Questions
1. California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
We need to eliminate all wasteful spending and audit the state. We need to remove CRT, and DEI programs and focus on making our children succeed in life with programs that target children’s strengths. We need to focus on skill trade arts so we can build our Country back up. Kids are graduating and not knowing what to do with their lives. This needs to change. This is more important than how they identify.
2. California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes. Therefore, the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
We need to make sure caregivers are not abusing the system for personal gain. We need to protect these children that have already been through so much. We need to incentivize good families to embrace these kids. We need to make sure that these kids have a great education and job training so that when they age out of the system they don’t end up on our street and fall victim to predators.
3. California ranks poorly in national reports for supporting families with infants and toddlers. The state does invest in programs like evidence-based home visiting – which provide guidance, offer coaching, and connect parents and caregivers to health and social services – but those only reach about 2% of families with young children. What strategies, if any, do you support to aid new and expectant parents and young children during this critical phase of life?
I was a single mother at 21. It was very hard. There were no resources at that time. Most single parents are trying to keep their heads above water. California has the highest tax rate in the Country. It’s time to audit the state, cut wasteful spending and give the people the financial relief they deserve. This in part will free up money for resources for parents that are struggling. Yes, we need to support young parents that desperately want to put their kids first!
4. More than 2.75 million young children live in California, with the majority being income-eligible for child care assistance. Yet just a fraction of eligible children have access to subsidized child care spaces, due to insufficient funding for child care capacity. This gap is most pronounced for infants and toddlers, where child care subsidies served only 14% of eligible families (pre-pandemic). What is your position on this issue, and what, if anything, should be done to ensure that all families have access to high-quality child care?
We need to cut the red tape that makes it hard to run a facility while making sure these care centers are clean and run by people with children’s best interests at heart. We need to cut top-heavy paid bureaucracies and let needed funds go toward the children.
5. The average salary of a California public employee is nearly $87,000, while the average salary of a California child care provider is $35,400, and most other professionals who work with kids are also below the public employee average. What are your ideas, if any, about responding to this disparity?
CUT TAXES! We are the highest taxed state in the Country and it’s time to cut the cost of living for families. I seem to remember we left the King of England over this. YET now we would owe those at Lexington and Concord an apology.
6. The latest available data shows California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 47th in school counselors, and 46th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what, if anything, should be done in response?
It’s unacceptable. We need to cut the programs telling kids to pick their genders. These programs are damaging our kids! I was a Tom Boy up until I was 14, They would have transitioned me! Millions are being spent on these programs. Let’s put them toward teachers, and nurses. Keep in mind we also rank 39th in education.
7. California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (21%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
We need to stop illegal immigration as 2 million people crossed our border illegally last year alone. These people are coming from 127 Countries! This has been a crisis and the migrants are being trafficked abused and killed.. As far as being bi-lingual in school. Kids that do not speak our language should be put into a separate class until they learn our language. The kids that speak English should not be held back to accommodate those that don’t speak OUR language.
8. Over the past 40 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 12% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
I think the colleges that have been making BILLIONS should kick in. I put my kids through college and it is not the taxpayer’s job to pay for everyone else’s kids. Also realize, that IF we were to teach kids in Skill Trade arts while in Highschool these kids would not be strapped with 6 figures in debt. The welfare state is not working.
9. Over 55% of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, hearing aids, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do, if anything, to increase access to these services?
Another issue is those here illegally are depleting our resources! Californians Need to come first. I do not believe in Racial Profiles. We do not live in a racist Country. If we did people would be breaking out, not in.
10. The suicide rate among Black youth has dramatically increased in recent years. In addition, Major Depressive Episodes (MDE) among youth have grown, but only about one third of youth with an MDE received treatment. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
We need to keep Black dads in the home. It is a proven statistic that when youth’s have a father figure kids do better. The lockdowns have also contributed to youth suicide.