Newsom also pledges, if elected governor, to sign legislation that would require greater transparency in the operations and finances of charter schools.
Contribution of $2 million from San Francisco philanthropist William Oberndorf boosts contributions to independent expenditure committee backing Villaraigosa to just over $16 million
Event had empty podiums for no-shows, front runners Democrat Gavin Newsom and Republican John Cox. Conservative Travis Allen voiced opinions at odds with three other debaters.
The former Los Angeles mayor proposed young people work in service jobs for a year in exchange for later receiving grants for tuition and books at state colleges and universities. He also pushes for new campuses to serve the Central Valley.
The Silicon Valley Community Foundation-initiated campaign hopes the next governor will focus on children beginning at birth, and implement child-friendly programs within the first 100 days.
