Economic Justice
Our goal: Enable all people to participate in the region’s thriving economy and attain economic security
SPUR’s Five-Year Priorities:
• Develop and seed ideas that redress the fundamental inequity in the distribution of resources in our region.
• Grow and improve public support systems so that all people seamlessly receive the benefits they are eligible for and need to thrive in the Bay Area.
• Remove the financial burden placed on low-income families and people of color by making taxes, fees, and fines more equitable.
SPUR Report
Mending the Net
Long before COVID-19, California had the highest poverty rate in the nation. The state is also one of the worst at getting benefits to those who need them. Streamlining the application process would help Californians receive the public support they have a right to.
SPUR Report
Undue Burden
Sales taxes are a common revenue-raising tool, but they also play a role in reinforcing structural inequality. SPUR explores three options for creating a more equitable tax code.
SPUR Report
More Harm Than Good
California’s system of fines and fees is causing significant financial harm to low-income, Black, and Latinx communities in the Bay Area. California should eliminate its reliance on punitive fees and introduce more effective ways to promote behavior that supports safety and the greater social good.
SPUR Report
Ladders Out of Poverty
Thousands of Bay Area households struggle to pay their bills each month, a situation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The region should look to the promise of unrestricted cash transfer programs, which give people money with no specific requirements on how it is spent.
SPUR Report
Economic Prosperity Strategy
The Bay Area has one of the strongest economies in the world, but the benefits are not universally shared. Over a third of the workforce earns less than $18 an hour. How can we make sure the region’s rising economic tide lifts all boats?
Updates and Events
Reducing the Toll of Tolls on Low-Income Drivers
News / Research shows that low-income families benefit most from the time savings provided by toll roads — but they use these roads less than any other income group. That’s because they are disproportionately burdened by tolls. Toll discount programs like the one just established by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will reduce the impact of tolls on low-income drivers without undermining tolls’ climate and congestion benefits.
SPUR Supports SB 50, A Bill For More Equitable Traffic Enforcement
Advocacy Letter SPUR supports SB 50, which would deprioritize minor equipment and nonmoving traffic violations that contribute to racial disparities in traffic enforcement and strip millions of dollars in wealth from lower-income communities across California. The legislation would also empower cities to be laboratories for more effective and equitable traffic enforcement.
SPUR supports AB 441, a Bill to Turn Tax Credits into Monthly Payments
Advocacy Letter Low-income families are eligible for a variety of state tax credits. Traditionally, these arrive as once a year cash infusions. This legislation would split up these credits to arrive as monthly payments - providing an additional level of financial security for lower income households who are dealing with income volatility.
SPUR Supports the End Debtors' Prisons Act
Advocacy Letter SPUR supports the End Debtors' Prisons Act and encourages the Assembly's Public Safety Committee to vote "aye" on the legislation. The Act would end the practice of issuing arrest warrants for people who are unable to pay things like traffic tickets or who miss their court dates for these fines and fees. California must end the practice of arresting and jailing people for being too poor to pay.
SPUR Supports the CalSOAR Act to Establish a Guaranteed Income Pilot for Unhoused Youths Graduating from High School
Advocacy Letter SPUR sent a letter to the California Senate Education Committee encouraging an "aye" vote on the CalSOAR Act. This legislation would establish a guaranteed income pilot for unhoused youth graduating from high school. This pilot would establish a five month program to give those young people financial support so that they can thrive.
Putting an End to Biased Traffic Stops in San Francisco
News / Black and Latinx drivers in San Francisco are pulled over more than other drivers for offenses so minor that citations are often not issued. When these “pretext” stops do result in tickets, the resulting fines can be punitive. Using data-driven decision making, San Francisco has limited nine types of pretext stops that had no effect on road safety and little effect on public safety. SPUR and dozens of other organizations, along with impacted people, helped end this unjust practice.