With the debate between candidates for California governor set for later this weekend, it’s raising questions about how each will address inflation, cost of living, and crime – issues that have consistently ranked as important to voters throughout this election year.
Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom and his Republican challenger, state Sen. Brian Dahle, have both held public office here for more than a decade. Newsom has lately appeared more interested in raising his national profile and running for president. Dahle is campaigning on his commitment to California, and said he looks forward to the debate.
“I think it's a great opportunity to see the different approaches for California and where we’re headed,” Dahle told the Northern California Record. “The voters will be able to see the differences in what the California dream looks like to me, versus Gavin Newsom.”
The Newsom campaign did not reply to the Record’s requests for comment.
Dahle noted crime continues to be a top concern for voters, and that he and Newsom have different viewpoints on what constitutes a violent crime.
“Crime is running rampant and we need to make sure that violent people aren’t victimizing Californians,” Dahle said. “Repeat offenders need to be off our streets so our streets can be safe again.” Under Proposition 47 and 57, it’s become more difficult to prosecute theft and people charged with “non-violent” crimes who can get out of prison early. In the Sacramento shooting case, one of the suspects had been freed after four years in prison even though he had been sentenced to 10.
Cutting government inefficiency – everywhere from the DMV to the EDD – will ultimately ease some of the burden on California taxpayers, Dahle said, and reducing gas prices and electricity rates will provide a dent to inflation here.
“We can drive down cost of oil, and then the cost of gas,” Dahle said. “We’re importing oil from other countries when we have oil in our own state.”
The big question is if four more years of Newsom and his approach to crime and inflation will make Californians’ lives better, Dahle said.
“Californians are suffering because of poor policies and poor planning by our governor, and he’s running for president,” Dahle said. “At the end of the day, does he really care about California? I don’t think so. He tells Californians your kids can’t go to school, when he has his kids in a private school. He tells you wear a mask and he doesn’t wear a mask. He tells you, you can’t go to dinner, and he goes to the French Laundry. So there’s a big contrast – and I’m not running for anything but Governor of California. I don’t want to leave California; I don’t want my neighbors to leave California.
“And I want people to live the California dream – you can’t live the California dream if you’re afraid to go out on your streets at night because of crime running rampant. You can’t live the California dream if your education system is broken and your children can’t get a good education to be able to prosper in California. And Gavin Newsom has had plenty of money and a [supermajority Democrat] Legislature that has backed everything he’s done and where are we today? That’s the question that needs to be answered and what we’re focusing on.”
As the campaign has progressed, Dahle noted, Newsom’s ambitions beyond Sacramento have continued to fuel discussion..
“Californians don’t have the ability to live the California dream because of all the things one-party rule policies have perpetuated – crime, high cost of living, and failing education. He’s living out his dream – he’s got the Teachers’ Union behind him but he’s punishing our kids. He’s got the support of the Teachers’ Union so he can run for president. So it’s expanding on his dream, but it’s squashing the California dream.
“And it’s really unfortunate – California is an amazing state, and everyone aspired to come here and live the California dream, and Gavin Newsom has crushed that for his own political gain.”