The Fresno County Democratic Central Committee has not endorsed any candidate in this race.
California has a special responsibility to veterans — more veterans live in our state than any other state in the country.
But because veterans make up a smaller portion of our population than other states, their contributions and needs are too often overlooked.
Veterans own hundreds of thousands of businesses across our state. They work hard, pay taxes, teach our children, serve our families in hospitals and clinics, and make our state stronger — all after committing themselves to the difficult job of protecting our nation in the armed services.
We can never repay the debt we owe to our veterans, but we can do better in how we treat them and how our government serves them — something I’ve committed myself to as an elected official.
As state controller, I worked with the California Department of Veterans Affairs on an initiative to reunite 95,000 California veterans and their families with $36 million in lost or unclaimed property, including paychecks, medals, and purple hearts.
When Wells Fargo overcharged veterans who took part in a federal mortgage-refinancing program, I took action and extended sanctions against Wells Fargo in order to bring them in line with the law.
There’s still so much more that we must do. As governor, I’ll work tirelessly to ensure our state serves veterans with dignity and respect, whether they served decades ago, or are just returning from service overseas.
But today, on Veterans Day, I simply want to say thank you to each of you who served. You have my gratitude always.
John