Issues
Gas Taxes
California gas prices are among the highest in the nation while our roads are among the worst. This state of affairs highlights Sacramento’s failure to properly prioritize its spending; its continual raids on funds intended for infrastructure; and its neglect of the condition our highways in favor of a high-speed train to nowhere, bike trails and electric car subsidies.
Proposition 13
Without the passage of Prop. 13 in 1978, many Californians would have been taxed out of their homes. Prop. 13 protects taxpayers from unpredictable property tax increases that before Prop. 13 could skyrocket as a result of the whims of local politicians or market fluctuations. Now, some far-left tax proponents are trying to dismantle Prop. 13, especially for businesses. With California’s current hostile business climate and high unemployment, an elimination of Prop. 13 protections for businesses is one of the worst ideas possible for our economy and job market.
Auburn Dam
The stalled Auburn Dam project offers our community the potential to create good jobs in the construction phase; to provide a source of abundant, clean, and affordable power; and to provide much-needed flood protection for the whole region. In addition, the reservoir that would be created by the dam would be a recreational treasure for activities such as swimming, fishing, boating, and camping.
Representation
California’s State Legislature is overwhelmingly dominated by representatives of liberal coastal cities, especially Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, effectively denying a real voice to people outside these major population centers. Their lack of real world experience in fields such as agriculture, forestry, and resource extraction has resulted in heavy handed and poorly thought out green policies. While our concerns over these policies are ignored in the Legislature, high unemployment rates in our communities show that we bear the brunt of the economic burden.
Business Climate
California has repeatedly been named the nation’s worst state to do business by CEO Magazine. High taxes and overly burdensome regulations have resulted in an exodus of businesses, entrepreneurs and jobs from the state. Sacramento’s failed political leadership has dramatically harmed real economy industries such as manufacturing, transportation, resource extraction, forestry, and agriculture. California’s unemployment rate is consistently among the nation’s highest, with joblessness rates exceeding 20% or more in some rural areas. California’s poverty rate also has been named worst in the nation.