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MEET ANDRE

​Hello, my name is Andre Sandford. With over eight years of experience in social services and leadership, including Child Protective Services, Foster Care, TAY Youth, Clinical Mental Health Management, and Housing Management, I am dedicated to giving back to the community and supporting the most vulnerable. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Criminal Justice and a Master of Behavioral Sciences from Jacksonville State University, I currently serve as a Program Manager for Housing and Homelessness Prevention at a non-profit in San Francisco. My family recently endured a traumatic incident involving our one-year-old son in Oakland has motivated me to initiate a dialogue about safety and bring about positive change in District 18.

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Community Outreach
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Platform

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PUBLIC SAFETY

I am committed to making District 18 a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. Through my experience in public service, I will address public safety issues. California leads the nation with a crime rate of 24% higher than the national average. According to the PPIC, "California's Violent crime rate is Diverging from the National Trend, due mainly to a 25% increase in aggravated assaults from 2019 to 2022. Once elected, I will restore and increase funding for policing and ensure officers have all the tools and training they need to protect Californian citizens.

Police Cadet Program

Also, I will create agency to recruit and increase all police departments across the state by creating a police cadet program for at-risk high school students to encourage them to enter the police academy and build a positive relationship between youth and the police. The police cadet program will also ensure that cities can recruit police candidates who live within their town and know the community. 

Safe Schools​

With all the school shootings, my biggest fear is that one day, I receive a call that my wife (a third-grade teacher) school has an active shooter. That is why, once elected, I plan to create policies to ensure that all schools have one police officer outside each school to protect our most vulnerable (children and teachers).

Green Light Business Cameras

I plan to work with business owners to create a private green light camera project throughout the state. This project will be funded by companies that stream a live camera from their company to the police headquarters. The cameras will provide deterrence from robberies and footage so that criminals can be prosecuted. 

Fair Sentences

I plan to work with the public safety committee to ensure that sentences are fair, regardless of race or gender. Ensuring reasonable punishment will allow citizens to trust the public safety system. 

Norway Prison Model

I plan to review all of the prisons in California and work to transition the prison system to a Norway prison model. Prison should be safe, trauma-informed, educational, provide federal wage employment, and safe food for all inmates. Currently, individuals are expected to grow up in a hyper ghetto, then be placed in a concentration camp and be expected to be rehabilitated. The public safety department is attempting to rehabilitate inmates after they return to prison, which is not working. To indeed decrease inmates from returning to prison, we must provide rehabilitation while they are in jail. 

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Project Impact

Many Californians have experienced their loved ones spending countless years incarcerated only to return home without any savings, skills, or housing. Project Impact will allow incarcerated individuals to be employed by a California farm with federal wages. The wages that the individuals obtain will enable them to provide 40% of their wages to their family (children and husband/wife) to continue the standard of living during the time of the individual's incarceration. Also, the individual must save 20% of their earnings (which will ensure they can come home with savings and obtain housing, a vehicle, and food). Finally, Project Impact will allow individuals to return to society with skills to utilize and support the community and empower themselves. 

 

Safer Car Chase

 I am determined to enhance public safety by creating an Assembly Bill to provide single-engine aircraft equipped with FLIR Star Safire 380 HD imaging systems to every high-crime city in California. These aircraft will enable faster response times than helicopters and provide essential video evidence to apprehend criminals and enhance community and officer safety. Also, the planes will decrease the number of police vehicles that chase criminals and enable police departments to create a bright, safe plan to obtain criminals. Investing 28.6 million for 25 cities for this initiative is critical to saving lives and reducing crime. Modesto's successful purchase of a single-engine aircraft in 2023 for 750,000 demonstrates the feasibility of this plan. The estimated annual operating cost of $394,000, including pilot fees, further underscores the practicality of this investment.

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

I will work with small business owners in District 18 to address the significant decrease in revenue caused by theft and increased crime. I am committed to making our district safe for everyone to shop, dine, and enjoy the nightlife.

State of Emergency

Once elected, I will push for a State of Emergency for Oakland, which will provide low-interest loans and tax relief.

Revolving Loan

I also aim to establish a revolving loan program for small businesses collaborating with corporations providing tax incentives which will keep our small businesses open and prevent the state from provide addition taxpayer dollars.

Tax Reduction

Once elected I will propose an Assembly Bill to reduce payroll taxes to prevent companies from leaving California. Additionally, I will advocate for the Taxpayer Protection Act to ensure that Californian citizens have a say in tax matters.

I oppose CA ACA 13 and believe that it undermines democratic principles by allowing the state to raise taxes without public input. If elected, I will fight against such policies and work to keep the people involved in the decision-making process.

