Connecting California's ``Haves'' and ``Have-Nots'': Pat Brown Institute Conference Examines State's Digital, Economic, Geographic Divides.

LOS ANGELES -- Elected officials, policymakers and experts met today in Los Angeles to examine the state's growing economic, geographic and digital divides. At the 13th Annual California Policy Issues Conference, hosted by The Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs, panelists warned that despite the state's growing prosperity, Californians living in poverty are increasing in number, creating a dual society of politically active "haves" and politically inactive "have-nots."

"There is a need for a progressive public policy agenda to address future needs for housing, jobs, medical care and transportation," said Jaime Regalado, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute. "Additionally, with regard to the state's emerging digital divide, we need the public- and private-sectors to determine if inadequate access to digital telecommunications services worsens existing socioeconomic disparities."

The conference took place at the Center at Cathedral Plaza and featured guest speakers including California business leaders and elected officials from the state and local levels. Manuel Pastor of UC Santa Cruz presented the keynote address on "The New Demography, the New Inequality and the New Economy in California."

In his address, Pastor focused on four ideas to address the state's many social and economic divides. He urged public- and private-sector leaders to concentrate on fostering economic growth; improving education, especially vocational training for workforce development; reducing the digital divide and its impacts, and creating labor and community standards that set new floors for a minimum wage, a living wage and access to health insurance.

"We must put an end to partisan politics," Pastor said. "Our economy is not sustainable and we have corrosive inequality. It is time to turn the state around and find out what our potential is."

The featured luncheon speaker was Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), who delivered a stellar talk on "Market Dynamics and Addressing the Digital Divide."

At the conference, panelists addressed the challenges of "Connecting California." At one panel entitled "Overcoming Disparities Through Sustainability," moderator Adrienne Alpert of KABC-TV facilitated a discussion between Hon. Karen Bass, California Assembly; Rick Cole, Ventura City Manager; Anita Gabrielian, SBC, and John Gamboa, The Greenlining Institute.

Later, at the session entitled "Digital Divides: Adding to Geographic Isolation," moderator Tessie Guillermo of the Community Technology Foundation of California led a discussion by panelists: Hon. Ed Reyes, Los Angeles City Council; Rebecca London, UC Santa Cruz; Bill Pitkin, United Way of Greater Los Angeles; Elva Lima, Verizon, and Dixon Slingerland, Youth Policy Institute.

For the session called, "The Urban Struggle: Finding the Jobs-Housing-Transportation Balance," moderator Kenneth Bert of the California Federation of Teachers led a discussion among panelists: Hon. Wendy Greuel, Los Angeles City Council; Grantland Johnson, Sacramento Central Labor Council; George Minter, Greer/Daily/Minter, and Brenda Shockley, Community Build.

Finally, at the session entitled "A Policy Agenda for California," moderator Roger Caves of San Diego State University led a discussion to identify public policy solutions to move California forward. Participants included Hon. Richard Alarcon, California State Senate; Hon. Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Council; Mark Baldassare, Public Policy Institute of California, and Mark Pisano, Southern California Association of Governments.

The Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs is a non-profit, non-partisan center for public policy and community engagement based at California State University, Los Angeles. The Institute is dedicated to building upon the successful policy legacies of former California Governor Pat Brown (1959-1967). For information, visit www.patbrowninstitute.org or call [phone].