The Fresno County Democratic Central Committee has not endorsed any candidate in this race.
| The Lt. Governor serves every single person and every community in California, and that means understanding our challenges in a personal way. Over the past three weeks, I’ve been on a journey all across this state, and talking candidly with people who are fighting through some of the toughest problems that face California. It’s made me wiser, more optimistic, and inspired a few new things I’ll be doing.
Whether they were students at Cal State San Bernardino, firefighters in Los Angeles, education leaders in Fresno, small business owners in Mendocino, tech workers, union members, environmentalists, farmers, activists, trauma workers, or people looking for work—they’ve all felt the impact of our changing economy. They are uncertain about their job skills, worried about how they’ll ever afford a home, anxious about what to do about family members and friends lost to addiction, and concerned that whatever is driving their challenges keeps accelerating. But no one was complaining—the conversations were thoughtful, realistic, and focused on solutions. In fact, these have been some of the most inspiring days I can ever recall. This is what my campaign is about. Californians don’t ignore or run away from problems. We confront them and we deal with them. Not a single person I’ve met is giving up. If anything, they are fired up. People on the frontlines are frustrated with being overlooked; they are fed up with the usual politics of kicking our most pressing problems down the road; and they are ready to take action.
To a person, these Californians brought energy, optimism, ideas, and talent—and they are ready to solve problems together. I learned of smart ways to reduce housing costs and encourage building, programs that would reduce the cost of mental health care and yield better results, innovative ways to educate people in skills that we know automation won’t eliminate, and reforms to make government more responsive. As Lt. Governor, I’ll have the chance to draw upon all of this wisdom and drive good policies through our economic development commission, our community colleges and universities, our emergency management commission, and our coastal and lands commissions. There is no shortage of ways to ensure people’s skills keep pace with the changing job market, to build better neighborhoods, and to bring people together with solutions for mental health and addiction epidemics rather than relying on prisons or treatment centers that don’t work. This is my latest idea: These travels have made me prouder than ever to be a Californian. It’s an experience that I’d like to share. So I’m going to start taking people along with me as we keep visiting with people throughout the state. From the deserts to the coast, from rural areas to metro centers, to farmlands and mountains, we aren’t as divided as we think (or as we pretend to be on Facebook). I look forward to seeing more of you soon—and bringing along company. Thousands of Californians are already part of our campaign because of our outreach and nearly a thousand have already contributed. If you can, join us in making a contribution now at JeffBleich.com. California’s a big state and I look forward to seeing it and sharing it. Best,
|
