Overview: This article highlights the need for a strong leader who can push back against federal leadership and navigate the many political landmines initiated at the federal level. The author criticizes California Republican Gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco for supporting the current federal administration’s direction and his own problematic leadership in Riverside County. The author urges voters to believe what people show them and not just what they say, and to make decisions in June and November to move away from the current Republican leadership.
S.E. Williams
As things continue to fall apart at the national level, we must not allow the chaos to distract us from maintaining a binary focus that keeps local issues centered in the midst of federal chaos.
Time is ticking, each day moving us closer to the June primary and the importance of electing local and state officials who reflect the needs and opinions of California’s majority. This goal relies on the auspices of a free and fair election.
Among the many challenges faced by Californians is the need to elect a strong leader with innovative thinking and the courage to push back against federal leadership as warranted. In the Trump era, this is necessary, to help our state navigate the many political landmines initiated at the federal level that can have disastrous consequences for our state and its citizens.
We can only ensure this however, by voting.
Although all politics are local, the current environment is being pushed and pulled by erratic federal actions that range include everything from an everchanging tariff policy; to federal cuts in safety net programs; to severe reductions in federal employees impacting the livelihoods of about 400,000 individuals—especially impacting Black women; to the failure to extend health care subsidies; to attacks on some foreign countries; to initiating wars with other countries; to driving up the price of gasoline to record highs while at the same time, the value of the dollar slides downward along with the stock market.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them . . . the first time.”
Maya Angelou
All of these are warning signals. One way to mitigate the current federal drift is by not electing those to local, state and federal level positions who support Donald Trump’s wayward, awkward and questionable leadership. Therefore we must make decisions in June and November of this year to move away from disasters of the current Republican leadership that is working double time to stifle efforts in states led by Democrats-like California—where local leaders are working to stall the Trump agenda.
Meanwhile, California Republican Gubernatorial candidate and the bane of Riverside County– Sheriff Chad Bianco–supports the federal administration’s current direction and continues holding tightly to Trump’s coattails as if he is holding on to a “shooting star” (no pun intended). I, on the other hand, want to say he is holding on to the tail of a “falling star”.
We know, however, that the idea of falling or shooting stars actually has nothing to do with stars at all. According to NASA’s StarChild team, the streaks of light we see in the night sky and refer to as either shooting or falling stars, are actually tiny bits of dust and rock falling into the earth’s atmosphere and burning up. Any part that does survive is called a meteorite.
Looking at Bianco and his hero, Trump, I’d venture to say at this point it appears extremely probable that the two will burn out on or before election day in November.
With ideas from Bianco like defunding nonprofit homeless programs as a way to end homelessness; his attitude that all homeless have either drug or alcohol addiction problems or are the result of mental illness–totally disregarding those who may have just fallen on hard times or who simply can’t afford the high cost of housing in our state. He states he can end the homeless problem in California in two years merely by eliminating all regulations–he has magical thinking like Trump. He further believes that regulations in the state are pretty much responsible for California’s affordability concerns as well.
I am not exaggerating. Take a moment to watch this recent interview clip to hear Bianco’s comments for yourself:
I know it is hard to believe that Bianco is spouting this kind of rhetoric as reasons why Californians should put him in charge of the state. But, those of us who continue to bear witness to his failures as the leader of the Riverside County Sheriff Department (RCSD) must not forget the disaster he’s made of that organization–increased in-custody deaths, increased shootings on the street, deputies smuggling drugs into jails, deputies charged with sexual crimes against those in custody, and the list goes on.
Our amazing ancestor Maya Angelou taught us that “When someone shows you who they are, believe them. . .” These words of wisdom really stress the importance of watching what people do versus being moved one way or the other by what they say. Our instincts (that still small voice inside) will guide us to consider a person’s character as there may be a striking difference between who a person says he is compared to who he really is.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.