California’s problems didn’t happen overnight—they’re the result of decades of policy choices that prioritized ideology over infrastructure, energy, and economic reality. Victor Davis Hanson argues the state abandoned its fundamentals, while Elaine Culotti points to runaway bureaucracy, middlemen siphoning public funds, and mandates that burden working families. They challenge the sustainability of a system dependent on a shrinking tax base and warn that overregulation is driving businesses and residents out. The discussion centers on restoring accountability, rebuilding core systems, and rethinking policies that many believe are pushing California toward long-term decline.
Dr. Hanson: You continually speak to illegal immigrants whose only crime was their method of arrival and who have worked at legitimate jobs since. How do they do that without a social security number? One of four Americans has reported theft of their SSNs. This is a CRIME. Then the American goes through weeks of sorting it out and then has to file manually; which means it takes months to get the refund they were counting on. All illegal immigrants who are working jobs should have to account for the social security number they are using.
Ms. Culotti….Good Luck with you campaign. We need more candidates who work at common sense rather than play at politics.
Ms Culotti is too competent for politics. An idea person, coming at problems with great ideas that the intrenched system will not permit. How can such a competent, enthusiastic person ever be elected?