Issues

Creating Opportunity for the Middle Class to Succeed

A strong middle class is the bedrock of California’s economic strength.  As Governor, Phil Angelides will support the middle class, cutting their tax burden, rewarding work, and empowering more families to climb the ladder of success.

Reward Work

  • Cut Middle Class Taxes. Phil Angelides will enact a middle class tax cut for families making up to $100,000 a year to help them meet the rising cost of housing, health care, college, and gasoline. Phil’s tax relief plan will help over     4 million middle class families and provide up to $660 annually in tax relief for a family of four. His plan will create a refundable state earned income tax credit (EITC) equal to 15 percent of the federal credit and raise the dependent credit by $200 per child.
  • A Minimum Wage Protected from Inflation. Phil Angelides will raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation. The 1.4 million Californians who work at or near the minimum wage need a pay increase to help lift them out of poverty, and the minimum wage should be indexed so that inflation does not push them back down.

Make College More Affordable

  • Roll Back Arnold Schwarzenegger’s College Tuition and Fee Hikes. Phil Angelides will cut the cost of a four-year degree at the University of California by nearly $5,000 and the cost of a California State University degree by nearly $2,000 by rolling back tuition and fees to where they were before Arnold Schwarzenegger took office.
  • Expand financial aid. Phil Angelides will expand college financial aid at community colleges, state colleges, and universities so more students can enroll and earn degrees.

Honor seniors

  • Increase Property Tax Relief for Seniors and the Disabled. Seniors and the disabled living on fixed incomes are being hit particularly hard by rising drug, health care, and housing costs. Phil Angelides will provide a 50 percent increase in property tax relief for low-income senior and disabled homeowners and renters, assistance that Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to eliminate. Phil’s plan will provide up to $236 a year in additional relief to homeowners and $174 a year to renters.

To read more about Phil Angelides’ plan to build a better future for California and middle class families, click here.