By: Wayne Western
We all heard the misinformed hypes during the presidential race: “Jeb Bush will be the Republican nominee “; “Joe Biden will run”; “There will be a viable third party candidate!” We heard it all. And many national polls had Hillary Clinton winning the election by up to six percentage points, the day before the election! She lost of course and most of what we had heard… was wrong!
Now, the most important thing we have ahead as citizens of California is the race for Governor.
On June 5, 2018, California voters will vote for a new Governor in the Primary election. All candidates will appear on the same ballot. Regardless of party affiliation, voters can vote for any candidate. The candidates who are running could not possibly be more different from one another.
In this race, there are very clear platforms that will take the state in completely opposite directions depending who wins.
California’s far-left policies coming from Sacramento have surpassed the historical differences in categories such as race, religion, and age. Everyone is starting to feel the burden of socialism in California and a state in chaos and disarray. Loyalty to party affiliation is becoming less important and filling that void is the apprehension and agitation of many, to be truly represented. They are looking for an alternative to the betrayal by the Democrat Party in California.
I give to the court of public opinion the following evidence:
1) The Gas Tax: Over $5 billion per year, which will not go to roads anyways? Time will tell, but who’s bearing the burden of this tax if not Ag industry and the Middle Class once again…. Diesel tax alone nearly triple. Gasoline tax being 41.7 cents to the gallon, and diesel now being 36 cents per gallon. And this does nothing to mention the rise in registration fees coming once again. And what about the other massive public transit project we are working on and spending BILLIONS for with no end in sight?
2) High Speed Rail: Not fast enough, not on time, not on budget, and not the train anyone voted for. And it’s already an outdated technology in addition to being a complete disaster ripe with fraud and mismanagement. There couldnt be a more disappointing project in all existence. (Thank you Jerry Brown’s inadequate legacy.)
3) Crime: AB109, Prop.47, Prop.57, which change felonies to misdemeanors, gives parole consideration to felons, and transfers responsibility for supervision of felons to the county level. In other words, less safety for you and your family, and me and mine. More criminal leniency on the FELON level and less restriction to violent offenders.
4) Minimum wage and overtime: Small business killers that will change the way agriculture is managed and eventually do more harm than good for those it sought to protect. Since when did farm labor or the farmer want or ask the government to step in again? When both sides seem to be in agreement that these new laws are going to be deterrence to labor even more; that may be a bad thing.
Those in Sacramento who have labeled themselves defenders of the disadvantaged have been very successful at one thing: They have put the disadvantaged in a position that promises they will always be disadvantaged.
Let’s look at some of the candidates on the following page:
Gavin Newsom: Democrat. Current Lt. Governor, former mayor of San Francisco.
Newsom would continue to keep the state on a downward spiral, as he is the handpicked successor of Jerry Brown himself (Jerry Brown Jr if you will). But the fight at every turn with the his administration would be worse than its ever been. Second Amendment freedoms would be at imminent risk. And say hello to the continuation and popularizing of Sanctuary Status. He is actually left of Jerry Brown, who is left of every other governor in the United States. Redistribution of wealth and taking more of your hard-earned money will be as nonchalant as going out for lunch to him. And what about water for the Central Valley? Forget it! You will hear more of the same from Newsom and the State Water Resources Board will continue its rampant and unchecked quest for more water to the ocean. Just more of the same in that department. Newsom once said, “We have rules that no longer are relevant to the world we live in. Our regulatory system can’t keep up.” Sounds like just what we need to thrive; more government regulations. Oh wait…. no, that’s not what we need or want Gavin.
Antonio Villaraigosa: Democrat.
Not much different than Newsom. He spends time egregiously attacking others, once comparing President Trump to the horrendous George Wallace of the civil rights era. However, Villaraigosa may be “okay” with water projects for southern California and at least helping us in that regard. For the Central Valley, he would defer action on water to the bureaucracy, which he would leave in place, and with current appointed officials. So far though, that has done nothing for the Central Valley. Villaraigosa does support high speed rail as well, expressing how it will seamlessly connect the two big economies in California… The economies he is referring to? The Bay area and LA. Not a mention, concern, or care for California Agriculture.
John Cox: Republican.
A Chicago native; he has lost every election he has entered, including a run at United States Senate against Barack Obama in Illinois in 2004. John Cox has actually attacked Republican opponent volunteers in the media as well. He even once wanted to create 12,000 additional legislators in his failed “Neighborhood Lawmaker” effort = not exactly fundamentally a Republican practice. A very core conservative principle is less government, not more. John Cox is far from conservative. And with his limited experience with California and Ag, John Cox should not attempt to comment on California water. He simply does not know California. Oh, and did I mention he recently got caught lying about his own endorsements?
Travis Allen: Republican.
Travis is a conservative. He is the only person running for Governor that has a voting record to prove he is conservative. He is in his third term in the California Assembly, and Travis did vote for and support President Trump. He has promised to control the unelected bureaucracy in California. He understands the State Water Resources Control Board and the Air Resources Control Board in a way that we need someone to understand them in regard to the Valley. And he has desired a move to finish the State Water Project. He might actually use our tax dollars for the reasons they were collected, and probably help repeal the gas tax, which he was against from the start. Personally, I am supporting Travis Allen.
President Trump received more votes from Californians than did Jerry Brown when he ran for Governor. I hear concern and doubt at times when speaking about Travis. Like I said at the beginning. We heard Trump could never win. They were wrong. They could be wrong again. Perhaps a solid candidate will suprise us and make the change we need.
By Wayne Western, Jr.
