Strong piece, Commander Smith. Whether people agree or disagree politically, your central point about participation is absolutely right — democracy only works when citizens actually engage. Turnout matters. Organization matters. Accountability matters.
I especially appreciate the focus on competition and civic involvement at the local level. Regardless of party, we should want districts that encourage real debate, better ideas, and responsive leadership. Encouraging people to vote early, track their ballots, and get involved beyond just posting online is a message that transcends party lines.
Civic engagement isn’t optional — it’s the foundation. Thank you for stepping into the arena and encouraging others to do the same.
Bob Smith is an excellent pick and I support him. We need him to represent us, he has the intellect that has been lacking. Let’s get to work and get him elected.
Why do you think Republican turnout has been disappointingly low in recent races and special elections? I do not believe the #1 reason was given as a choice so I chose other? The #1 reason in California is that it is hopeless. The Democrat majority will vote Democrat causes and Democrat candidates in all cases. As good a candidate as Cammander Bob Smith USN Ret is does not matter. The fact that Carbajol is a fool who cannot speak but rather reads prepared statements does not matter. The fact that Smith is articulate and intelligent matters not. The 60% Democrat majority will vote for the Democrat on the ballot.
That’s why he said it’s going to come down to turn out. Midterm elections are traditionally very low turnout so if we as Republicans turn out massively, we can take a critical congressional seat.
Right and I always vote. I just think that the sense of hopelessness is why Republican turnout us low. Perhaps Commander Bob Smith USN Ret can stimulate Republican enthusiasm to get out and vote. On paper with enough turnout it is possible. No different than any other failed Republican challenge to incumbent Democrats. I truly hope so because he is a really good candidate. He has my vote for sure though I would not call him a conservative but more of a RINO, nevertheless infinitely better than that Carbajol.
Where do we sign up to host 24 friends, co-workers, neighbors to meet you? Definitely count on me to host, co-host, spread the word to vote now that we’ve an electible, highly informed, prepared candidate. Is this the correct email: bob@bobsmithforcongress.com
I’d like to see ads in print and social media, and on KEYT, KSBY, and radio. All geographic areas within CDistrict—24 boundaries need to be informed to Vote Bob Smith! That costs money so where do we send contributions?
Many of us realize we can no longer be passive and must act to solve all that’s gone wrong.
Are there precinct captains in place or is that a work in progress by SBCRC? Are elected Central Committee District Delegates responsible for organizing their districts? I’m in D1-Eucalyptus Hill-Montecito-Carp-Summerland. Is there a list of each District’s representatives?
How do we know the low propensity voters, to get every voter to return their ballot by June 2? Ballots are coming in May which is almost here.
The Fair Political Practices Act allows every voter to spend up to $1900 personally on mailings or ads, in addition to a direct candidate donation of up to $5000 or is it $7000 per person? Please tell us more specifics. .
There is a donation link in the website. For checks make out to Bob Smith for Congress and send to:
PO Box 187
Carpinteria CA 93013
Please include employer and occupation, I.e. Google/software engineer.
Max donation is $3500 per election per person. We will win the primary, so $7000 today. All donations help. The electronic donation link has a $24/month option also.
We are meeting with Republican Party area captains today.
Please contact me via the website to volunteer directly on the campaign or at bob@bobsmithforcongress.com, otherwise the SB GOP will need many volunteers to help with canvassing, which is where most of the volunteers will come from. There is a March 7th meeting at the La Cumbre office. Volunteer at www.SBCRP.org.
Do we get a televised debate this cycle on the party channels, KEYT or KSBY? Will the party elites allow a debate? Come to think of it, could be risky. Sure, marching out dumpy, boring, inarticulate and poorly spoken, Salud Carbajal, “defending
democracy” and trying to rationalize the outrageous cost of living on the south coast!
Here’s a term Commander Smith should be familiar with; “It’s all hands on deck!” Time to get out the vote, bring out your checkbook and prove to California voters that “nice guys can finish first!”
This election should be a no brainer and is as simple as: common sense versus anarchy. Yes, we all know the Dem playbook, the lying, cheating and stealing they support and engage with. People need to take a look around and realize it doesn’t have to be this way, enough is enough!
Sauld Carbajal has been nothing more than an empty suit, what has he really done for our standard of living? Hating Trump is NOT an accomplishment!
My free political advice for Candidate Smith, is to press and demand a televised debate with Carbajal (which he’ll refuse), hold his feet to the fire to justify and explain his dismissal job performance!
Let’s make it a reality…Mr. Smith Goes to Washington!
Prop 50 was a calculated Democrat stunt, using California tax payers to create national presidential chops for Gavin Newsom. As low as they can go, and they did it.
Why did the GOP stay away? And why was there no investigation of the mandatory use of TRANSLUCENT ballot return envelopes.
These Prop 50 ballot-return envelopes easily revealed the "secret vote" before the envelope was even officially opened at the SEIU member staffed county elections offices. Anyone, anywhere along the very leaky chain of universal mailing ballot custody, could have manipulated this outcome.
Maybe the GOP voter participation was not as bad as reported? Fine way to ensure election integrity. Prop 50 was a dagger into the heart of our representative form of democracy
For years, local Democrat volunteers would scour the lists of voter names posted at the polling places and contact every Democrats who had not yet voted.
This was key to their formidable GOTV efforts when we had just in-person and only one election day. Do the current ballot-tracking formats allow this same public voter participation access?
I see the reason for poor Republican turn out to vote is apathy due to the dominant Democratic foothold in California. If we could change our mindset then perhaps we would have the ability to turn things around.
Government employee union members play a huge role in Democrat "voter participation" since winning is existential to them. Their own paychecks, perks and pensions are at stake. Picking their own next bosses goes well beyond being merely a civic duty.
This is an advantage they exclusively have. When they put out yard signs saying ....."Teachers Support .........XYZ", they trade on their massive teacher union goodwill PR campaigns and little else. Look at the very small print at the bottom of those yard signs and you will find the real story is .......Teachers UNIONS .....support XYZ.
As I sit here in Florida, your article raises a few points where I think you've misled your readers — whether intentionally or not.
You begin by framing Prop 50 as undemocratic and imply that red states will now be forced to respond. With all due respect, do you understand the concept of chronological order? When did Trump direct red-state governors to gerrymander their districts for partisan advantage? When did Abbott do it in Texas? When did Newsom respond? Now ask yourself: who was undemocratic first, and who was responding to protect their state's representation?
You can fairly criticize low voter turnout, but that doesn't invalidate the outcome as undemocratic. In California, the voters chose. In Texas, the governor acted unilaterally. Those are not equivalent.
"What happened to better ideas, better leaders, better platforms?" I always find that line a bit ironic in the era of Trump. Please, tell me the substantive legislation he's signed in 13 months. What did the "Big Beautiful Bill" actually accomplish? It extended tax cuts for the wealthy and grew the deficit. That's it.
