To say that California is facing some sedate problems is a sedate understatement. The once-Golden State has the highest homeless population in the country, the highest percentage of welfare recipients, the highest number of illegal immigrants and some of the highest taxes and highest prices on everything from real estate to gasoline. California also has a Democratic majority in the state legislature, and almost all major urban judicial districts are run by Democrats.
If you think this is a coincidence, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I can sell you.
On Thursday, Republican California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump seeking a common solution:
New: California Republican Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher sends a letter to President-elect Trump asking for his lend a hand on the state’s most vital issues.
“These issues require federal support, and I firmly believe that collaboration is the best way to find meaningful solutions.” pic.twitter.com/AiQfwaNPCr
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) November 14, 2024
The letter states, among other things:
California is grappling with a variety of problems, including devastating wildfires, an escalating housing crisis, rising crime and prohibitive energy and gas prices. Additionally, there is an urgent need for criminals across the state to be brought to justice quickly.
These issues require federal support, and I firmly believe that collaboration is the best way to find meaningful solutions for Californians. While Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to make California “Trump-proof”; Legislative Republicans want to work with you to find real solutions. We have fought tirelessly to restore California, but we need your support. Californians deserve real progress, not political showdowns that ultimately cost taxpayers and distract from the urgent needs of our state and nation.
I respectfully ask for your lend a hand in addressing these issues and for your support of Californians seeking common-sense solutions. Your partnership in these efforts will make a real difference for families, communities and businesses across California that are struggling under the weight of these challenges.
While California’s problems are significant (and the same as other Democratic-dominated jurisdictions) and we sympathize with Mr. Gallagher’s frustration with Sacramento, the federal government is constitutionally narrow in what it can do on many of these issues. Most of the issues mentioned, with the exception of illegal immigration, are state or local issues.
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Mr. Gallagher doesn’t name specific actions he would like to see taken by the recent Trump administration, but those are details that would need to be clarified after January.
Any lasting, long-term solutions to the problems troubling California must ultimately come from Californians. It is vital to note that California has not always been a bastion of “progressive” politics; In presidential elections, the Golden State voted for Ronald Reagan twice, in 1980 and 1984 – after Reagan served two terms as governor of California. California also voted for Reagan’s successor, George HW Bush, in 1988 – the last time that state’s electoral votes went to a Republican.
However, there are many conservative Californians fighting for change in their state. Many of them are my friends and my RedState colleagues. I admire their courage and determination as they work to make things right in their home state. And if California changes course to get back on the path to fiscal and political sanity, it will be thanks in enormous part to his efforts.
That, not Washington, will finally fix California.
