State of CaliforniaCandidate for GovernorNewsom Replacement

In the 1990’s crime was out of control. I was a cop on the street and ran nonstop from gang shooting to gang shooting everyday of the week. Record homicides rates and violence were seen. But with good police support from the community and a rule of law strategy using all the tools necessary, we reduce the crime rate to a trickle by 2005. In 2011 California took a directional change that has devastated the public’s safety.

From horrible public safety policies to even worse legislation. California watched the largest explosion of a homeless population in world history. The executive orders and legislation such as AB109, Propositions 47 and 57 have resulted in the largest release of violent convicted felons in the state’s history into every neighborhood in California. Crime is rising at an alarming rate. As a result, the public safety work of the past has been wiped out. Now we must start over again and use the proven strategies, new techniques, and technologies to battle back this crime wave. Rehabilitation & Healthcare Centers within the correctional system will help with the drug addicted, and alcoholism that infects the homeless population. There will be  a choice for rehabilitation through treatment or obey the rule of law.

Let’s face it, the only way to solve the homeless crisis in California is to recognize the reasons and what is really causing this crisis. Retrofitting portions of the jails and prisons to safely and securely accommodate the drug addicted and alcoholics is a priority. Getting the mandatory treatment that they need is absolute. Any other plan without secure detox and rehabilitation is just political grandstanding and a complete waste of time and money. Housing does not work without treatment for the cause of their homelessness.

The mentally ill need our help in getting back to treatment and back on needed medications. Reopening some of the mental health facilities is a must. It is time to show true compassion for the homeless, but with realistic expectations. They must own their rehabilitation along with the responsibility to themselves and to society. Much will be given, and much will be asked. If the individual fails to cooperate within their rehabilitation. Then the rule of law will be enforced, and like everyone they will be expected to follow the law. This method has been implemented in other states with success. We must make the commitment to deal with this issue for permanently, not the temporary band-aid fixes of trying to hide the homeless.

 Proposition 13 enacted in 1978 protects ALL property owners from the government’s raising of their property taxes and is in fact a California Constitutional Amendment. We must turn the tide of what we see as government's endless appetite for tax and spend politics. They have been trying to weaken this amendment for years. They attempt to undermine our state constitutional amendments by using tricky ballot titles like “Helping the Schools or It’s for the Children, when all they are is tax increases that will go directly to the consumer in higher prices on everything. Remember how the lottery was going to save the schools forever, how did that turn out?

Let’s get back to common sense. We have not taken an active campaign to educate our children and grandchildren on the benefits of proposition 13 for all generations. Proposition1 13 is what makes middleclass and lower income residents home ownership possible. Without proposition 13 tax percentages would rise to what ever the supermajority in Sacramento would decide it should be. Our taxes could rise higher that the mortgage payment. This is what Illinois faces, stagnant prices for decades because of their property taxes. We must continue to fight and attempted changes or false information that is continuously thrown at Californian's