Since you strike me as a man of integrity, let's compare Trump's stated proposals to his actual results — his words versus his actions. He promised EPA cuts of 54%; the actual cut was 4%. He wanted HUD cut 44%; it increased by 1%. Kennedy's target for the CDC was a 41% cut; it was cut by 1%. NIH was supposed to be cut 39%; it increased by 1%. The SBA was targeted for a 38% cut; it remained flat. Labor was to be cut 28%; it increased by 1%. Agriculture was to be cut 23%; it increased by 2%. Treasury was supposed to be cut 19% — that one did partially pass, cut by 8%, because apparently auditing wealthy taxpayers isn't a priority. Commerce was targeted for a 16% cut; it increased by 7%. I could go on. The point is that the self-proclaimed party of fiscal responsibility is anything but.
And with that in mind, can you see the irony of asking "what happened to better ideas, better leaders, better platforms?" In a democracy, the outcome may not always be what you want — but it's still democratic. If more Mamdanis get voted in, isn't that democracy working? Or do you only support democracy when your side wins?
Now, the passage that struck me hardest:
"California is the worst in unemployment, job creation, poverty, homelessness, cost of living, cost of housing, gasoline cost, and energy costs. The state has a D rating from ASCE for infrastructure, and 65% of our children are not meeting education standards."
I can already see you have a future in politics :). Let me go through each of these:
Unemployment: California is not the worst. It is above the national average — 5.5% as of December 2025 — but economists generally define full employment as around 5%. That's not great, but it's not the crisis the framing implies, and several other states and DC rank worse.
Job creation: California ranked 37th in job growth in 2025. That is legitimately poor, but it's also something of a chicken-and-egg problem. Job creation needs to at least keep pace with workforce growth from population changes and labor market entry and exit. California's challenges here are real, but calling it "the worst" is outdated — it was dead last in 2023, but has improved since.
Poverty: Which metric are you using — the Supplemental Poverty Measure or the Official Poverty Measure? Under the SPM, which adjusts for cost of living, California ties with Louisiana for the highest rate. Under the OPM, it does not rank worst. The SPM is arguably the more honest picture, but the distinction matters when making absolute claims.
Homelessness: I find this one particularly interesting, because I'm here in Tampa right now with my child, who hasn't been to Florida since age 10. My child has only read about the LA and Santa Barbara homeless situation and assumed it was uniquely horrific. Driving around Tampa, we're seeing panhandlers at lights and homeless encampments that look no different. Homelessness is not a California problem — it is an American problem driven by housing costs, wages, and mental health resources, or the lack thereof.
Cost of housing: Yes, it's high. But it's fundamentally a wage problem as much as a cost problem. Think about what drives housing costs: land, materials, labor, fees, and profit. What can government realistically control? Fees — which represent perhaps 1% of total cost. And now, Trump's tariffs have pushed material costs even higher. Reducing fees won't move the needle meaningfully on overall affordability.
ASCE infrastructure grade: ASCE gave California a C-, not a D. Still not impressive — and below the national grade of C — but the claim is factually wrong.
Education: Approximately 53% of students failed to meet ELA standards, and 64% failed to meet math standards on the state assessment. The overall picture is genuinely concerning. But here's my challenge to you: if you're serious about fixing education, are you willing to fund it? Consistently cutting education budgets while demanding better outcomes is deliberately starving the beast to guarantee the failure you're complaining about.
California has real, serious problems worth debating. But overstating them with inaccurate statistics undermines your credibility and lets the people who caused these problems off the hook.
- Trump did not “direct” Texas read my comment above or read the actual timeline of what happened in Texas. Trump wanting to take advantage of the ruling is different than ordering redistricting in Texas.
- over regulation is the top driver in cost here, the UC economic summit states this every 6 months. It’s not the sunshine, land, or anything else. We have 200k more regulations than any other state in the west. Over 400k regulations puts as the top state in that category.
- Not taking cost of living data in poverty calculations is worthless data
- 100% agree on fiscal responsibility. Nothing to refute.
- there is almost no democracy here in CA. One party plays a shell game behind the scenes and moves politicians around. Roy Lee being elected county supervisor, is one of the only clear examples here on the central coast and that took an enormous effort by many people on both sides working behind the scenes to remove corrupt Das Williams who was living the shell game life of moving around from seat to seat in a political career. The Democrats know exactly who will move to which seat as people term out. Don’t believe me? Try to run for office as a Democrat here and go down to the party to get a fair shot. You won’t get 1 second of consideration unless you are jumping into their entry level of the machine.
The state legislature is passing like 1200 laws per year here without a single check and balance. Thats obscene. I wouldn’t run a single engineering project or program without building a team of diverse opinion. Every project would be a disaster.
- education. Can’t state this enough, it’s a top 3 item for me.
On cost of living and poverty calculations — I understand the argument, but no one is guaranteed the right to live anywhere they choose. Until you remove capitalism, eliminate private land ownership, or — better yet — seriously address wages, cost of living pressure will always exist. That's not a California-specific failure; it's a structural economic reality.
On fiscal responsibility — should Trump have raised taxes to actually balance the books? I'm genuinely asking, because the party that runs on fiscal discipline just extended tax cuts for the wealthy and grew the deficit. That's not a rhetorical question.
On the "better ideas, better platforms" theme you keep returning to — I'm still waiting for specifics. If you want to talk nationally, I'll be direct: Trump suffers from what I'd call ODS and BDS — Obama Derangement Syndrome and Biden Derangement Syndrome. His governing philosophy is almost entirely "undo." Cap insulin at $35? Undo it. Obamacare stabilizing rural hospitals and expanding healthcare access? Undo it, with no alternative beyond "in two weeks..." The CRA? Trying to undo it. The Republican Party currently has no affirmative policy agenda — no plans, no ideas — just opposition and reversal. I understand you may disagree with some Democratic policies, and fair enough. But as a commander, you know that doing nothing is not a viable option. You may choose wrong, but inaction is its own choice, and often the worst one.
On the 1200 laws without checks and balances — I have to call that out directly, because it simply doesn't hold up. Those laws passed through both legislative chambers and were signed by the governor. That is, by definition, a system of checks and balances. The statement as written doesn't make sense.
And while we're being precise: how many of those 1200 laws are line-item adjustments in trailer bills? Something in the range of 25%? A solid majority are administrative — moving chairs around, as any legislative body does. California is not meaningfully different from Texas or Florida in that regard; both produce large volumes of legislation annually, much of it non-substantive. Arguing volume without discussing substance is a rhetorical sleight of hand, and I know you're better than that.
On education — you've consistently sidestepped my core question, so I'll ask it one more time, plainly: will you commit to funding education to get the outcomes you want, or are you demanding that schools deliver results with a budget that's been deliberately constrained? Because if it's the latter, you already know what the answer will be. You can't starve a system and then cite its failure as justification for further cuts. That's not reform — that's a predetermined outcome.
