In the aftermath of Eric Swalwell’s shocking implosion over allegations of sexual misconduct, there is a chance — finally! — for the entire California gubernatorial field to focus on issues that matter to voters.
Until now, the Democrats have been competing to see which of them can be the most anti-Trump.
None could top Swalwell, who participated in two impeachments against President Trump, joining the team of House impeachment managers for the second one.
But others have come close.
Tom Steyer released a plan to “abolish ICE” and treat the immigration enforcement agency like a criminal enterprise.
He hasn’t explained how the Constitution will allow him to imprison federal agents, which it won’t.
Not content to attack Trump, former congresswoman Katie Porter attacked the late Ronald Reagan, who was governor of California half a century ago.
Not to be outdone, the two Republicans have focused on what is wrong with outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom.
That’s fine, as far as diagnosing California’s problems goes, but Newsom is leaving office.
It’s time for the entire field to get serious about the issues that voters say, in poll after poll, that are most important to them in California, beyond politicians like Trump and Newsom. These include:
- The high cost of living: “Affordability” has become a buzzword across the country, but California’s challenges are worse than other states’. We have long had the highest gas prices in America, and politicians at every level are proposing new taxes. But even a “billionaire tax” won’t fill the long-term budget hole. How can we make energy and gas cheaper, while making sure our state lives within its means? How can we grow our economy again, in the AI era?
- Homelessness: Billions of dollars later, California has barely made a dent in the problem, despite some recent improvements. How can we address the underlying causes: addiction, mental illness, and, yes, the high cost of housing?
- Education: California spends more than the average US state on education, but it falls in the bottom half of states when it comes to results. State leaders have prioritized ideology, especially transgender issues, over the basics. Worse, school districts are paying out billions in settlements for old sex abuse cases. How will you turn our schools around?
- Public safety: California experienced a crime wave in recent years, especially in retail theft. Crime has gone down — especially since the Trump administration came to office and began deploying ICE — but our cities remain lawless. California has also failed to protect residents against natural disasters, especially wildfires. Can you protect Californians, in the wake of anti-ICE riots and the Palisades Fire?
- Infrastructure: California has wasted billions on high-speed rail without laying an inch of track. Meanwhile, our roads are crumbling. And while the Sites Reservoir has been approved, the state is too slow to build water storage and desalination. How will you meet infrastructure California needs, in a reasonable time frame and at a reasonable cost?
Those are questions that voters want answered. It is well past time, with voting set to begin soon, for the candidates to furnish the answers.
This story originally appeared on NYPost
