California needs new leadership – Santa Barbara News-Press

The decline in downtown Santa Barbara and the ostentatious affluence in Montecito are emblematic of a growing and very disconcerting problem. Increasingly, there are two Californias, one of extreme poverty and one of extreme wealth. 

The Census Bureau reported in September that California had the highest level of functional poverty in the U.S. California also has the second-highest homelessness rate in the nation according to the nonprofit Public Policy Institute of California.

But California isn t all about poverty. It s also the wealthiest state in the nation. Unfortunately and perhaps not surprisingly, great wealth combined with great poverty, has produced the nation s fourth highest level of income inequality.

This is a result of bad policy and years of arrogant unchallenged political leadership. The very progressive policies Californians have been told for years would reduce poverty and homelessness have had the opposite effect.

You can t overtax and overregulate employers without placing a once thriving working- and middle-class economy on the brink of collapse. You can t make it nearly impossible to build new housing with overly restrictive zoning, oppressive environmental requirements and excessive building fees without limiting the housing supply and driving prices beyond reach for even the middle class. Gov. Newsom s tyrannical economic lockdowns exacerbated the underlying problems.

Hence, the importance of that upcoming recall election. On Sept. 14, voters will have an opportunity to begin reversing California s decline, and there is a candidate who could make a difference Larry Elder.

Known as the Sage from South Central, Mr. Elder is an Los Angeles native from a minority working class family, who became a lawyer, author, filmmaker and nationally syndicated radio host. 

Mr. Elder is in the recall election because he believes Californians can connect the dots between (Gov. Newsom s) extremist policies and failing schools, brown outs, violent crime, deadlier fire seasons, homelessness, businesses leaving the state and taking jobs with them, and the rising cost of living.  

His ideas about education, crime and the economy are focused on individual initiative, social responsibility and reviving California s working and middle classes. 

Gov. Newsom and his elitist cronies have been a disaster for California. Californians deserve good paying jobs, affordable housing and a shot at a better future. It s clearly time for a change. 

As Mr. Elder says,  Join me. We ve got a state to save.

via newspress.com

I had not realized Santa Barbara had gone so downhill. I’ve never been to Montecito but I can imagine.