There is a candidate in the race for Governor that, unlike Faulconer and Elder does not need on the job training. He does not need a staff to tell him about issues, that knows the politician, politics and agencies of Sacramento, from Day One.
That candidate is Assemblyman Kevin Kiley—and I support him.
“Faulconer and Elder may sound great. But, if either is elected, there is virtually no chance that the state legislature will go along with either candidate’s ideas. Both the State Assembly and the State Senate each have supermajorities, meaning that each chamber has more than a two-thirds Democratic majority. If Faulconer or Elder were to veto a bill, each house of the legislature could easily override such a veto.
So why are Newsom, Faulconer, and Elder a miserable bunch worms? These candidates cannot deliver on their promises. Why vote for someone who promises a better future when, for the last 20 years, everything in California has become worse?
They may mean well, but the people of California need a governor on Day One—especially since the election for a full term will be in about 13 months. Assemblyman Kiley is able to explain why the Democrats are gridlocking and how they are harming our State.
A MISERABLE BUNCH OF WORMS: CANDIDATES IN THE RECALL ELECTION
By Richard Colman, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views 8/24/21
The candidates running in California’s gubernatorial recall election are all unfit to hold the state’s highest office.
These candidates, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, can be called a miserable bunch of worms.
California is in a state of decline. Water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural use is in short supply. For years, the state has refused to build extra water-storage facilities that can help in times of drought.
Wildfires are currently burning thousands of acres of California’s forests. Traffic jams are legendary. Everything costs too much.
Taxes are very high. California currently has the nation’s highest sales tax (over 10.5 percent in some regions), the nation’s highest gasoline tax, and the nation’s top bracket for the personal income tax (13.3 percent).
The state’s schools, in most cases, are a mess. Students are not learning basic subjects like mathematics, reading, and writing. Powerful teachers’ unions do everything possible to prevent the operation of charter schools. Charter schools are public schools that offer parents a choice of where to send their children.
In traditional public education, students are assigned a school. If that school is inadequate and if there is no competing school, pupils, in general, are doomed to receive a miserable education.
Charter schools give parents a choice between the traditional public school and a presumably better charter school.
Gavin Newsom was elected governor in 2018. He has failed to reform education. He has not canceled a high-speed rail plan that, if completed, would carry passengers between Northern and Southern California. There is already a high-speed transportation system between the two major parts of California. That system is called Southwest Airlines.
Newsom has failed to build large water-storage facilities that will give California extra water in case there is a drought. From 2011 to 2015, California faced a major drought. In 2020 — and continuing into 2021 — California is facing another serious drought.
In November 2020, Newsom dined at an expensive French restaurant, the French Laundry, in Napa County. The governor was photographed. He was not following his protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The recall ballot has two parts. The first part gives voters a choice between keeping or rejecting Newsom. If the governor receives a majority of favorable votes, then he can finish his term, which ends in January 2023.
If, however, more voters reject than approve of Newsom, the second part of the ballot becomes operative. On this second ballot, the candidate with the most votes becomes governor.
The date of the recall election is Sept. 14, 2021. Voters will be able to cast their ballots before the September 14 date.
What can be said about the candidates who want to replace Newsom?
There are dozens of candidates. So far, two candidates stand out: Kevin Faulconer and Larry Elder.
Faulconer, a Republican, is a former mayor of San Diego. According to his statement in the Official Voter Information Guide published by California’s secretary of state, Faulconer says, “Unfortunately, the state government has failed us.” He adds: “As San Diego mayor, I reformed government and focused on the basics: successfully reducing homelessness, balancing budgets, increasing police funding, fixing streets — without raising taxes.” San Diego used to be a nice, small town. Today, it is more like Los Angeles.
In 2020, Faulconer tried to raise San Diego’s tax for hotel rooms. The extra money was to go for expanding a convention center, providing help for the homeless, and repairing bad roads. As a ballot measure, Faulconer’s plan failed at the ballot box.
Larry Elder, also a Republican, says, “As Governor, I will expand charter schools and crusade for school choice. Elder adds: “I pledge to overhaul our budgetary process, repeal the latest gas tax hike, and work with faith and non profit organizations to lift up our homeless brothers and sisters. Elder also says: I also will support true criminal justice reform, while opposing no-bail for repeat offenders and whole heartedly backing police and prosecutors in the fight to end California’s crime wave.” Elder has never held political office.
Recently, Elder’s former fiancée, Alexandra Datig, accused the candidate of brandishing a gun at her during a heated argument in 2015.
Faulconer and Elder may sound great. But, if either is elected, there is virtually no chance that the state legislature will go along with either candidate’s ideas. Both the State Assembly and the State Senate each have supermajorities, meaning that each chamber has more than a two-thirds Democratic majority. If Faulconer or Elder were to veto a bill, each house of the legislature could easily override such a veto.
So why are Newsom, Faulconer, and Elder a miserable bunch worms? These candidates cannot deliver on their promises. Why vote for someone who promises a better future when, for the last 20 years, everything in California has become worse?
Housing is credulously expensive. For several years, the state legislature has tried to pass bills that will prohibit local communities to zone for single, detached homes. Do homeowners in California want high-rise housing units blocking their views, increasing traffic congestion, and making an escape from a wildfire difficult or impossible?
Too many parts of California are soft on crime. In San Francisco, for example, shop-lifting thieves walk out of stores and are not stopped. Some of the state’s district attorneys favor leniency for criminals. Sometimes, felonies are handled as if they were misdemeanors.
Why isn’t anyone seeking public office opposing — directly or indirectly — illegal immigration? One can safely say that English may not be a main language of California.
A nation cannot run itself effectively if it has more than one language. Just look at Canada, where there is great tension between English-speaking (Anglophone) and French-speaking (Francophone) residents. Years ago, French-speaking Quebec Province almost voted to secede from the rest of Canada, which is English-speaking. The language issue in Canada has spawned violence, including bombings and murders.
In 1986, California’s voters passed a ballot measure, requiring English to be the state’s official language. Why isn’t the use of English being enforced?
Californians are living in discouraging times. But there is a solution to the recall election: Don’t bother to vote at all.
