Before I was a politician, I was a teacher.  As a teacher I learned.  I learned the best teachers are those who pose the most evocative questions, and that the best answers are the ones discovered together.  At the core of education is the process of exploring, discovering, imagining and shaping new ideas. 

That is what I loved about being a teacher.  That is why Project California was started.  By engaging in a dialogue about our future as Californians, we can re-imagine and reinvent our state and our future.

Californians need to have a frank discussion about the state we live in and the kind of state we want it to be for future generations.  We need a full understanding of the challenges we face.  We need to marshal the extraordinary intellect, talent and diversity of our people and start developing and agreeing upon the best ideas about how to forge the frontier to the best future for our state.

Project California was launched to begin this critically important task.  In the summer, fall and winter of 2004, and into 2005, we are engaging in a conversation with experts and the people of California about what we want our state’s future to be based on facts, not rhetoric.  Through a series of conversations, regional forums, town halls and this website, Project California will take this discussion of ideas out of the partisan battleground of the State Capitol and bring it directly to the people.  California is capable of more.  Californians deserve better.

This website disseminates for broader discussion the ideas we’ve heard in our conversations with experts, our forums and our town halls.  California is a big state, and not everyone can make it to our meetings.  This site offers summaries of our public meetings, gives links to more information, and offers you the opportunity to discuss them or to offer your own ideas. 

I look forward to meeting with you and talking about California – in person or here on this website.