Why I’m Running for the California Board of Equalization (BOE)

by John Pimentel

I’m running for the Board of Equalization because our government only works when people who hold power actually use it to deliver results, protect the public, and create opportunity.

At a time when California needs a practical, efficient government that effectively addresses problems such as the high cost of living here, too many public offices and officeholders have treated Election Day as the end of the fight.  Once in office they fail to confront real problems and forge common sense solutions. Meanwhile, Californians struggle with affordability, the cost of housing and food and healthcare and childcare and transportation, access to education, climate threats, and an economy that feels increasingly out of reach.

In my public career, I’ve never treated holding office as a privilege. I’ve treated it as a responsibility. In my business career, I’ve strived to improve the environment and the communities where we live while simultaneously doing well for my family.

When I stood for the San Mateo Community College Board, I had one clear goal: Free Community College for all county residents. Within two years, we delivered.  Free College reduces the cost of higher education and enables career training that enhances earning power.  Since implementing Free College enrollment is up 24% (3x the statewide average) and more than 33,500 students have taken advantage of Free College in our county.

When corruption and waste threatened public trust in our community college district, I did the hard work to end sweetheart contracts, stop unjustified payouts, force transparency in all the District’s dealings, and initiate a civil lawsuit to recover taxpayer dollars.

As California’s Deputy Secretary for Transportation I helped create unique incentive-based contracts that rebuilt Southern California’s highway system in record time.  I led the effort to merge the State Police into the Highway Patrol and effectively eliminated a state agency creating tens of millions of dollars in annual savings, forever.  I also enhanced public safety by securing budget authority to hire an additional 400 CHP officers.

As a Housing Commissioner in Menlo Park, I gained alignment to prioritize converting city-owned, downtown parking lots to additional housing supply and parking capacity to improve housing affordability and access to small businesses. 

In my private sector career, I’ve created projects and companies that built over $1.5 billion of clean energy and water recycling infrastructure. These investments have reduced electricity costs for major California employers and consumers while generating thousands of construction jobs.