What do young SLO County voters care about the most? Here’s their Citizens’ Agenda
Election Day is coming — and we at The Tribune have a few insights for all of the people seeking public office in San Luis Obispo County this year.
In July, The Tribune asked young voters under the age of 40 to share what they wanted candidates to be talking about this election cycle. The goal was to prioritize issues that matter to younger voters in the county, and bring their concerns to the forefront of the conversation.
More than 200 people responded to the survey, which was shared in social media groups and through The Tribune’s website. The responses cover virtually every corner of San Luis Obispo County, from Nipomo to San Miguel.
We call it Outspoken 2020. The project is thanks in large part to a grant and support from Renewing Democracy, an initiative of the Solutions Journalism Network.
Some of the main comments we gathered this summer were expected: Almost 87% of the more than 200 respondents to the survey identified affordable housing as one of their chief issues this election cycle. That was no surprise, given a recent study by the economic development initiative REACH that indicated a large number of middle-class workers could leave the Central Coast in the coming decade due to the high cost of living.
Following close behind, 79% said both the Black Lives Matter movement — a breakout issue this summer — and the environment were among their top concerns.
Other issues were slightly more niche.
Broadband connectivity was brought up several times by respondents who said the new working-from-home reality made Internet speeds one of the biggest things they would like to see cities address.
Recycling programs were also brought up, with respondents noting confusion over different rules depending on one’s jurisdiction and trash provider. Others noted they would like to see expanded programs that allowed for more and easier recycling.
Tribune reporters are already delving into these topics. In the weeks leading up to the election, expect more articles dissecting these issues and suggesting potential solutions.
Several broad themes also emerged from the survey. In an effort to create a conversation between those running for office and their potential constituents, The Tribune has compiled a simplified list of young SLO County’s chief concerns this election.
We’re calling it the Outspoken 2020 Citizens’ Agenda.
In the agenda below, you’ll find the five issues that most concern voters under the age of 40 in San Luis Obispo County, based upon the results of our survey. You’ll also see some direct comments from SLO County voters talking about what they want from their elected officials.
This list is by no means all-inclusive, of course.
We know the county serves a wide swath of diverse political ideologies and individual concerns that often come into conflict with each other (a Tribune reporter is working on a story on the implications of this, too).
Here, we focused upon the general consensus of our survey to compile the agenda. Where possible, we note dissenting opinions gathered in the survey as well to provide additional context.
So without further ado, we present The Tribune’s Outspoken 2020 Citizen’s Agenda.
1. Young voters want elected officials who make affordability a priority
WHAT ONE RESIDENT SAID: “My parents moved me to San Luis Obispo County when I was barely 2 years old. I have never left, but despite having more income and career success than the prior generations of my family, there’s no way I will be able to afford to live here, and buying here would be a matter of life or death. Literally, as in we couldn’t even come up with a down payment unless someone dies and leaves us a hunk of cash.”
By far, affordability was the biggest topic of concern for respondents to The Tribune’s Outspoken survey.
From the lack of affordable housing to the struggles of living in a tourist-based economy, young SLO County voters throughout the region said they are concerned about their ability to continue to live here in the years to come.
Many, like the resident above, noted that they find it difficult to support their families on the wages available throughout this region, despite working jobs that qualify as high-paying in other places. Here, they suggested supporting business sectors other than the service and tourism industries, which tend to offer lower-paying wages and are less sustainable. They also want more jobs that offer a “living wage” rather than just minimum wage.
At the center of the subject is housing affordability, where the issues are vast. Some respondents asked for rent control initiatives to help with exorbitant rental prices. Others asked for more support for first-time home buyers, especially for ones with families or those who have previously been homeless.
Still others said it was an issue of building, though opinions here were varied. Most asked for more affordable housing to be built — and for the definition of “affordable” to actually mean within the reasonable price range of a young local professional or family.
Some also noted they would like to see higher-density building, potentially with a focus on live-work units that could provide options for remote and freelance workers.
2. They want representatives who stand for diversity and inclusivity
- WHAT ONE RESIDENT SAID: “I have never seen racism so rampant in our county before. This is something that needs to be addressed on a government level locally, but most of the elected officials locally are just ignoring the problems.”
Many respondents to the survey said they felt Black Lives Matter and anti-racism were the top issues they would like to hear local candidates address as they compete for their votes. At least one said it was the only issue they wanted to hear about.
With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement this summer and the ongoing protests throughout SLO County, many said they felt the time was now for elected officials to speak out against racism, and promise to work to create a more inclusive and equitable environment in their cities.
They called for stronger responses to hate crimes and behavior that unfairly targets people of color or other diverse populations, as well as more educational outreach to the public.
Most of all, they said they wanted to hear about “solid, tangible” ways to reduce racism in our communities while making them more welcoming to diverse populations.
3. They want elected officials to be good stewards of the environment
- WHAT ONE RESIDENT SAID: “My greatest worry for our community is how we’ll be affected by climate change. Locally, we will be susceptible to sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, increased wildfire risk, more severe storm events and drought. I would love to see proactive measures taken to make our community more resilient to climate change.”
In the past, environmental issues have largely been regarded as national, not local, political topics. Young voters in San Luis Obispo County want to change that.
Voters under the age of 40 want more local policies to help slow the spread of climate change and preserve the beautiful, scenic landscape they love on the Central Coast.
They want candidates to talk about off-shore oil drilling, fracking, clean water, reducing carbon emissions, protecting the coasts and wildlife reserves, renewable energy and a multitude of other environmentally friendly practices that could be implemented at a local level.
A chief area of interest was in a local form of the Green New Deal, which they said could additionally help with the affordability and economic woes of the region.
