Why California Needs America First Policies

This article originally appeared in The California Globe on January 18th, 2024.

Is California in a death spiral? The fact that 818,000 Californians fled to states like Texas and Florida between 2021-2022 suggests the answer is yes. The California chapter of the America First Policy Institute is focusing on the areas in which California’s leaders have failed and which, according to our surveys, are foremost on Californians’ minds. These include the economy, energy, public safety, homelessness, and education. Our mission is simple: put Californians first.

The state’s economy is a priority across all demographics. Some 93% of respondents to our poll conducted earlier this year cite the state’s economic climate and general affordability as important to their future votes.

At the same time, energy is constantly on Californians’ minds, given the excessive prices at the gas pump and the ongoing threat of blackouts. Renewable energy mandates mean the state’s electricity grid is increasingly dependent on unreliable solar power and wind, a fact that became all too apparent during the summer 2022 heat wave when the state warned residents to reduce consumption or face blackouts. And let’s not forget that Californians pay over $2 per gallon more for gas than the national average. Make no mistake: These problems are imposed through the state’s excessive taxes, regulations, and unrealistic environmental mandates.

Public safety is also a concern. During the course of 2022, 68% of Californians were aware of a violent crime or serious property crime close to their homes. These numbers coincide with the rise in crime generally for more than a decade since the state’s ill-fated “prison realignment,” which essentially released thousands of hardened convicts onto our streets, and Proposition 47 (2014), which effectively decriminalized dozens of crimes.

Read full op-ed in The California Globe.