2021 CA Governor's race: on Government Reform
Caitlyn Jenner:
We need to have integrity in our election system
[On the 2020 presidential election]: "He is our President. I respect that," Jenner said when asked whether Biden was "duly elected." "I realize there's a lot of frustration over that election. You know what? I'm frustrated over what happened back then."
She did not go into specifics. She aligned with Republicans who have suggested there is work to do to ensure "integrity" in the election system. "We are a democratic republic; we need to have integrity in our election system," Jenner said.
Source: CNN Politics on 2021 California Governor recall race
May 12, 2021
Doug Ose:
Government engaged in significant overreach of authority
Ose said he believes the government "is engaged in a significant overreach of its authority," including the recent guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that people should wear masks indoors in hot spot areas, even when they
are vaccinated. He suggested that Americans should have the option to move their children to a different school or simply choose to shop at a different store if they don't agree with mask requirements in place in those locations.
Source: CNN Politics on 2021 CA recall race
Aug 5, 2021
Doug Ose:
California did studies instead of building dams & reservoirs
Ose seemed to hit his stride when addressing water infrastructure and the drought. He told attendees that the California State government has "refused to do what voters wanted them to do" since the passing of Proposition 1 in 2014.
He said this proposition set aside $2.7 billion for new facilities to store and convey water. Instead of dams raised or reservoirs built, Ose said that the state has done nothing but "study the projects to death."
Source: Redheaded Blackbelt Blog on 2021 CA recall race
Aug 2, 2021
Gavin Newsom:
COVID: all registered voters receive mail-in ballots
More than half-a-dozen California political strategists noted that it is virtually impossible to predict what the universe of likely voters will be for a special election on a random date in September in the middle of a pandemic when every voter has a
ballot on their kitchen table. (To slow the spread of Covid, Newsom signed a law in February extending the state's rule that every registered voter would receive a mail-in ballot for any election this year).
Source: CNN Politics on 2021 CA recall race
Aug 5, 2021
John Cox:
Replace Environmental Quality Act to allow building
I'm a builder and can build in other states for a fraction of the cost in California. The key to solving the housing crisis is to replace the California Environmental Quality Act with greatly streamlined, sensible reforms.
Impact fees need to be limited and approval time needs to be shortened. We need more trade school education to prepare our young people for construction jobs.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune on 2021 California recall race
Feb 12, 2021
John Cox:
I'm the outsider, not beholden to any donors
[On opponents' supporters]: "I'm the outsider. I'm the guy that's going to get things done," Cox said, criticizing Newsom and
Faulconer as beholden to their donors. "People are sick of that. They want an outsider. They want someone that's actually going to address these issues."
Source: Los Angeles Times on 2021 CA recall race
Apr 2, 2021
Kevin Faulconer:
Would veto elimination of single-family zoning
Single-family zoning got lots of love, as the candidates vowed to oppose attempts to build more housing by allowing apartments in neighborhoods now zoned for single-family homes. The issue has been a contentious one in the Legislature in recent years,
with bills stalling amid bipartisan resistance. "When we see some of these pieces of legislation that want to eliminate single-family zoning in California, that's wrong," Faulconer said. "I will veto that."
Source: Cal Matters on 2021 CA recall race
Aug 5, 2021
Kevin Kiley:
Written words are binding on those in positions of power
The opposite of Gavin Newsom's lawless governorship is one that respects the rule of law. That means recognizing that written words are binding on those in positions of power. From this comes the most basic form of freedom--freedom from the arbitrary
dominion and control of another. It's what gives life to the idea that we as citizens are not mere subjects of state power but authors of our own political future.Respecting the rule of law means recognizing both the California and U.S.
Constitutions as constraints on what the Governor, the Legislature, or any official can do. It means restoring a proper separation of powers, where the Governor's job is to implement laws passed by the Legislature.
Our Founders made a
deliberate choice that exercising the powers of government should not be easy. As the ultimate safeguard of liberty, they defined those powers as limited, distributed, checked, and balanced--precisely the opposite of California these last 15 months.
Source: KileyForCalifornia.com website on 2021 CA recall race
Aug 4, 2021
Kevin Kiley:
No "Third House": end lobbyist contributions and influence
[I support a] governorship that serves the public interest. This requires defusing the power of the "Third House" lobbyists who largely control the first two houses, the Assembly and Senate, as well as this Governor in particular. The Third House--
consisting of lobbyists for union conglomerates, industry associations, and major companies--accounts for the vast majority of political funding in California. For many Legislators, how to vote on a bill comes down to nothing more than which interests
are for or against it.Changing this dynamic can be difficult to do through campaign finance laws, but it is achievable through a cultural change at the Capitol. That was my goal in becoming the first 100 percent citizen-backed California Legislator
by declining all contributions from the Third House. Ultimately, accepting Third House contributions needs to be stigmatized, and that can start with political leaders refusing to support any candidate of either party who accepts them.
Source: KileyForCalifornia.com website on 2021 CA recall race
Aug 4, 2021
Kevin Kiley:
More open governance: restore power to local institutions
The opposite of Gavin Newsom's self-promotional governorship is one of humility. This means humility not only in the conduct of the state's chief executive, but in the role of the government itself. It means remembering that every action we take has
legitimacy only by the consent of the people we represent. Concretely, that means a more open and deliberative approach to governance. It means restoring power to local institutions that know their communities best.
Source: KileyForCalifornia.com website on 2021 CA recall race
Aug 4, 2021
Page last updated: Feb 14, 2023