successfully implemented, Ashley Swanson, CEO of Central Valley Community Foundation, says the plan will bring a $100 billion economic impact and 138,000 new jobs in various sectors, including the medical field, education sector and more over the next 20 years.
The plan will also result in support for 6,000 small businesses, 29GW of clean energy being produced, and child care for over 40,000 families, according to Swanson.
The governor adds that the plan also includes $120 million of competitive grants that will be put out for early ready-to-go projects and will support what now is a "$287 million economic development process" like California "has never seen."
He says the work being done to boost California's economy focuses on the people rather than just the economy.
"Some people talk about this economy is booming, inflation is cooling, lowest unemployment in our lifetimes, lowest black unemployment, Hispanic unemployment, lowest unemployment for women, lowest unemployment for people with disability. All that may be true, but people don't feel that way. They feel like the economy is not supportive. They feel like the economy is not nourishing," he said. "And there was that gap between what some perceived as performance and perception, the lived reality of people feeling on edge, unmoored, uneasy. And I think in so many ways, the work that you've done, putting us putting this to paper, the work that's being done in this region is the antidote to that, because it's not talking about the economy, it's talking about people."
Newsom was joined by local leaders on Thursday at the Fresno City College.