David, you'll have to stand by for my Bob Talk series coming on topics like Education, it's too much for a comment section here. But whatever you keep saying is the opposite of what I plan to do: bringing federal resources back to our district. Our Congressman is in the bottom 4% of Congress in bringing home federal resources. We are among the highest-taxed people in the country, and among the lowest in pork brought back. I'm already in communication with foundations to improve the education problem, and especially for the Hispanic population that's being left behind by our schools.
I can't keep doing this with Texas for everyone whose political gripes started in January 2025. Google "complete timeline of Texas redistricting."
The lawsuit started in 2021, claiming Texas diluted minorities in congressional districts. Texas courts ruled in 2023. No DJT in office. Those lawsuits were brought by Democratic-leaning minority advocacy groups, like LULAC.
Trump comes into play with the order to now redraw from that series of events.
To be clear...I'm not defending any of it. But the facts on how Texas got to mid-census cycle redistricting are selective here. CA got to mid-census redistricting by purely political motive against the President, not a court order.
I do look forward to hearing the education responses.
I sincerely doubt that you or ANY local federal politician will be able to get money back into the district. Someone needs to fund underfunded areas. The issue is that there are more underfunded areas, and they have more votes than your single vote.
You can keep bringing up things, but dude, seriously, that lawsuit was NOT about federal gerrymandering, but about STATE gerrymandering. Read the claims. Yes, it did impact federal, but every point in that filing shows that Texas avoided precedent and the CRA. The state lost over and over until it hit SCOTUS, then it became partisan. And then look at SCOTUS's ruling. They didn't rule against the suit; they just chickenshitted and played the "well, let it keep being litigated, but no stay."
Bob, I just want to add one more response to this.
"Our Congressman is in the bottom 4% of Congress in bringing home federal resources. We are among the highest-taxed people in the country, and among the lowest in pork brought back."
Words matter. I'd vote for you in a minute if you were more honest.
How are we among the highest-taxed people in the country? That makes NO SENSE with the context. Santa Barbara County does not have a different federal tax rate than any other place in the US. Your words matter. You are trying the Fox method of creating rage instead of wording things that are accurate, not rage-baiting.
This, in my opinion, is a better way to get to your point: not misleading, not playing clichés, and not trying to give red meat to your tribe.
I do not like that our Congressman ranks in the bottom 4% of Congress in returning our federal tax dollars to our district. If you elect me, I will strive to return more of our federal tax dollars and not be in the bottom 4%. I want our tax dollars to go to . . . and list off what you want the money to come back for.
David, you know this response is nonsense. Do you claim 183 days of residence in Florida or California? Be honest.
SB City has a family income $40k higher than Fort Myers City. Do we need to have a math lesson here? Over $93k also puts you in the 22% tax bracket. The average in Ft Myers stays at 12%.
You are constantly posting things just to argue. Just be honest. You claim Florida as your residence to skirt taxes, then argue for CA's failed policies...
I'm literally tired of these hypocritical arguments. If someone posts an article here about Medicare costs in CA, you'll have a tirade on here about how CA is a "contributor" state over red states. Then I state we pay more in taxes, and objectively, our congressman brings none of it home, then you argue federal taxes are the same, which is it, David?
I understand how DC works. This is my life. I can guarantee you that in my first year in Congress, I double the resources brought home...
Bob, I live in Santa Barbara. My driver's license is Californian, and I just renewed it, and my voter registration is there. My travel is mainly work-related, so the 183-day attack is not in play. Last year, because a client was in St. Augustine, I spent about 90 days total in Florida; the year before, I spent 6; the year before, 7. Then, from 2020 to 2022, it was around 10 days combined. I have never questioned your authenticity. Do you want to go down that path? I have been nothing but honest. The last time I claimed Florida residence was in 2002. I spent 100 days in CA that year, the rest in FL.
But let's do math and English! Will you admit that the federal tax rate is the same everywhere? That is English. I do not see on any IRS form/website that SB county pays more. Now for the math component. I do not care what someone earns in any city. The tax rate is the same throughout. If a person earns $20k, $ 100k, $ 500k, or $ 10mm, the IRS tax rate schedule applies to them, regardless of which city they are in.
I am not posting things to argue. In fact, I find that very ironic, given YOUR post about better platforms and ideas. If ideas can not pass scrutiny tests, what value do they have? There is a saying: "Iron sharpens iron." If you look at the composition of the people on this substack, you can replace the name with any of them, and they are all the same. They are angry at the world for some unknown reason, but of course want to blame the government, and then, if it was not their turn to write an article, they applaud the author. There is never any verification of the claims, and that is where I come in. I am the skeptic. If it sounds too far-fetched, I want to validate it.
If you are going to put words in my mouth, at least get it right. If someone wants to complain about Medicare costs in CA, you are damn right I will go on a tirade. Why? I will compare what CA does for its citizens with what other states do. If you want CA to be like other states, then there is ZERO chance I would ever consider voting for you. I am sitting in Florida, again, until the 28th. Florida gives zero fucks about its citizens who are in need compared to CA. I have no idea how you would classify this person, but a deceased niece of mine's son is now 17. He is autistic and has serious issues. He still wears diapers, does not talk, and needs assistance. His father is an alcoholic in and out of jail, and at best could had a job working at Arby's, paying $7.25 an hour for 20 hours a week. So the kid's grandmother is raising him and his younger sister. She has her own health issues and gets paid $12 an hour doing support on the phones. She tries hard to get hours, but her employer does not offer health insurance. In Florida, I have tried to get the kid help. I have expended money out of my pocket to hire attorneys to fight in the state system, and the state keeps coming back with a 'fuck you.' In CA, that does not happen. So go ahead and argue that Medicare costs are too high, I will tell you that it is not wasted money. Do I like the 3.8% surchage? Of course not. Do I realize what it goes to and the benefit of it? HELL YES.
You posit that there are too many regulations. That is fine, but you are arguing about volume rather than context. Show me the ones that are the problems. I feel confident in stating that the ones that you feel are burdensome are the ones that hold businesses liable for their actions. However, I will hold off on going deeper into this until you give me some that you think should be repealed. Post a link to this 'UC summit.'
You did not state that we pay more in taxes. You stated that we were overtaxed at the federal level compared to other states. Again, words matter. We are taxed NO differently than any other state.
And again, in regard to bringing more home to our community, I'd love to see it. I seriously would. As much as I disliked Richard Shelby, he was the master of getting WAY more than was paid in for his state. But math is math. If you bring more back, where does it come from? Are you going to take from other states? Are you going to recommend raising taxes to generate the revenue to pay the district back more? I would like to see the source of the 4% claim. Again, I do not know where we sit, so I am skeptical of the claim.
And, in regard to this, "I understand how DC works. This is my life. I can guarantee you that in my first year in Congress, I double the resources brought home." The skeptic in me kicks in. How does a non-politician know how politics works? That makes no sense to me. What happens if you are elected and you do not double the money brought back? Does this guarantee mean that you will . . . kill yourself? Give me my vote back? Not run again? What is the value of the guarantee? My only currency is MY vote. You are asking me to TRUST you. Give me reasons why. As I have stated before, I do believe that we basically want the same thing: our country to be better, our children to have a better life. I know we will differ on the methods to get there. However, if you are going to lean on the employer rather than the employee, we will differ drastically. I have seen way too many private employers that treat labor as disposable.
