California has long been known as the land of golden opportunity, where anyone can make it big. In years past, the state’s reputation for innovation and progressiveness has made it a beacon of hope for millions worldwide.
But today, California is failing.
The Democratic supermajority in the California Legislature has allowed the party to push through its agenda without meaningful opposition or debate. This has resulted in a wholesale lack of checks and balances on the legislative process, which has led to poorly crafted and poorly executed policies, which in turn have had negative consequences for all California’s citizens.
One only needs to look at “Democratic cities” like Detroit and Chicago to understand where California is headed.
Currently, numerous bad bills are pending in the state Legislature. If anyone took the time to research, they would be shocked.
Here are some examples:
1. Assembly Bill 659: Creates a local mandate that notifies parents and students that “it is the public policy of the state that pupils are expected to be fully immunized against human papillomavirus (HPV) before admission or advancement to the eighth-grade level of any private or public elementary or secondary school.” In my opinion, this bill contains purposefully misleading verbiage as the words “expectation” and “required” are similar terms that may easily confuse and mislead parents, students, and non-English speaking families that vaccines are mandatory to attend public schools.
2. AB 665: Removes the requirements that a child must be a danger to themselves or others or be alleged incest or abuse victims before seeking care for them — without their parent’s consent. Basically, this will remove the guardrails that prevent abuse of current law, so instead of cases of emergency, mental health professionals or school psychologists can refer for treatment and/or send a child to residential shelter services for any reason without parental consent. This is insane when you think about it. This gives a school the unfettered ability to remove children from the custody of their parents!
3. AB 1078: Prevents local school board control of books/curriculum in public schools. The bill would require school boards to receive approval from the state Board of Education before removing any instructional materials or books from classrooms and school libraries or “ceasing to teach any curriculum.” What is the point of having an elected school board if the law can neuter the board and prevent it from having a say in the curriculum?
In addition to the morass of impending bad bills, there are pressing issues facing California that the Democratic supermajority has been incapable of fixing.
The first is the California housing crisis. The state has some of the highest housing costs in the country. The Democratic supermajority has focused on creating MORE regulations and incentives for affordable housing but has completely failed to address the root causes of the crisis, such as restrictive zoning laws and ridiculous restrictions on landlords making renting their properties unappealing.
Another major challenge facing California is its education system.
The state has some of the worst educational outcomes in the country. This has led to a growing achievement gap, with low-income and minority students falling behind their peers. The Democratic supermajority has focused on increasing teacher pay and reducing class sizes but has failed to address underlying issues such as a lack of effective teacher training and a need for more diverse educational options like school choice.
California is also facing a massive debt crisis. The state has an estimated $1.3 trillion in unfunded pension liabilities, which threatens to bankrupt many of its municipalities and force cuts to critical services such as public safety and education.
This has led to a growing sense of financial insecurity among Californians, with many questioning the state’s ability to provide for its residents long-term.
Despite significant tax increases and cuts to services, the state’s debt crisis has continued to grow. The Democratic supermajority has focused on raising taxes and expanding government programs but has failed to address the underlying issues of pension reform, government waste and inefficient spending.
California is failing. The state’s Democratic supermajority in the Legislature and Democratic governor are failing us all. Republicans have largely been shut out of the decision-making process. This has led to a lack of balance and accountability.
The high cost of living and doing business in California discourages entrepreneurship and makes it difficult for businesses to survive. It is questionable whether California itself will survive with the current leadership.
Denise Lite is a Santa Clarita resident. “Right Here, Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among local Republicans.
