California Governor's Task Force on Business & Jobs Recovery Issues: 'Recovery for All – Final Report'

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 -- The California Governor's Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery issued the following report, dated Nov. 20, entitled "Recovery for All: Final Report of the Co-Chairs."

The report was written by Co-Chairs Ann O'Leary and Tom Steyer.

Here is the introduction and conclusion in the 27-page report:

Introduction

As COVID-19 struck our state, nation and world, Governor Gavin Newsom convened the Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery to help the state rebuild as quickly and safely as possible from the pandemic-induced recession and create an equitable, sustainable and prosperous future.

The Task Force brought together more than 100 prominent leaders from business, unions, health, communities, academia, arts and entertainment and philanthropy, as well as advocates for racial and economic justice and legislative leaders. In assembling a group that represented a broad cross-section of the state, the Governor sought to spark conversations between leaders who would not normally collaborate and find creative solutions to the state's economic and health crises.

Governor Newsom tapped two leaders as Co-Chairs who brought an outstanding record of service and commitment to economic growth and inclusion. Ann O'Leary, Chief of Staff to Governor Newsom, and Tom Steyer, founder of NextGen Policy, would lead the Task Force members through critical conversations and actions throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2020 -- Task Force members forged partnerships, advocated for federal support and developed innovative proposals, and their work has helped California slow the spread of COVID-19.

With so many perspectives represented, the Task Force did not set out to agree on everything, seek consensus on policy changes or author legislation. Instead, members committed to have hard conversations and surface recommendations to state officials in real time.

The Governor's Task Force has been an essential partner in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and identifying principles for California's recovery. The report that follows details the Task Force's efforts to foster a sustainable, inclusive recovery, as well as its recommendations for areas of continued partnership and lessons learned.

Conclusion

Some key learnings from the State and Task Force members can guide those who continue to build an equitable recovery for all.

These lessons include:

- Lead with science and be responsive to changing circumstances. The health first approach saved lives, and modifications along the way helped businesses reopen more sustainably. When COVID-19 cases began to rise in the summer, the State responded with a statewide mandatory mask order, ramping up a public awareness campaign before the July 4 holiday and rolling back re-openings. Task Force members collaboratively analyzed data that showed that strong economies were driven by fewer cases in all states.

- And when circumstances change, California still protects the most vulnerable -- for example, by securing an additional $300 per week in unemployment benefits and allocating an extra $400 million to foodbanks, childcare and homelessness.

- Encourage and enforce compliance with public health and safety mandates.

The vast majority of Californians will voluntarily comply with clear and reasonable measures, especially when they are given the information they need through public education campaigns. The State will also continue enforcement for those who will not.

- Make the public our allies in the fight. The spike in cases during the summer also forced us to acknowledge that we hadn't done enough to warn the public that despite improvements in infection, hospitalization and ICU rates, the virus was going to be with us for the foreseeable future - so we all needed to continue to maintain social distance, wash our hands and wear our masks. The "Wear a Mask" campaign and worker and employer education campaigns supported by the Task Force made demonstrable progress towards these goals.

- Remain engaged with partners across sectors. The Task Force assembled leaders from across sectors who would not ordinarily collaborate, opening lines of communication that did not exist previously. This process highlighted how government and the private sector can do more together. Going forward, Task Force members will continue to serve as points of connectivity across the state and between their own regions and industries.

- Expand public-private partnerships. The Task Force created a number of novel public-private partnerships, which unleashed new resources and new ideas to address ongoing challenges.

- For example, the SF Creative Corps, a partnership between the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and City of San Francisco, aims to amplify the creativity and power of California's arts and culture sector by generating living-wage work opportunities for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists in service of healthy communities and an equitable and just recovery.

- Continue to work with federal leaders on critical relief. Federal leadership is an indispensable component of a successful recovery from a recession. While the federal support that Congress passed this past spring has been critical, numerous key CARES Act measures have already expired or are set to expire soon. The federal government must step in with comprehensive fiscal relief in the following areas to ensure that Californians have enough support to recover their health and financial well-being, flexible state and local assistance; continued expanded unemployment insurance; support for health care, education and child care stabilization; support for small businesses; nutritional assistance; and housing and homelessness initiatives. In addition, it is critical to work with our federal partners to secure a stimulus package that is aimed at making our state more equitable and more sustainable. Key to those efforts will be funding for green energy, broadband and high-speed rail.

- Bring together a broad range of voices to provide a clearer view of the challenges and help drive better solutions. Because the Task Force included representatives from labor, business, community-based organizations and nonprofits, from many sectors and industries, it provided a clearer view of how the pandemic and economic crisis were affecting different parts of the state.

As a result, the State was able to take responsive actions more quickly, such as ramping up testing and getting PPE to businesses and workers in need.

Looking ahead, these learnings can help inform all those committed to a sustainable, equitable recovery for California that maintains our state's competitive edge.

The Governor's Council of Economic Advisors has identified a number of headwinds that California will continue to face in the near future, among them the coming expiration of unemployment benefits like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, ongoing need for federal relief and the changes to life and work brought on by the rapid shift to telework. These challenges are especially severe for lower-income Californians who were disproportionately impacted by job losses in 2020, as well as small businesses that have gone through an entire year of unpredictability and lower revenues.

Though the future is uncertain, one thing in California has always been true: we grow when we expand opportunity for all - in every region, zip code and income level - and invest in our innovators. California will not rely on past successes to push forward, but instead, rise to the challenge of building a recovery for all.

Full text: https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Task-Force-on-Business-and-Jobs-Recovery-Report.pdf

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