But to enlighten you. I am a 6th-generation Floridian. I moved to CA and to SB in 2003. My driver's license and voting are there. Where my head sleeps at night, well, that is always up in the air.
I have property in SB and in Florida. I travel a LOT. Last year, I flew over 40k miles. So far this year, I have already done about 20k miles. Yes, SB Airbus loves me :) Seeing that you seem to care. Next weekend I fly back to SB. The following weekend, I am in NorCal. Two weeks later, I am flying to Zurich until the end of March. Then I am flying back to SB. Middle of April, up to NorCal for 5 days, back to SB for a day, then back to Florida until the end of the month, then back to SB. Then, in the middle of May, heading to Turkey, the UAE, and Cairo for about 3-4 weeks. I am working on a project that may have me 'living' in London for 2 to possibly 3 months. After that, if that goes through, I will head over to France, my wife will fly out, and we will live there for 6 to 8 weeks.
Where do you get your numbers Dave? From what I could find, under Trump EPA has reduced staff by 33%, HUD by 23%. I could not confirm any of your numbers. Where do you get your information, from Sesame Street? Your reposting of garbage numbers from garbage websites is boring. Close your computer and write from the heart. Like AOC when asked about American response to Chinese aggression in Taiwan.
Let me start with the simplest thing. If you do not like what I write, do not read it.
Again, you are so insecure. You always have to resort to personal attacks.
Read your article. Look at the date. It was 4/1/25.
Now read what I wrote. What was WANTED versus what was DONE. That was the NYT article. All the puffery, all the cuts, and everything that was being done were NEVER DONE to the extent stated.
Would you believe the information if it were from Newsmax or Fox News?
Is this where you admit that you were wrong, or are you going to double down and claim fake news or something about bias or something about being inaccurate?
So either I am Nostradamus with my pre-conceived notions, or there are numerous journalists reporting on data, and I have just read it. I wonder what it is.
Hey idiot your link as an alternate to the NYT link was a summary of the NYT article. You don’t even read the links you post. Fraud you are. Go charge your Tesla and get a covid booster.
If you don’t like what The Current writes, don’t read it. I can find 50 links to support or refute anything I want. I am sick of people like you that argue with every conservative point and post links to “prove they are right”. We know you hate Trump and you are a global warming idiot. Fine, you are entitled to your opinion but posting links does not prove anything. I avoid googling or using AI because it is a bias amplifier and does not get me closer to the truth. When you are in Turkey, give my regards to Sarper.
It sounds to me like you want an echo chamber. If that is the case, why not just create this as an invite-only and the dozen of you can keep each other happy.
The irony that you proclaim to state facts, while not validating them with primary and secondary sources, is not lost on me. It does support the echo chamber concept, though. I think you need to learn the difference between opinion and fact.
Yup, I will more than likely be back in Turkey, the UAE, and Cairo this year. Capitalism is wonderful. My services are in such high demand that I can get around the world to provide them.
Is that hot Florida sun getting to you? Same old tired, outdated talking points trying to rationalize the obvious. Rome is burning Pal, and Newsom is playing the violin while quite literally, Pacific Palisades has burned to the ground.
You can complain as much as you want about CA. That is fine. Assuming that others are better is comical. It is so easy to figure out how this country works.
Money moves East to West.
Technology moves from the West to the East.
Laws move from Europe to CA, then from CA to the rest (eventually.)
Gosh, things could be looking up in California as Texas also "lite the fuse" for no state income taxes, reduced regulations, drill baby drill and cooperation with ICE.
I sometimes question how well people understand how business actually works. Then I hear slogans like “Drill, baby, drill,” and it answers that question.
More drilling by itself does not lower prices. Increased supply lowers prices. And lower prices do not automatically make drilling profitable. Oil companies are not obligated to extract oil at a loss. They drill when it is economically viable.
The real question is: at what price point is drilling profitable in the U.S., Venezuela, the Middle East, or Canada? Once you understand those break-even levels, you understand when production will increase. In the United States, profitability often requires significantly higher oil prices than in lower-cost regions.
When people say “reduce regulations,” what does that actually mean? Be specific. If the goal is no income tax, look at Florida or Texas. But taxes do not disappear — they shift.
For example, I own property in Florida worth around $300,000 and pay nearly $6,000 annually in property taxes. When I’m there, I pay over $20 per week in tolls. Hotel taxes run 13.5% or more. Rental cars include state sales tax plus additional daily fees. The structure is different, but the revenue is still collected.
If you want to understand the real difference between California and Florida, look at how each state handles unemployment. In California, unemployment benefits can reach $450 per week for up to 26 weeks. In Florida, the cap is about $270 per week for up to 12 weeks. In California, someone with no income may qualify for Medi-Cal. Florida’s safety net is more limited.
The core difference is not whether money is collected — it is how much is collected and how broadly the state chooses to provide support.
Gavin Newsom was looking for any issue to raise his national standing. There was NO reason to play games with Texas. None.
If anything, Prop 50 was concocted in response to the recent SCOTUS ruling against any form of racial discrimination, which is what unglued Newsom. He knew he risked losing his many California Voting Rights Act racially-based "protected" rotten-borough voting districts(D).
Maybe your search would show you that Texas was started by Democrats.
After the 2022 midterms, groups like LULAC filed a lawsuit that Texas’s congressional districts were violating the civil rights act.
Then Trump won 63% of Hispanics in Texas in 2024, so then the Democrat position was “just kidding, districts are fine.” But the lawsuit already advanced to the Texas Supreme Court and they agreed they violated the civil rights act and Texas must redistrict. The Republican administration in power used that to their advantage.
That said, I know it’s hard to get past the headline, “Trump ordered Texas,” which is factually untrue, he wasn’t in office in 2022. Both parties are playing these political games behind the scenes and all it does is destroy a democratic process - you know the part where the people hold elected officials accountable, not where parties just install people?
CA’s law before it was nuked, had a provision where anyone participating in redistricting is banned from political office for 10 years…something that should be modeled in other states.
But instead we’ll ruin democracy in our state as long as we can impeach Trump. If Democrats win the house it will be two years of impeachments, which will never be tried by the Senate. A huge waste of our taxpayer dollars while our adversaries laugh at how dysfunctional we are and China takes the lead.
Brains are broken here in CA if you cheer for America to fail while our state fails in almost every category with 2 decades of supermajority rule.
Thank you candidate "Bob" Smith for your keen insights about process, as well as issues. Both are on the table in our form of representative government.
Your insights and real life experience are highly valued. Party line bots, over the past few decades, have not served this state or nation well.
