California’s ports are the lifeblood of the state’s economy supporting agriculture, manufacturing, and global trade abroad. We cannot talk about our ports without also talking about the men and women who make them work. Aboard tugboats and other harbor craft, these incredibly skilled workers safely guide the largest cargo ships in the world in and out of port. As they keep us and our sensitive coastal ecosystems safe, they should not have to worry about their boats melting down and catching on fire.

Jasmeet Bains was working at her father’s car dealership in Taft, California, at the beginning of the 2007-2009 recession. Taft is a rural community located 32 miles southwest of Bakersfield at the edge of the San Joaquin Valley. It was built on oil production and agriculture. Growing up in nearby Delano, a town where tumbleweeds outnumber opportunities, Dr. Bains, the daughter of immigrant parents from India, always knew she would join the family business at Taft Chevrolet.

As California’s aging population grows, so do our challenges and opportunities. With a quarter of the population expected to be 60 or older by 2030, the state is confronting complex issues such as workforce, housing, long-term services and supports, caregiver supports and more.