Blog

During CSAC’s 127th Annual Meeting last year in beautiful Monterey County, the new 2021-22 officers were elected and installed. As we often say, CSAC is only as strong as its membership, and our newest Second Vice President is as strong, resilient, and effective as they come – San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson.

Many of you may know Supervisor Gibson from his service as a member of the CSAC Board of Directors and Executive Committee; Chair of the Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources Policy Committee; or as CSAC’s representative to the County Drought and Advisory Group. Supervisor Gibson has worked in public service since 2007 and is committed to accessible and transparent government. He always leads by example and is not afraid to address any challenges or difficult topics facing counties. 

As someone who loves learning about counties and the people who serve, I recently had the great fortune of learning more about Supervisor Gibson, including his background, motivation, and priorities. Here are his responses.

The following guest blog was originally written for CalMatters and approved by the author Stacy Corless, Mono County Supervisor for District 5, who is board chair of the Rural County Representatives of California and an executive committee member of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force.

The following guest blog is provided by Don Howard, President and CEO, The James Irvine Foundation

​While the pandemic cast a harsh light on the economic inequality in California and the fragility of our infrastructure, it also ignited a desire to address these issues and delivered California leaders a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a more equitable and climate-resilient economy. Now, we need the collective will to seize it.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill that establishes a $600 million Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) to encourage regional leaders from government, business, labor, and the community to work together to develop a blueprint for an economic future that invests in industries that will thrive in a carbon-neutral future, creates high-quality jobs, and builds a more equitable economy that works for all.

California’s diverse economy — made up of our varied, regional economies — is on the precipice of transition. County leaders will be critical to help form what’s been dubbed a “High Road Transition Collaborative” to increase the number of high-quality jobs accessible to populations that have historically been excluded from opportunity and incumbent workers facing industry disruption. And we will only get the sizable regional funding when we work together.

Dotting California’s coastline, lighthouses are a beacon of light, aiding navigation through choppy waters and alerting ships to hidden obstacles. Like lighthouses, as California County Supervisors, we’re often called to lead our communities through difficult times and unforeseen circumstances. Over the past several years, we’ve become accustomed to expecting the unexpected and preparing for the next calamity to threaten our communities. 

As a former State Assembly Member and current Monterey County Supervisor, I am urging Lawmakers to lift the thin veil hiding telecom’s opposition to including Governor Newsom’s broadband proposal in the June state budget.

Incumbent broadband providers, more than any other group, are responsible for California’s digital divide and they’ll stop at nothing to protect their monopolies, putting profit over people yet again.