Wish Bob Smith would be a man of integrity but because his post completely ignores the reality of what drove Newsom to act completely invalidates his argument. It's 'selective argumentation - my side good; your side bad' posturing that is why we will never get out of this mess with men like this. I would have much more respected his views if he would have, say argued, for completely independent redistricting committees nationwide, and called out both sides to put partisanship aside for the good of the long-term health of our democracy. But no, he can't do that because being honest about why we are in this mess in the first place would anger the MAGA base who is always selective in their outrage.
That's what you took away? Criticizing CA's redistricting IS having integrity. The entire point is for parties to support quality candidates and better ideas, not playing 10-year census gerrymandering wars.
Gerrymandering is not party-specific. I have all the numbers on this. Both parties are gerrymandering their top 10 states at the same level of congressional district apportionment to presidential vote %. Blue states get more seats from it because their top 10 includes NY, NJ, MD, CA, IL, etc., highly populated district states, because large cities are the #1 factor in gerrymandering. Which is why, in CA, top-ticket Democrats get 58% of the vote but hold 83% of the seats before Prop 50; after, it will be 92%. Happy to share the data with you.
Secondly, the latter half of the article is solely criticizing the Republican Party for complaining about the results and elections while not voting...
What are you talking about? There was nothing "MAGA" in this article, and there is nothing MAGA about why CA is failing in many categories, nothing at all. I'm sorry that you were conned into voting for "Save Democracy" while literally giving away your voting power to politicians here, and justifying it by pointing to another wrong and saying, "Look at them." Explain kids reading at a lower level than in Mississippi while spending 3x per student? I know, it's Trump's fault... not Newsom's "driven" to save our state. What drives Newsom to do anything is his own political career...as does any career politician.
Democrats here should say, "I want more competent candidates in our party to fix these issues, fewer socialists destroying business, our budgets, and opportunity here, and if not, I'm voting for change across the aisle until you provide one." This is Democracy. Being ruled by a political class of people here with no chance to be removed other than a primary in the party, which they refuse to entertain, is the opposite of that.
Maybe show up to the speaker series or the UCSB Economic Summit and listen to frustrated people on both sides ask how to fix these problems here...
The rural district feeds all the people in the city. I know people here think food comes from plastic containers at Whole Foods, but it actually comes from farmers keeping land agriculture and not concrete. The fact you think GDP is most important for representation says everything…
The image that you are trying to portray is that of a farmer in this family who has had that land for decades, and it has been passed down, and now the 5th grandson is running it. That is inaccurate. Farming is a big business and heavily consolidated. Isn't it something like 80% of all tomatoes grown in the state are by 4 companies? Sure, some crops aren't as consolidated.
No, I am not saying that GDP is most important for representation. Again, if you are going to put words in my mouth, get it right. I am stating that the output of large urban cities feeds the rural areas. One is a donor, the other the recipient.
I am well aware of how districts are drawn. There will always be more reps in urban areas than rural areas. The concept is equal representation, measured by population. This is why I often laugh when you see the red/blue maps and people show how red a certain section is. Land does not vote, people do.
Show me in your article where you criticize Texas for breaking precedent and bowing to Trump's edict to create five additional seats for Republicans and I'll see if you truly are a man of integrity.
And if a frog had wings he wouldn’t bump his butt when he jumps!
Why do the CommieCrats keep getting elected? Because they promise the stupid voters everything with slick media and phony dreams! None of it true - so what! Can’t deliver? Who cares?
“Democrats branded their campaign “Save Democracy from Authoritarianism - Vote Yes.” That’s how ya win!
The GOP better get their sh . ., er, act together and start realizing that you gotta fool ‘em to win ‘em! Otherwise, it’s like telling my Golden Retriever - ’Bucky, go into the living room and bring me my cane.’ Fun to hope, but it ain’t gonna work!
Strong piece, Commander Smith. Whether people agree or disagree politically, your central point about participation is absolutely right — democracy only works when citizens actually engage. Turnout matters. Organization matters. Accountability matters.
I especially appreciate the focus on competition and civic involvement at the local level. Regardless of party, we should want districts that encourage real debate, better ideas, and responsive leadership. Encouraging people to vote early, track their ballots, and get involved beyond just posting online is a message that transcends party lines.
Civic engagement isn’t optional — it’s the foundation. Thank you for stepping into the arena and encouraging others to do the same.
Get out and Vote your Country is depending on you!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Get out and Vote California is depending on you🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Vote for Bob Smith 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Vote June 2 Primary 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Bob Smith is an excellent pick and I support him. We need him to represent us, he has the intellect that has been lacking. Let’s get to work and get him elected.
Why do you think Republican turnout has been disappointingly low in recent races and special elections? I do not believe the #1 reason was given as a choice so I chose other? The #1 reason in California is that it is hopeless. The Democrat majority will vote Democrat causes and Democrat candidates in all cases. As good a candidate as Cammander Bob Smith USN Ret is does not matter. The fact that Carbajol is a fool who cannot speak but rather reads prepared statements does not matter. The fact that Smith is articulate and intelligent matters not. The 60% Democrat majority will vote for the Democrat on the ballot.
That’s why he said it’s going to come down to turn out. Midterm elections are traditionally very low turnout so if we as Republicans turn out massively, we can take a critical congressional seat.
Get your butts out and vote!
Right and I always vote. I just think that the sense of hopelessness is why Republican turnout us low. Perhaps Commander Bob Smith USN Ret can stimulate Republican enthusiasm to get out and vote. On paper with enough turnout it is possible. No different than any other failed Republican challenge to incumbent Democrats. I truly hope so because he is a really good candidate. He has my vote for sure though I would not call him a conservative but more of a RINO, nevertheless infinitely better than that Carbajol.
Please vote! Your actions make a difference.
Where do we sign up to host 24 friends, co-workers, neighbors to meet you? Definitely count on me to host, co-host, spread the word to vote now that we’ve an electible, highly informed, prepared candidate. Is this the correct email: bob@bobsmithforcongress.com
I’d like to see ads in print and social media, and on KEYT, KSBY, and radio. All geographic areas within CDistrict—24 boundaries need to be informed to Vote Bob Smith! That costs money so where do we send contributions?
Many of us realize we can no longer be passive and must act to solve all that’s gone wrong.
Are there precinct captains in place or is that a work in progress by SBCRC? Are elected Central Committee District Delegates responsible for organizing their districts? I’m in D1-Eucalyptus Hill-Montecito-Carp-Summerland. Is there a list of each District’s representatives?
How do we know the low propensity voters, to get every voter to return their ballot by June 2? Ballots are coming in May which is almost here.
The Fair Political Practices Act allows every voter to spend up to $1900 personally on mailings or ads, in addition to a direct candidate donation of up to $5000 or is it $7000 per person? Please tell us more specifics. .
Website: www.bobsmithforcongress.com
There is a donation link in the website. For checks make out to Bob Smith for Congress and send to:
PO Box 187
Carpinteria CA 93013
Please include employer and occupation, I.e. Google/software engineer.
Max donation is $3500 per election per person. We will win the primary, so $7000 today. All donations help. The electronic donation link has a $24/month option also.
