Jessica Patterson ascended to Chair of the California Republican Party with a simple message that, like me, she received from her parents: Talk is cheap. She could not have picked a better theme.
It’s something Republican activists and party leaders need to hear. For years, I’ve sat through party meetings at the local and state level talking about the need to do voter registration and outreach. But that’s all it’s been: talk. Action has been limited. We have failed to take our ideas straight to the voter. Our outreach to the diverse communities that make California great has been especially lacking. If they never hear from us, if we aren’t proposing solutions to the issues affecting their communities, how can we expect them to vote for us? Enough talk. It’s time to actually do it.
This message also applies to the media, who often are more infatuated with the latest tweet from Donald Trump rather that what California Republicans are actually doing. Instead ask Republicans about our proposals to make health care more affordable and accessible. Write about our policies to incentivize the private sector and train more skilled workers to increase our housing supply. Let’s have an honest debate about whose policies will keep Californians safer from violent crime. That’s at least as important as Democratic bills to ban Big Gulps. Talk is cheap; ask us about what we plan to “do” for California.
Capitol Democrats should also heed this message. They have been in charge of our state for over a decade. Now they have a super-duper majority in the Legislature. They “talk” a lot about helping the poor, about leveling the playing field and improving education. Yet we have the highest poverty rate in the nation. Our schools are ranked near the bottom. There is a huge divide been rich and poor, our middle class is diminishing and the cost of living continues to rise.
Democrats make a lot of promises about healthcare, but premiums are expensive and continuing to rise. We have fewer providers willing to accept government insurance like MediCal and millions of Californians lack access to the basic, preventative care they need. The Democratic solution is to double down, giving more people an expensive insurance card but not delivering on actual care. Talk is cheap.
Democrats “talk” about quality education for all, but the reality is anything but. In some communities with failing public schools, charter schools are the only path to success. A recent study found that more than half of charter school enrollment is in California’s poorest neighborhoods. But Democrats answer is to attack charter schools with more regulations and limits on their ability to operate. Talk is cheap.
What have the Democrats actually “done” to really address these and other important issues? Their record is not great. Perhaps that’s why they continually revert to Trump and shouting “Resist!” without offering new solutions. Again, more words, but little action.
Talk is cheap. Under the leadership of Jessica Patterson, California Republicans are ready to take action.