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.
