Every year around this time, I return to Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” But this year, the story hit differently. Maybe it’s because California feels like it’s standing at its own crossroads, caught between who we were, who we are, and who we could be. Or maybe it’s because Dickens offers something we don’t hear enough in politics today: the promise of redemption.
That theme has stayed with me as I revisited the books that shaped my leadership this year — Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals,” Henry Olsen’s “The Working Class Republican,” and even Mel Robbins’ freeing mantra, “Let Them.”
Each one, in its own way, reminds us that change is possible. People can change. Systems can change. And yes, even politics can change, if we’re willing to confront the truth. So this December, I found myself wondering: If Dickens wrote a “Christmas Carol” for modern California, what would he show us?
The Ghost of California Past
Not long ago, California was defined by possibility — a state where families could afford to plant roots, build businesses, and trust that the next generation would be better off. These weren’t partisan dreams; they were shared values. Henry Olsen writes about a conservatism centered on the working class — on dignity, responsibility and the belief that government should expand opportunity, not replace it. But these values weren’t just conservative; they were Californian. We built. We innovated. We believed in each other more than in bureaucracy. Somewhere along the way, that shared commitment fractured.
The Ghost of California Present
Today, we’re a state of contradictions. We have world-class innovators and world-class dysfunction. Families are being priced out. Small businesses are barely hanging on. Neighborhood safety keeps parents up at night. And one of the most crushing burdens families face — something I hear about constantly — is the exploding cost of health care.
For many families, premiums, deductibles, prescription costs, and surprise bills feel like another rent or mortgage payment. Seniors are choosing between groceries and medications. Parents are skipping their own care so they can afford their kids’ appointments. It’s unsustainable, and it’s unacceptable in a state with our resources.
As one of only 10 Republicans in a 40-member Senate, I see the imbalance up close. When any majority grows that large, blind spots aren’t just possible — they’re guaranteed. Checks and balances fade, and good ideas are dismissed because the wrong person spoke them. Yet even now, I see hope. I see communities stepping up. I see moments of bipartisan cooperation when we choose solutions over soundbites. I see Californians who love this state enough to keep fighting for it. Hope isn’t naïve. Hope is necessary.
The Ghost of California Yet to Come
If we ignore the warning signs — affordability, public safety, failing schools, unsustainable health care costs — more families will leave. The middle class will continue to erode. And our future will narrow. But Dickens didn’t write a story about inevitability. He wrote a story about choice. Scrooge wasn’t doomed. He was invited to change. California is, too.
The future of our state is unwritten. That’s the good news. With honest leadership, humility and a willingness to correct course, we can build a more affordable, safer, healthier California.
Leadership Lessons from Lincoln
This is where Abraham Lincoln’s example guides me most. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” shows a leader who didn’t surround himself with cheerleaders. He built a Cabinet of people who challenged him because he cared more about the country than about protecting his pride.
That style of leadership feels rare today, but it’s exactly what California needs.
My own approach is grounded in that philosophy. I serve on bipartisan caucuses because problem-solving requires it. I read broadly because leadership demands learning, not lecturing. I focus on solutions that lift working families, reduce costs, improve public safety, and address the health care squeeze that is crushing so many.
And as Mel Robbins says:
Let others chase headlines.
Let them cling to partisanship.
Let them underestimate collaboration.
I’ll keep choosing service.
A Season of Renewal
As we enter a new year, I’m choosing the kind of hope Dickens wrote about — not wishful thinking, but roll-up-your-sleeves hope. The kind rooted in action, accountability, and humility.
Redemption, in a story or in government, begins with honesty. It begins with leaders admitting where we’ve fallen short and choosing a better path.
California can once again be a place where families thrive, where small businesses grow, where health care is affordable, and where common sense beats political theater.
If Scrooge can change, so can politics.
If a divided Cabinet could save a nation, a divided Legislature can solve real problems. This season, may we choose hope over fear, service over ego, and renewal over resignation. The story of California is far from finished — and like Scrooge on Christmas morning, we have the chance, and the responsibility, to write a better one.
Suzette Martinez Valladares represents most of the Santa Clarita Valley in the state Senate.“Right, Here Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among local Republicans.
