2018 CA Governor's race: on Crime
Gavin Newsom:
Spared 737 people on California's death row
As the most populous state and the country's biggest economy, Newsom's actions carry outsize weight--and are guaranteed outsize publicity.Consider the national attention it garnered when Newsom signed an executive order in March halting executions--
sparing 737 people on California's death row. Witness the proclamation his office wrote last month "welcoming women to California to fully exercise their reproductive rights" after a wave of conservative states took steps to limit abortion.
Newsom is outspoken on immigration, traveling to El Salvador earlier this year in his first international trip as governor.
"We're going to get it,''
Newsom insists. "We're committed to universal health care. Universal health care means everybody--We will lead a massive expansion of health care, and that's a major deviation from the past.''
Source: Politico.com on 2018 California Gubernatorial race
Jun 17, 2019
Gavin Newsom:
Death penalty is ineffective, irreversible and immoral
Gov. Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on the death penalty in California Wednesday, sparing the lives of more than 700 death-row inmates. Saying the death penalty is "ineffective, irreversible and immoral," he signed an executive order granting reprieves
to all 737 Californians awaiting executions--a quarter of the country's death row inmates.His action comes three years after California voters rejected an initiative to end the death penalty, instead passing a measure to speed up executions.
Newsom said the death penalty system has discriminated against mentally ill defendants and people of color, has not made the state safer and has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars. "You, as taxpayers--you have spent $5 billion since we reinstated
the death penalty in this state," he said. "What have we gotten for that?"
But he made clear that he simply believes killing other people is wrong. "If you rape, we don't rape," he said. "I think if someone kills, we don't kill.
Source: Modesto Bee on 2018 California Gubernatorial race
Mar 12, 2019
Gavin Newsom:
2016: Respect state referendum on death penalty; 2019: Don't
Newsom has long opposed the death penalty. While campaigning for a measure to repeal the death penalty in 2016, he told The Modesto Bee editorial board he would "be accountable to the will of the voters," if he were elected governor. "I would not get
my personal opinions in the way of the public's right to make a determination of where they want to take us" on the death penalty, he said.Newsom said that before he took office, discussing the death penalty was an "intellectual" exercise.
Now that he has the power to allow executions, he said, it's an emotional decision: he can't be party to the system and still sleep at night. "It's not an abstract question any longer," he said. "I cannot sign off on executing hundreds of human beings."
The moratorium will be in place for the duration of Newsom's time in office. After that, a future governor could decide to resume executions. He told reporters last month that the prospect of executions resuming has been weighing on him.
Source: Modesto Bee on 2018 California Gubernatorial race
Mar 12, 2019
Doug Ose:
Everywhere I see uncontrolled homelessness & nagging crime
Republican Doug Ose, a politically moderate former congressman from the Sacramento region who last year became one of President Donald Trump's most vociferous surrogates in California, opened a committee to run for governor. "Simply put, I'm running to
rebuild the California dream." he said. "I'll work with anyone to make that happen."Ose characterized his approach as that of a straight-talker who won't sugarcoat the state's shortfalls or tailor his positions to fit the whims of powerful interests
like unions, which he views as captors of the dominant Democratic Party and defenders of an unacceptable status quo.
Everywhere he looks he sees uncontrolled homelessness and nagging crime. "It's fascinating that those in office don't see all of the
problems. You can't help but see them. I mean, come on. Just drive through any urban area," Ose said. "Unless you are one of these bazillionaires, California is broken."
Source: Sacramento Bee on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Jan 5, 2018
Delaine Eastin:
Manage crime with improved education
Eastin also presented her views on managing crime through an increased concentration on education. She made her case with talking points including kids having access to preschool, mandatory kindergarten and strategies
that she claims led to increased attendance, graduation and no suspensions in four years. "If we did a better job with education, we could break the school to prison
Source: Turlock Journal on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Nov 17, 2017
Travis Allen:
Protect victims, not criminals
Travis has been fighting for policies to keep criminals off of our streets and out of our neighborhoods. In 2014, the "realignment" law released thousands of criminals from state prisons. Since then, crime has spiked--increasing by 7.6% in 2015 alone,
and violent crimes have increased by double digits in major cities in 2016.ÿ California must re-establish our tough on crime policies that allow law enforcement to do their jobs and protect the victims of crimes, not the criminals.
Source: 2018 California Gubernatorial website JoinTravisAllen.com
Sep 1, 2017
Gavin Newsom:
Criminal justice reform is crucial; repeal death penalty
At a forum organized by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, which pushes back against tough-on-crime laws, Newsom, the lone statewide politician to endorse Proposition 47 in 2014,
which made nonviolent offenses like drug and property crimes misdemeanors instead of felonies, implored them to keep it up. "We'll get there on (repealing) the death penalty," Newsom said.
Source: The Sacramento Bee on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Apr 4, 2017
John Chiang:
Education & anti-poverty to fight crime
Chiang said his family was "struck deeply by crime" after his sister was abducted and killed in 1999. "My family, we're Catholic. We believe in redemption. We believe in hope," Chiang said. "We also believe in being serious on crime.
You want people in the right place, but we're trying to build a better society." He said the state should focus on educating children and addressing poverty to prevent crime.
Source: US News & World Report on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Apr 4, 2017
Page last updated: Oct 31, 2021
Beshear(D)
vs.