It is clear to Santa Barbarans that the establishment approach to our state’s crises is failing. Career politicians offer incremental tweaks that ignore the economic struggles my generation faces. Santa Barbarans are dealing with a stalled downtown, atrocious utility bills, and a healthcare system that remains a profit haven for middlemen. That is why I am supporting Tom Steyer for Governor.
Steyer stands out because he identifies the root cause. This is corporate consolidation. In Santa Barbara, we’ve felt the power of utility monopolies like Southern California Edison for years. Steyer is the only candidate with a populist plan to break these monopolies (much as Teddy Roosevelt did). This means opening the grid to competition and lowering electric bills by 25 percent. He understands the Public Utilities Commission should work for ratepayers, not lobbyists, unlike candidate Xavier Becerra.
PG&E and other special interest groups are spending insane amounts against him. Despite his financial past, you can tell everything about a candidate by who their enemies are. If the monopolies are terrified of him, he’s doing something right.
His plan to cut red tape and close corporate tax loopholes is exactly what we young Californians need to build one million affordable homes and fund our schools. Finally, Steyer is the only candidate with a firm commitment to single-payer healthcare. No other candidate will cut out the insurance companies that squeeze patients.
We don’t need more politicians telling us what we can’t do. Young Californians stand with Steyer because California needs a leader who puts people before corporations.