We are meeting with Republican Party area captains today.
Please contact me via the website to volunteer directly on the campaign or at bob@bobsmithforcongress.com, otherwise the SB GOP will need many volunteers to help with canvassing, which is where most of the volunteers will come from. There is a March 7th meeting at the La Cumbre office. Volunteer at www.SBCRP.org.
Do we get a televised debate this cycle on the party channels, KEYT or KSBY? Will the party elites allow a debate? Come to think of it, could be risky. Sure, marching out dumpy, boring, inarticulate and poorly spoken, Salud Carbajal, “defending
democracy” and trying to rationalize the outrageous cost of living on the south coast!
Here’s a term Commander Smith should be familiar with; “It’s all hands on deck!” Time to get out the vote, bring out your checkbook and prove to California voters that “nice guys can finish first!”
This election should be a no brainer and is as simple as: common sense versus anarchy. Yes, we all know the Dem playbook, the lying, cheating and stealing they support and engage with. People need to take a look around and realize it doesn’t have to be this way, enough is enough!
Sauld Carbajal has been nothing more than an empty suit, what has he really done for our standard of living? Hating Trump is NOT an accomplishment!
My free political advice for Candidate Smith, is to press and demand a televised debate with Carbajal (which he’ll refuse), hold his feet to the fire to justify and explain his dismissal job performance!
Let’s make it a reality…Mr. Smith Goes to Washington!
Prop 50 was a calculated Democrat stunt, using California tax payers to create national presidential chops for Gavin Newsom. As low as they can go, and they did it.
Why did the GOP stay away? And why was there no investigation of the mandatory use of TRANSLUCENT ballot return envelopes.
These Prop 50 ballot-return envelopes easily revealed the "secret vote" before the envelope was even officially opened at the SEIU member staffed county elections offices. Anyone, anywhere along the very leaky chain of universal mailing ballot custody, could have manipulated this outcome.
Maybe the GOP voter participation was not as bad as reported? Fine way to ensure election integrity. Prop 50 was a dagger into the heart of our representative form of democracy
People are too lazy to fill out the ballot sitting on their kitchen counter. I have been saying this for years.
So how do you get people to care?
If a person complains the first question i ask is “did you vote?” Followed by “who did you vote for?”
Drag the horse to water you still cant force him to fill out a ballot. Unless you do what Democrats do, go retrieve them.
For years, local Democrat volunteers would scour the lists of voter names posted at the polling places and contact every Democrats who had not yet voted.
This was key to their formidable GOTV efforts when we had just in-person and only one election day. Do the current ballot-tracking formats allow this same public voter participation access?
I see the reason for poor Republican turn out to vote is apathy due to the dominant Democratic foothold in California. If we could change our mindset then perhaps we would have the ability to turn things around.
Government employee union members play a huge role in Democrat "voter participation" since winning is existential to them. Their own paychecks, perks and pensions are at stake. Picking their own next bosses goes well beyond being merely a civic duty.
This is an advantage they exclusively have. When they put out yard signs saying ....."Teachers Support .........XYZ", they trade on their massive teacher union goodwill PR campaigns and little else. Look at the very small print at the bottom of those yard signs and you will find the real story is .......Teachers UNIONS .....support XYZ.
Bob,
As I sit here in Florida, your article raises a few points where I think you've misled your readers — whether intentionally or not.
You begin by framing Prop 50 as undemocratic and imply that red states will now be forced to respond. With all due respect, do you understand the concept of chronological order? When did Trump direct red-state governors to gerrymander their districts for partisan advantage? When did Abbott do it in Texas? When did Newsom respond? Now ask yourself: who was undemocratic first, and who was responding to protect their state's representation?
You can fairly criticize low voter turnout, but that doesn't invalidate the outcome as undemocratic. In California, the voters chose. In Texas, the governor acted unilaterally. Those are not equivalent.
"What happened to better ideas, better leaders, better platforms?" I always find that line a bit ironic in the era of Trump. Please, tell me the substantive legislation he's signed in 13 months. What did the "Big Beautiful Bill" actually accomplish? It extended tax cuts for the wealthy and grew the deficit. That's it.
Since you strike me as a man of integrity, let's compare Trump's stated proposals to his actual results — his words versus his actions. He promised EPA cuts of 54%; the actual cut was 4%. He wanted HUD cut 44%; it increased by 1%. Kennedy's target for the CDC was a 41% cut; it was cut by 1%. NIH was supposed to be cut 39%; it increased by 1%. The SBA was targeted for a 38% cut; it remained flat. Labor was to be cut 28%; it increased by 1%. Agriculture was to be cut 23%; it increased by 2%. Treasury was supposed to be cut 19% — that one did partially pass, cut by 8%, because apparently auditing wealthy taxpayers isn't a priority. Commerce was targeted for a 16% cut; it increased by 7%. I could go on. The point is that the self-proclaimed party of fiscal responsibility is anything but.
And with that in mind, can you see the irony of asking "what happened to better ideas, better leaders, better platforms?" In a democracy, the outcome may not always be what you want — but it's still democratic. If more Mamdanis get voted in, isn't that democracy working? Or do you only support democracy when your side wins?
Now, the passage that struck me hardest:
"California is the worst in unemployment, job creation, poverty, homelessness, cost of living, cost of housing, gasoline cost, and energy costs. The state has a D rating from ASCE for infrastructure, and 65% of our children are not meeting education standards."
I can already see you have a future in politics :). Let me go through each of these:
Unemployment: California is not the worst. It is above the national average — 5.5% as of December 2025 — but economists generally define full employment as around 5%. That's not great, but it's not the crisis the framing implies, and several other states and DC rank worse.
Job creation: California ranked 37th in job growth in 2025. That is legitimately poor, but it's also something of a chicken-and-egg problem. Job creation needs to at least keep pace with workforce growth from population changes and labor market entry and exit. California's challenges here are real, but calling it "the worst" is outdated — it was dead last in 2023, but has improved since.
Poverty: Which metric are you using — the Supplemental Poverty Measure or the Official Poverty Measure? Under the SPM, which adjusts for cost of living, California ties with Louisiana for the highest rate. Under the OPM, it does not rank worst. The SPM is arguably the more honest picture, but the distinction matters when making absolute claims.
Homelessness: I find this one particularly interesting, because I'm here in Tampa right now with my child, who hasn't been to Florida since age 10. My child has only read about the LA and Santa Barbara homeless situation and assumed it was uniquely horrific. Driving around Tampa, we're seeing panhandlers at lights and homeless encampments that look no different. Homelessness is not a California problem — it is an American problem driven by housing costs, wages, and mental health resources, or the lack thereof.
Cost of housing: Yes, it's high. But it's fundamentally a wage problem as much as a cost problem. Think about what drives housing costs: land, materials, labor, fees, and profit. What can government realistically control? Fees — which represent perhaps 1% of total cost. And now, Trump's tariffs have pushed material costs even higher. Reducing fees won't move the needle meaningfully on overall affordability.
