California has lost 366,000 jobs since February 2020. In that same period, the rest of the US economy has added over 5.4 million jobs. California jobs are declining because California is losing people, over 550,000 since 2019. Some who are leaving are moving to states with more affordable housing, better schools, lower costs of living, and better opportunities to start a business. In just 2020‒21, California lost 27,300 taxpayers who earned at least $200,000 in adjusted gross income, and the state lost a total of $47 billion in adjusted gross income between 2019 and 2021. This declining tax base is contributing to California’s budget difficulties, as the state faces a $58 billion deficit in the 2024‒25 fiscal year and annual $30 billion deficits afterward.

California’s ability to right its ship would benefit from having influential, sensible leadership within the US Senate. And with a population of nearly 39 million, there should be some exceptional candidates. But California voters, who will choose among Democrats Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, and Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey in a March 5 special election to fill the remainder of Diane Feinstein’s term, with the top two advancing to the November general election, are not seeing exceptional talent in this race. And if you watched these candidates during the recent Senate debates, then you know that most of them, perhaps none, will be the leaders the state needs.

Lee has represented the Oakland area for over twenty years in the House of Representatives. But Oakland is perhaps the biggest failure among major cities within California, as crime has skyrocketed, rising to the point that California governor Gavin Newsom sent 120 Highway Patrol officers to the city to deal with surging retail crime and auto theft, which now affects about one in thirty car owners every year. Lee advocates for European-style single-payer healthcare, which has led to significant rationing of medical care in those countries, and a $50 minimum wage, which would create a Great Depression-level unemployment rate. She believes public........

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