A robust economy is essential to stimulate job creation and ensure a thriving and inclusive business climate. Strong job creation across industries is essential to the economic security of our local communities. At the same time, we must be careful to preserve economic opportunities for all workers and small business owners, prevent irresponsible and predatory lending, and implement a fair and progressive system of taxation. To achieve these goals, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party: 

Job Creation and Small Business

• Recognizes that Silicon Valley, as the home of the American technology sector, has a unique responsibility to be a model for effectively working with the tech industry, including supporting the development of the unique high tech workforce, promoting diversity in the industry, and developing adequate policies to ensure that the rapid pace of change in the industry does not come at the expense of our citizens’ rights to privacy and control over their personal information and data. 
• Support workforce development programs, such as coding bootcamps, particularly in low-incomes and minority communities, which will help to expand and diversify the technology sector workforce.
• Supports the creation of opportunities for minority-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQ-owned businesses to compete for government and private contracts on equal footing with other businesses, including outreach to those communities.
• Supports policies designed to promote small and local business, including the streamlining of the permit process and providing clear guidance on rules and regulations that apply to small businesses.
• Supports the expansion of displacement services and support for small businesses affected by redevelopment and gentrification, and implement displacement mitigation strategies prior to and during the development permitting process.  
• Supports the creation of a public bank that would eliminate debt-servicing costs in the county general budget, provide infrastructure financing at very low interest rates, partner with local banks to strengthen their capital bases, and low interest loans for local small businesses.
• Promotes credit unions and local and community banks, which can expand access to affordable loans to local communities.
• Supports city and county policies designed to safely regulate the purchase and sale of legal cannabis, and opposes outright bans or moratoriums on the sale of cannabis.

Taxation and Fees

• Supports a progressive fee and taxation scales for local businesses to ensure that small businesses are able to compete in the market and big business pays its fair share.

Economic Justice

• Strongly supports eliminating predatory (payday) lending, providing financial literacy programs, including financial planning and financial aid workshops and training, and ensuring services are available to unbanked populations.
• Supports offering credit repair services. 
• Supports “Equity Programs” designed to expand participation in and access to the cannabis and other industries to low-income and communities of color.
• Supports mandatory gender inclusion on corporate boards, adequate racial representation in corporate management, and employee representation in corporate management.
• Encourages divesting from any institution that profits from economic injustice.