Black American Revitalization Plan (Reparations):

The Black American Revitalization Plan aims to establish a state agency to allocate resources and assess eligibility, return property that was stolen from families during the Jim Crow era, eliminate college debt, and establish a California state Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

Housing​

Housing Loans

Affordable housing is a fundamental human right. On my first day, I will write an Assembly bill to fund 1% to 2% permanent housing down payment assistance. This down payment assistance will be low-barrier and designed to ensure that the most vulnerable have the right to housing and wealth building.

SB423 Revision

I will work to revise SB423, which takes away cities' power to allocate affordable housing. City officials and the citizens of each city should determine the allocation of affordable housing projects within their city. More than 10% affordable housing is needed to solve the housing crisis in California, and we need bold members of the assembly like me who will fight for a 30% allocation of units for all affordable housing.

Limit Building Permits and Fee

Once elected, I plan to write an assembly bill to reduce building permits for single-family homes by 98%. Also, I plan to fight for middle-class families by writing an assembly bill that taxes corporations that buy homes a one-time tax of 30%. Which will provide fundings to my downpayment housing loan program. 

Expand Anti-Trust Act - For Housing

Our state has neglected the crucial issue of homeownership. Developers are monopolizing the housing market by purchasing and renting homes out and limiting the availability of homes for families by contracting exclusively with building companies. This situation goes against the principles of fair competition outlined in the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, which prohibits unfair monopolies. To address this pressing issue, I propose an Anti-Trust Act Expansion to ensure that 80% of single-family and multi-family homes constructed by building companies are reserved exclusively for families. Corporations would only be permitted to purchase 20% of the homes on the market at a given time. Additionally, the expansion would impose a cap on building permit fees in California, keeping them within 1% of the national market rate. This initiative aims to significantly increase the availability of single-family and multi-family homes in California, ultimately lowering construction costs and making homeownership a reality for middle-class families across the state.​

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Assembly Bill Proposal, Protecting Affordable Housing:

Once elected I will cap rent increase for most residential tenants in California. Landlords will not be able to raise rent more than 5% total or 2.5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living – whichever is lower – over a 12-month period. If the tenants of a unit move out and new tenants move in, the landlord may establish the initial rent to charge.

EDUCATION

Increase Pre School - 12 Funding

Education is my top priority. I will work to improve our schools by increasing funding to ensure that every school has Preschool classes.  

Small Class Sizes

Once elected I will write an Assembly bill that will allocate class sizes to 15-17 students per class. The bill will help students succeed and prepare them for the future workforce.

Vocational Training Funding

Due to the lack of employment and living wage opportunities for young adults in California, I plan to draft an Assembly bill to bring back vocational training programs (such as plumbing, carpentry, CNA, cosmetology, IT, policing, and firefighting) in all California high schools. The bill will partner with local companies in the surrounding school area to provide employment training to our high school youth, aiming to increase the wages of the young adult workforce in the future.

No State Taxes for Educational Workers

On my first day in office, I will assemble a bill imposing no state income tax on all educational workers due to our state government's failure to provide fair wages for teachers.

MicroSociety Pilot Program RFP

Furthermore, I plan to create an assembly bill that funds the MicroSociety program for 3rd—8th graders. MicroSociety allows students to learn how to run their own society within their school, including applying for employment, creating resumes, voting for elected positions, becoming lawyers, judges, bankers, jurors, and police officers, learning how to budget, and developing policy. MicroSociety teaches students how to be creative and leaders.

Children First

Finally, I promise to put our children first and always remember to allocate the appropriate funding to our children.

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GET INVOLVED

Donate to Andre Sandford for State Assembly District 18
I am stepping up to the challenge and running for California State Assembly District 18 to take a stand against the criminals who have victimized my family and our community. By implementing policies prioritizing safety and accountability, I aim to safeguard our district and the state of California. Furthermore, I am committed to easing the financial burden on citizens by reducing taxes for businesses, personal income, and property taxes, allowing them to thrive in our challenging economy. Your donation will help
me create a safer community for everyone. Thank you for your support.
HOST A COMMUNITY 
SAFETY MEETING

As a concerned citizen of District 18, creating a safer community for our families and loved ones is essential. Hosting a community safety meeting is a great way to come together and discuss ways to improve our district's safety. Contact me to schedule a meeting in your neighborhood.

JOIN THE
CAMPAIGN TEAM

We need volunteers to help spread the message of safety and change in District 18. Whether you can help with phone banking, door-to-door canvassing, or hosting a fundraising event, we would love to have you on our team. Contact us to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY

Your support is crucial to our campaign's success. Every dollar counts and will help us create a safer community for everyone in District 18. Thank you for your contribution.

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Vote for change

in District 18

 

Vote

Andre Sandford

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Tel: 510-299-8459

andresandfordforassembly@gmail.com

ENDORSEMENTS



The American Independent Party 
 
Forward Party of California
 
Emeryville City Council Member Kalimah Priforce 
 
Nonprofit Leader & Educator Dwayne Aikens Jr. 
 
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