ASCE infrastructure grade: ASCE gave California a C-, not a D. Still not impressive — and below the national grade of C — but the claim is factually wrong.
Education: Approximately 53% of students failed to meet ELA standards, and 64% failed to meet math standards on the state assessment. The overall picture is genuinely concerning. But here's my challenge to you: if you're serious about fixing education, are you willing to fund it? Consistently cutting education budgets while demanding better outcomes is deliberately starving the beast to guarantee the failure you're complaining about.
California has real, serious problems worth debating. But overstating them with inaccurate statistics undermines your credibility and lets the people who caused these problems off the hook.
- Trump did not “direct” Texas read my comment above or read the actual timeline of what happened in Texas. Trump wanting to take advantage of the ruling is different than ordering redistricting in Texas.
- over regulation is the top driver in cost here, the UC economic summit states this every 6 months. It’s not the sunshine, land, or anything else. We have 200k more regulations than any other state in the west. Over 400k regulations puts as the top state in that category.
- Not taking cost of living data in poverty calculations is worthless data
- 100% agree on fiscal responsibility. Nothing to refute.
- there is almost no democracy here in CA. One party plays a shell game behind the scenes and moves politicians around. Roy Lee being elected county supervisor, is one of the only clear examples here on the central coast and that took an enormous effort by many people on both sides working behind the scenes to remove corrupt Das Williams who was living the shell game life of moving around from seat to seat in a political career. The Democrats know exactly who will move to which seat as people term out. Don’t believe me? Try to run for office as a Democrat here and go down to the party to get a fair shot. You won’t get 1 second of consideration unless you are jumping into their entry level of the machine.
The state legislature is passing like 1200 laws per year here without a single check and balance. Thats obscene. I wouldn’t run a single engineering project or program without building a team of diverse opinion. Every project would be a disaster.
- education. Can’t state this enough, it’s a top 3 item for me.
Bob,
On the timeline — Trump ordered Abbott on August 15th:
https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-house-republicans-texas-redistricting-d18e8280a32872d9eefcbb26f66a0331
Newsom responded on August 21st. And the title of Prop 50 makes the sequence self-evident — it was literally called the Election Rigging Response Act:
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/21/governor-newsom-signs-election-rigging-response-act-legislative-package-gives-people-power-to-push-back-on-trumps-attempts-to-shred-democracy/
On cost of living and poverty calculations — I understand the argument, but no one is guaranteed the right to live anywhere they choose. Until you remove capitalism, eliminate private land ownership, or — better yet — seriously address wages, cost of living pressure will always exist. That's not a California-specific failure; it's a structural economic reality.
On fiscal responsibility — should Trump have raised taxes to actually balance the books? I'm genuinely asking, because the party that runs on fiscal discipline just extended tax cuts for the wealthy and grew the deficit. That's not a rhetorical question.
On the "better ideas, better platforms" theme you keep returning to — I'm still waiting for specifics. If you want to talk nationally, I'll be direct: Trump suffers from what I'd call ODS and BDS — Obama Derangement Syndrome and Biden Derangement Syndrome. His governing philosophy is almost entirely "undo." Cap insulin at $35? Undo it. Obamacare stabilizing rural hospitals and expanding healthcare access? Undo it, with no alternative beyond "in two weeks..." The CRA? Trying to undo it. The Republican Party currently has no affirmative policy agenda — no plans, no ideas — just opposition and reversal. I understand you may disagree with some Democratic policies, and fair enough. But as a commander, you know that doing nothing is not a viable option. You may choose wrong, but inaction is its own choice, and often the worst one.
On the 1200 laws without checks and balances — I have to call that out directly, because it simply doesn't hold up. Those laws passed through both legislative chambers and were signed by the governor. That is, by definition, a system of checks and balances. The statement as written doesn't make sense.
And while we're being precise: how many of those 1200 laws are line-item adjustments in trailer bills? Something in the range of 25%? A solid majority are administrative — moving chairs around, as any legislative body does. California is not meaningfully different from Texas or Florida in that regard; both produce large volumes of legislation annually, much of it non-substantive. Arguing volume without discussing substance is a rhetorical sleight of hand, and I know you're better than that.
On education — you've consistently sidestepped my core question, so I'll ask it one more time, plainly: will you commit to funding education to get the outcomes you want, or are you demanding that schools deliver results with a budget that's been deliberately constrained? Because if it's the latter, you already know what the answer will be. You can't starve a system and then cite its failure as justification for further cuts. That's not reform — that's a predetermined outcome.
David, you'll have to stand by for my Bob Talk series coming on topics like Education, it's too much for a comment section here. But whatever you keep saying is the opposite of what I plan to do: bringing federal resources back to our district. Our Congressman is in the bottom 4% of Congress in bringing home federal resources. We are among the highest-taxed people in the country, and among the lowest in pork brought back. I'm already in communication with foundations to improve the education problem, and especially for the Hispanic population that's being left behind by our schools.
I can't keep doing this with Texas for everyone whose political gripes started in January 2025. Google "complete timeline of Texas redistricting."
The lawsuit started in 2021, claiming Texas diluted minorities in congressional districts. Texas courts ruled in 2023. No DJT in office. Those lawsuits were brought by Democratic-leaning minority advocacy groups, like LULAC.
Trump comes into play with the order to now redraw from that series of events.
To be clear...I'm not defending any of it. But the facts on how Texas got to mid-census cycle redistricting are selective here. CA got to mid-census redistricting by purely political motive against the President, not a court order.
Bob,
I do look forward to hearing the education responses.
I sincerely doubt that you or ANY local federal politician will be able to get money back into the district. Someone needs to fund underfunded areas. The issue is that there are more underfunded areas, and they have more votes than your single vote.
Here is your gut check test as a politician Bob.
https://redistricting.capitol.texas.gov/docs/history/2020s/LULAC_v_Abbott.pdf
You can keep bringing up things, but dude, seriously, that lawsuit was NOT about federal gerrymandering, but about STATE gerrymandering. Read the claims. Yes, it did impact federal, but every point in that filing shows that Texas avoided precedent and the CRA. The state lost over and over until it hit SCOTUS, then it became partisan. And then look at SCOTUS's ruling. They didn't rule against the suit; they just chickenshitted and played the "well, let it keep being litigated, but no stay."
And Bob, please, seriously, show some integrity. https://lulac.org/news/pr/LULAC_MARKS_97_YEARS_OF_DEFENDING_CIVIL_RIGHTS_AND_ADVANCING_OPPORTUNITY/. Lulac has been around for nearly 100 years, but somehow, it is democrat leaning. Pfft. And this: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522072106, that org that is upside down by nearly 2mm, is what you are worried about?
Bob, I just want to add one more response to this.
"Our Congressman is in the bottom 4% of Congress in bringing home federal resources. We are among the highest-taxed people in the country, and among the lowest in pork brought back."
Words matter. I'd vote for you in a minute if you were more honest.
