Neel Kashkari

Dear Editor: The pathetic absence of support by the Republican hierarchy for the candidacy of Neel Kashkari for governor should be an eye-opener – for Democrats. For once, the hard right wing nut Republicans have given you the chance to avoid having your vote dictated to you by the hard left state employee unions.

And let’s look realistically at that choice. The Los Angeles Times reported that the California Department of Social Services is more than three months behind in investigating possible child abuse conditions in the foster care programs. “Chronic understaffing” is the excuse given. But Jerry Brown assures us that he’s fixed all the state’s fiscal problems and that there’s money for his train. Children are suffering for that lie, and he represents the party that claims to be the one with a social conscience.

We’re in the middle of a severe drought, and are told to conserve. Well, it looks like most of us are trying our best but it isn’t enough. Yet I haven’t read of one attempt at cloud seeding, which would possibly yield some useful results by helping ground water supplies. No, instead we wait for atmospheric conditions to dump it all in one place, where it does more harm than good.

Neel Kashkari is not the Social Conservative ideologue we usually get from the California Republican hierarchy. In addition to being an open-minded moderate, he used his business experience to help the Obama administration with the Troubled Asset Relief Program. And if there’s an example of a troubled asset to be rescued, it’s California. But Jerry doesn’t have the answers and isn’t even looking for them.

There really are moderate Republicans in California. After all, Kashkari won the primary in spite of the party leaders. We just are busy living our lives and making a living, much like moderate Democrats. All the noise is made at both ends of the party spectrums. But this time you don’t have to obey your party bosses because we didn’t obey ours. There really is a moderate choice available, and he’s worth your attention. Who knows, we might even get to be friends.

Jerry Brown wants to be remembered as the Bullet Train Governor. But unless there’s a change in his program or moderate Democrats help us replace him, it’s much more likely that our lawns and hillsides will be named after him.

David Mathews

Downey

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Published: Sept. 18, 2014 - Volume 13 - Issue 23