Ask Me Anything

I am registered No Party Preference, and I mean it. My platform starts with one sentence in the California Constitution: all people are by nature free and independent. Some ideas will sound familiar to people on the left and some to people on the right. Judge each proposal on its own merits.

No. I want a government that earns consent. Courts, emergency response, and protection from force and fraud come first and stay available to everyone. Beyond that, residents deserve a real say in the rules and in where their money goes.

It is hard, and I will not pretend otherwise. In California's top two primary, the two highest finishers advance no matter their party. My job is to earn one of those spots by talking with more neighbors than anyone expects.

Vote for the person whose ideas you want in Sacramento. If I make the top two, you get a clear choice in November, and that choice exists only if enough people vote their values in the primary.

One bill at a time. Democrats hold large majorities, so I would write bills that solve problems members already hear about at home, like faster permits, cheaper dispute resolution, and open records, and show them the evidence. I owe no caucus anything, so I can work with anyone who wants to fix the problem.

No. I want residents to have more say over where their dollars go. Core services are funded first. Cities and counties could let residents direct a share of local taxes to the categories they value, and I would pilot the same choice for state filers.

Essentials are funded first, so the floor is protected. The pilot covers a share of taxes, not the whole budget, and we would publish the results. A conscientious opt out applies only to non-core programs, and opting out means giving up that program's benefits.

I will not name cuts before I see the books. I would start with a public review. Every program publishes its goals and results, and any new program expires unless renewed. A program that cannot show results should not get a blank check.

Neighbors. I plan to fund the campaign through grassroots donations and not accept corporate PAC money. Every contribution is reported as California law requires.

No. Under my plan, local police stay available to every resident. What I want is choice and accountability. Neighborhoods could contract with accredited providers, and every provider, public or private, would publish its procedures, complaint outcomes, and use of force.

They would add options and never remove the public one. Local police remain available to everyone. Private providers would be licensed to published standards on training, conduct, and use of force. I am still working out who investigates misconduct and who holds final authority over the use of force, and I will publish those answers and invite public comment before I introduce that bill.

It can be, when it is forced on people in fine print. My proposal makes arbitration and mediation more affordable and available as real choices, with firm protections for consumers and workers written into the bill. I will publish the draft protections for public comment before the bill is introduced.

They can, and I do not want to take away tools that solve real crimes. I want clear rules: a warrant to search data about people who are not suspected of anything, short deletion deadlines, no sharing outside California without a court order, and public audits of who looked at what. Safety and privacy are not opposites when the rules are written well.

Today every California lawyer must belong to one organization. When there is no alternative, there is little pressure to compete on standards or price. I would press the Legislature and the California Supreme Court to recognize accredited alternatives, so lawyers answer to competing standards and clients have a choice.

Penalizing an owner does not create a single bed. People in hardship deserve real help, and that help should come from voluntary giving, nonprofits, homebuilding, and the budget choices residents make. If no compromise can be reached, an owner of fairly acquired property should not be penalized for keeping it.

No. I want to keep real protection and cut the delay that blocks homes. Polluters paying and public air and water monitoring are in my platform too. Reform means a faster, clearer process for owners building on their own land, not permission to harm neighbors.

I support letting education funding follow the child, so families can choose the school, tutor, or learning path that fits. Public schools that serve families well will keep their students. Every option should publish its results so parents can compare.

Children are people, not property. They have a right to safety and to a voice in decisions about their lives, in step with their age and maturity. Parents are guardians who guide their upbringing, and the state steps in when a child is harmed or neglected, with prompt judicial review and fair hearings.

It starts from principles, then gets practical: faster permits, open books, mediation before court, and pilots with expiration dates. If a pilot fails, it ends. I would rather test good ideas than argue about them.

Then I want the evidence to show it quickly. That is why every new program in my platform has a sunset date, published goals, and published results.