4. They want representatives who will help the homeless population
- WHAT ONE RESIDENT SAID: “Lack of social programs and support for local homeless populations. How we care for our least well-off reflects us all. Why can’t they sleep at night?”
Homelessness is a perennial topic among San Luis Obispo County voters — which in itself angered some respondents who said they were anxious for actual change to take place.
What it means to talk about homelessness in SLO County varied some between respondents.
Some approached it from a public safety standpoint, saying they were concerned about the impacts homeless encampments may have on communities.
Far more, however, said they wanted candidates to talk about ways to help, rather than criminalize, the homeless population. This included finding real, sustainable housing solutions, removing ticketing for sleeping in one’s car and creating more social programs that could set un-housed individuals up for long-term, future success.
It also included directing more funding toward mental health services.
5. They want a firm approach to COVID-19 regulations amid reopening
- WHAT ONE RESIDENT SAID: “I want the candidates to take COVID-19 seriously, and not only use guidance from the state, but also from the local community at large. I want candidates to be willing to make difficult decisions in order to keep the community safe.”
When The Tribune began preparing for the Outspoken project earlier this year, the COVID-19 pandemic did not exist as a major concern.
Though other topics on this list were somewhat expected, the coronavirus took many in San Luis Obispo County by surprise, quickly became one of the biggest issues for younger voters this election cycle.
Here more than almost anywhere else did the opinions vary on what should be done.
Some said they felt mask-wearing should be more heavily regulated. Others said they were concerned about the impacts of closures on local businesses and how enforcement of mask-wearing stretches already thin resources.
Many people said they were concerned about the post-coronavirus shutdown economy, and how elected officials would help support residents and businesses through a potential recession.
In general, however, respondents said they wanted less politicization of coronavirus regulations that are proven to be helpful in preventing the spread of the pandemic in San Luis Obispo County. They called for strong responses from elected and public health officials to protect our community as it reopens.
Other notable topics: Liveability, police reform, education and more
The above list is only a broad look at some of the most repeated topics from The Tribune’s survey. Here are several other topics broached by numerous respondents that also bear discussion among candidates:
Talking about police reform and diverting or allocating funding to more social service programs
- Making communities more bike and pedestrian friendly
- Increasing funding and support for public schools
- Improving local infrastructure (roads, transit, broadband)
- Increasing funding for fire services
- Improving public meeting and government accessibility
- Lowering taxes (or preventing them from increasing)
- Instating stronger term limits at the local level
- Making higher education more affordable
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat is Outspoken?
The Tribune launched Outspoken, a special grant-funded project, as a way to amplify the voices of young San Luis Obispo County voters during the November 2020 election.
So often, we hear that local city council or government meetings are dominated by the concerns of older residents, who tend to be more engaged in local governance. Outspoken aims to change that, by increasing awareness of issues of major concern for younger voters in the region and pushing those to the forefront of the conversation. Through the project, we hope to increase turnout among millennial and Gen Z voters and help them become more engaged in their local governments.
Click on the arrow in the upper right for more.
How we reported this story
SLO Tribune reporters Cassandra Garibay and Kaytlyn Leslie began working on the Outspoken project along with former Tribune reporter Monica Vaughan in March, just before the first positive case of coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County was reported.
The project is possible thanks to a grant and support from Renewing Democracy, an initiative of the Solutions Journalism Network.
In April, Garibay, Leslie and Vaughan conducted a virtual listening session with local stakeholders to gather preliminary direction on what issues might be of concern to young voters in the county, and how best to perform outreach to gather more information.
With the onset of the pandemic and Vaughan’s move from The Tribune to Fresnoland, a reporting and engagement lab with the Fresno Bee, the project was briefly put on hold as the newsroom pivoted to covering coronavirus in the community.
In July a Google Form survey was sent out to those initial stakeholders and shared on social media and The Tribune’s website. Between July 7 and Aug. 13, The Tribune received 209 unique responses to the survey. The responses spanned almost all of San Luis Obispo County, from Nipomo to San Miguel, and covered a broad range of issues.
In early September, Garibay and Leslie began examining the results from the survey to condense into a citizens’ agenda that would present the top issues for young SLO County voters. The five topics presented in this agenda were the issues the most respondents in the survey indicated they were interested in hearing more about from candidates this election.
Reporting based off of these findings is currently underway. To contact either Leslie or Garibay regarding the project, you can email them at kleslie@thetribunenews.com or cgaribay@thetribunenews.com.
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Getting involved with Outspoken 2020
While we now have a framework of key issues for candidates to consider, our information gathering is far from over.
The Tribune is dedicated to facilitating this conversation between the public and candidates right up through Election Night.
If you are a SLO County resident under the age of 40 who wants to talk about the issues raised in the Citizens’ Agenda, or other topics of concern you may have, you can do so through our survey form here. The form will stay live through Nov. 3.
If you are an elected official or candidate who would like to talk about the questions raised in the Citizens’ Agenda, you can do so at this form, or by contacting Tribune reporters Kaytlyn Leslie (kleslie@thetribunenews.com) and Cassandra Garibay (cgaribay@thetribunenews.com). We look forward to starting a dialogue with you about the agenda.
What about others who aren’t under 40 and aren’t running for office? Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you.
Though Outspoken 2020 focuses upon younger voters, The Tribune will still publish its usual non-age-specific election coverage you’ve come to expect. From candidate forums to tips on how to vote to a new online Voter’s Guide that will go live in October, all of The Tribune’s reporters are currently working hard to bring you the most informative local election coverage in this unique year.
Have general questions or concerns? Share them with us at this form, or contact editor Joe Tarica at jtarica@thetribunenews.com.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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