An Honest Economy for Marin County
One of America's wealthiest counties — but not everyone shares in that wealth
Marin City is a historically Black community that was shut out of homeownership after World War II. The Canal district in San Rafael is home to immigrant families paying rents they can't afford. And in Point Reyes, ranching families who worked the land for generations are being pushed out by private deals with NDAs. These three bills were written for the Marin that doesn't make the travel magazines.
Wealth Without Justice Isn't Prosperity
Marin County has a $1.5 million median home price, a wildfire insurance crisis that's driving families out, and a corporate economy that generates enormous wealth while the people who make it run — teachers, nurses, firefighters, farmworkers — can't afford to live here. These aren't talking points. They're drafted federal legislation with funding mechanisms, constitutional analysis, and real accountability. Read them yourself and decide.
Marin City, The Canal and Beyond: American Housing Justice Act
Turning rent payments into homeownership — in the communities that need it most
In Marin City, Black families who built warships during WWII were locked out of the homeownership boom that made their white neighbors wealthy. In the Canal district, immigrant families pay some of the highest rents in the Bay Area while building zero equity. This bill changes that. It creates a federal pilot program for rent-to-ownership pathways — where a portion of every rent payment builds toward a real down payment. It establishes community land trusts so neighborhoods can own the land under their homes and keep it affordable for the next generation. It mandates climate-resilient housing standards that cut energy bills while protecting against flooding and fire. And it explicitly prohibits eminent domain — every transaction is from a willing seller. Nobody gets forced out. People get a way in.
Federal Wildfire Insurance Stabilization Act
Your home is still standing — but your insurance company already left
Across Marin, families are getting non-renewal notices from their home insurers. Companies are fleeing California's fire zones — not because homes are burning, but because their own secret risk models say the math doesn't work. That leaves homeowners with one option: the state's FAIR Plan, which costs more and covers less. This bill creates a federal reinsurance backstop modeled on the FDIC — the same kind of backup that keeps your bank deposits safe. It replaces the insurance industry's proprietary black-box models with a transparent, open-source National Wildfire Risk Model so everyone can see how risk is calculated. It establishes "Zone Zero" — a 5-foot noncombustible buffer standard — and gives homeowners who meet it real discounts. And it creates Firewise Community Certification that rewards entire neighborhoods for collective action, because wildfire safety isn't just about your house — it's about your neighbor's house too.
Public Benefit Corporation Restoration Act
Corporations were invented to serve the public — it's time to remember that
Marin is home to some of America's most profitable companies. But corporate profits don't automatically become community prosperity. Housing costs soar while wages stagnate. Essential workers commute hours because they can't afford to live where they work. This bill doesn't punish success — it restores the original public purpose that corporations were chartered to serve. It requires publicly traded companies to publish Annual Benefit Reports measuring their real impact on workers, communities, and the environment — not just shareholder returns. It mandates that corporate boards consider effects on local communities and the environment when making decisions. And it creates Community Flourishing Metrics so voters and consumers can see which companies are building their town up and which are just extracting from it. Participation is market-driven — companies that score well attract investment and talent. Those that don't face transparency, not punishment.
Every Bill Meets These Standards
Not campaign rhetoric — drafted legislation tested against eight ironclad principles. Read the bills. Check the math. Decide for yourself.