The CAFE CH Act
Affordability & Fair Economy
for Every Family
Real legislation — already written — to cap credit card rates, make housing affordable, protect workers from AI displacement, support small businesses, and build a fair economy for all 9 counties of California's 2nd District.
What Is the CAFE CH Act?
It stands for Community Affordability, Fair Economy, and Community Health. It's a complete, ready-to-introduce federal bill with 19 Divisions covering everything from capping credit card interest rates to protecting your drinking water. It's not a wish list — it's actual legislation, drafted line by line, with every dollar accounted for.
The Problems Are Real
Working families in CA-2 face crises that are all connected. You can't fix one without fixing them all.
Credit Card Traps
Credit card companies charge 25-30% interest while banks borrow money at 5%. Late fees pile up. One missed payment and your rate skyrockets. Families get trapped in debt they can never escape.
Housing Is Impossible
In Marin County, the average home costs over $1 million. Even in rural counties, rent eats half your paycheck. Young families can't afford to stay in the communities where they grew up.
AI Is Coming for Jobs
Companies are replacing workers with AI and automation — and getting tax breaks for doing it. There's nothing protecting the workers left behind, and no plan to help them transition.
Insurance Is Disappearing
Insurance companies are leaving wildfire zones entirely. Homeowners in CA-2 can't get fire insurance at any price. No insurance means no mortgage. No mortgage means no future.
Water Is Running Out
Groundwater is being pumped faster than nature can refill it. 43 million Americans rely on domestic wells. In CA-2, water insecurity threatens farms, families, and entire communities.
“Fiscal responsibility and social compassion are complementary, not competing values. No person should be exploited by predatory financial practices, and every community deserves access to healthcare and clean water.”— From the CAFE CH Act's Ethical Foundation
What Every Division Does — In Plain English
19 Divisions. 29 Titles. One goal: build an economy that works for regular people.
Stop Credit Card Rip-offs
Caps credit card interest at 24% max. Bans surprise rate hikes on money you already owe. Limits late fees to $15/$25. Stops car dealers from hiding the real cost of loans. Real protections for real people.
Make Education Affordable
A Private Loan Resolution Facility to help with student debt. Career-contingent relief so payments match what you actually earn. Better Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Tax-free Lifelong Learning Accounts so you can keep building skills.
Fix the National Debt
Creates an Intergenerational Solvency Fund so we stop dumping debt on our grandkids. Closes tax loopholes for the ultra-wealthy. Makes corporations pay a real minimum tax. Sets real debt-to-GDP targets.
Simplify Your Taxes
Just two tax rates: 15% and 28%. A $20,000 exemption per person with no phase-out. All income taxed the same — whether you're a teacher or a hedge fund manager. Horizontal equity means fairness.
American Solidarity Dividend
A permanent trust fund that pays an annual National Dividend to every American — no means-testing, no strings. Funded by mineral royalties, spectrum auctions, and a 2% digital services fee on tech giants making $750M+.
Protect Workers & Families
Companies must disclose their workforce plans. Workers get a real seat at the table. Families get support so they can plan for the future with confidence, not fear.
Bridge Workers to New Careers
If your job disappears, you get Bridge Income — 26 weeks at 50% of your old pay (up to $700/week) while you retrain. FutureSkill Accounts give you $12,000 over 5 years for new skills. Free community college.
Make AI Help Workers, Not Replace Them
Companies that use AI to help workers get full tax deductions. Companies that use AI to replace workers get zero. Plus a 2% Automation Excise Tax on big companies that automate jobs away. The money goes to retraining.
Support Main Street & Farms
A North State Strategic Plan. Main Street Tax Credits for small businesses. Agricultural Energy Micro-Grants for biomass and renewable systems on farms. Close the carried interest loophole so hedge funds pay their fair share.
Housing Justice & Homeownership
Pilot program starting in Marin City and The Canal: rent-to-own with earned equity credits. Community Land Trusts with 99-year affordability. Climate-resilient housing with 30% lower operating costs. No eminent domain — only willing sellers.
Fair Utility Rates & Solar
Stops utilities from charging customers for their CEO's bonus or lobbying costs. Caps return-on-equity in high-rate regions. Makes plug-in solar panels (under 800W) as easy to use as plugging in a toaster.
Redwood Country & Biomass Energy
Revitalize timber towns with Tri-Zonal Forest Management and mass timber manufacturing. Turn forest slash and manure into biogas through circular biomass systems — reducing wildfire fuel, creating energy, and building rural jobs.
Fire Insurance, Water & Broadband
A Fire Reinsurance Facility so insurance companies stay in wildfire zones (no taxpayer bailout). 72-hour connectivity during power shutoffs. Healthcare and teacher loan forgiveness. Water table protection with aquifer recharge and watershed restoration.
Seniors Stay Home Safely
Tax credits for home modifications — ramps, grab bars, smart safety tech. A Caregiver Workforce Corps. Intergenerational Centers where seniors and young people learn from each other. Tribal Elder Grants honoring Indigenous wisdom keepers.
Free Legal Help for Those Who Need It
Tax credits for lawyers who provide pro bono (free) legal services. Because justice shouldn't depend on the size of your bank account.
Community Health & Food Security
Community health workers for chronic disease prevention. Diabetes and obesity programs. Wildfire smoke health protection. Behavioral health support. Food Hubs in all 9 counties with local farm-to-table infrastructure. Tribal Food Sovereignty with 25% of funds reserved for Indigenous food programs.
Real Carbon Reform & Clean Water
Fix the broken carbon offset market (87% of credits are fake). Support a real fee-and-dividend that puts money in your pocket. Protect groundwater with monitoring, meadow restoration, and floodplain reconnection.
Show Me the Money
This bill pays for itself — and then some. Here's the fiscal bottom line over 10 years:
$1.2 - $2.1 Trillion
Total revenue from closing loopholes, fair taxes on ultra-wealthy, and corporate minimum tax
$600 - $850 Billion
Total program costs — every dollar accounted for with hard spending limits
$375B - $1.2T Surplus
Net positive money going to debt reduction, Social Security, and infrastructure
Automatic Safeguard
If CBO says costs exceed revenue, spending automatically gets cut. No loopholes.
Written for All 9 Counties
From the Oregon border to the Golden Gate, this bill addresses the specific needs of every community.
“This isn't a campaign promise. It's a finished bill — 19 Divisions, 29 Titles, every dollar accounted for. That's my 'Show Your Work' philosophy: voters deserve to see the actual legislation, not just slogans.”— Gregory Burgess, No Party Preference Candidate, CA-2
Ready to ROAR?
R.O.A.R.S. — Restore Our American Rural Sovereignty.
Read the full bill. Sign the petitions. Help build an honest economy for all.
Gregory Burgess • No Party Preference • CA-2
MPH, University of Minnesota • CDC Quarantine Officer • Special Ed Teacher
Clinical Engineer (Stryker) • US Postal Carrier • 30 Years Public Service
Third-Generation Californian • Point Reyes & Marin County
“I Want Your Vote, Not Your Money” • Campaign Budget: $35,000