How are we among the highest-taxed people in the country? That makes NO SENSE with the context. Santa Barbara County does not have a different federal tax rate than any other place in the US. Your words matter. You are trying the Fox method of creating rage instead of wording things that are accurate, not rage-baiting.
This, in my opinion, is a better way to get to your point: not misleading, not playing clichés, and not trying to give red meat to your tribe.
I do not like that our Congressman ranks in the bottom 4% of Congress in returning our federal tax dollars to our district. If you elect me, I will strive to return more of our federal tax dollars and not be in the bottom 4%. I want our tax dollars to go to . . . and list off what you want the money to come back for.
David, you know this response is nonsense. Do you claim 183 days of residence in Florida or California? Be honest.
SB City has a family income $40k higher than Fort Myers City. Do we need to have a math lesson here? Over $93k also puts you in the 22% tax bracket. The average in Ft Myers stays at 12%.
You are constantly posting things just to argue. Just be honest. You claim Florida as your residence to skirt taxes, then argue for CA's failed policies...
I'm literally tired of these hypocritical arguments. If someone posts an article here about Medicare costs in CA, you'll have a tirade on here about how CA is a "contributor" state over red states. Then I state we pay more in taxes, and objectively, our congressman brings none of it home, then you argue federal taxes are the same, which is it, David?
I understand how DC works. This is my life. I can guarantee you that in my first year in Congress, I double the resources brought home...
Bob, I live in Santa Barbara. My driver's license is Californian, and I just renewed it, and my voter registration is there. My travel is mainly work-related, so the 183-day attack is not in play. Last year, because a client was in St. Augustine, I spent about 90 days total in Florida; the year before, I spent 6; the year before, 7. Then, from 2020 to 2022, it was around 10 days combined. I have never questioned your authenticity. Do you want to go down that path? I have been nothing but honest. The last time I claimed Florida residence was in 2002. I spent 100 days in CA that year, the rest in FL.
But let's do math and English! Will you admit that the federal tax rate is the same everywhere? That is English. I do not see on any IRS form/website that SB county pays more. Now for the math component. I do not care what someone earns in any city. The tax rate is the same throughout. If a person earns $20k, $ 100k, $ 500k, or $ 10mm, the IRS tax rate schedule applies to them, regardless of which city they are in.
I am not posting things to argue. In fact, I find that very ironic, given YOUR post about better platforms and ideas. If ideas can not pass scrutiny tests, what value do they have? There is a saying: "Iron sharpens iron." If you look at the composition of the people on this substack, you can replace the name with any of them, and they are all the same. They are angry at the world for some unknown reason, but of course want to blame the government, and then, if it was not their turn to write an article, they applaud the author. There is never any verification of the claims, and that is where I come in. I am the skeptic. If it sounds too far-fetched, I want to validate it.
If you are going to put words in my mouth, at least get it right. If someone wants to complain about Medicare costs in CA, you are damn right I will go on a tirade. Why? I will compare what CA does for its citizens with what other states do. If you want CA to be like other states, then there is ZERO chance I would ever consider voting for you. I am sitting in Florida, again, until the 28th. Florida gives zero fucks about its citizens who are in need compared to CA. I have no idea how you would classify this person, but a deceased niece of mine's son is now 17. He is autistic and has serious issues. He still wears diapers, does not talk, and needs assistance. His father is an alcoholic in and out of jail, and at best could had a job working at Arby's, paying $7.25 an hour for 20 hours a week. So the kid's grandmother is raising him and his younger sister. She has her own health issues and gets paid $12 an hour doing support on the phones. She tries hard to get hours, but her employer does not offer health insurance. In Florida, I have tried to get the kid help. I have expended money out of my pocket to hire attorneys to fight in the state system, and the state keeps coming back with a 'fuck you.' In CA, that does not happen. So go ahead and argue that Medicare costs are too high, I will tell you that it is not wasted money. Do I like the 3.8% surchage? Of course not. Do I realize what it goes to and the benefit of it? HELL YES.
You posit that there are too many regulations. That is fine, but you are arguing about volume rather than context. Show me the ones that are the problems. I feel confident in stating that the ones that you feel are burdensome are the ones that hold businesses liable for their actions. However, I will hold off on going deeper into this until you give me some that you think should be repealed. Post a link to this 'UC summit.'
You did not state that we pay more in taxes. You stated that we were overtaxed at the federal level compared to other states. Again, words matter. We are taxed NO differently than any other state.
And again, in regard to bringing more home to our community, I'd love to see it. I seriously would. As much as I disliked Richard Shelby, he was the master of getting WAY more than was paid in for his state. But math is math. If you bring more back, where does it come from? Are you going to take from other states? Are you going to recommend raising taxes to generate the revenue to pay the district back more? I would like to see the source of the 4% claim. Again, I do not know where we sit, so I am skeptical of the claim.
And, in regard to this, "I understand how DC works. This is my life. I can guarantee you that in my first year in Congress, I double the resources brought home." The skeptic in me kicks in. How does a non-politician know how politics works? That makes no sense to me. What happens if you are elected and you do not double the money brought back? Does this guarantee mean that you will . . . kill yourself? Give me my vote back? Not run again? What is the value of the guarantee? My only currency is MY vote. You are asking me to TRUST you. Give me reasons why. As I have stated before, I do believe that we basically want the same thing: our country to be better, our children to have a better life. I know we will differ on the methods to get there. However, if you are going to lean on the employer rather than the employee, we will differ drastically. I have seen way too many private employers that treat labor as disposable.
David, do you live in Florida?
Where I live is not relevant to this discussion.
But to enlighten you. I am a 6th-generation Floridian. I moved to CA and to SB in 2003. My driver's license and voting are there. Where my head sleeps at night, well, that is always up in the air.
I have property in SB and in Florida. I travel a LOT. Last year, I flew over 40k miles. So far this year, I have already done about 20k miles. Yes, SB Airbus loves me :) Seeing that you seem to care. Next weekend I fly back to SB. The following weekend, I am in NorCal. Two weeks later, I am flying to Zurich until the end of March. Then I am flying back to SB. Middle of April, up to NorCal for 5 days, back to SB for a day, then back to Florida until the end of the month, then back to SB. Then, in the middle of May, heading to Turkey, the UAE, and Cairo for about 3-4 weeks. I am working on a project that may have me 'living' in London for 2 to possibly 3 months. After that, if that goes through, I will head over to France, my wife will fly out, and we will live there for 6 to 8 weeks.
So yes, I often move around a LOT.
Where do you get your numbers Dave? From what I could find, under Trump EPA has reduced staff by 33%, HUD by 23%. I could not confirm any of your numbers. Where do you get your information, from Sesame Street? Your reposting of garbage numbers from garbage websites is boring. Close your computer and write from the heart. Like AOC when asked about American response to Chinese aggression in Taiwan.
New York Times.
Trump claims versus what reality is was the title of the article. What Trump wanted, Congress didn't give him.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/us/politics/trump-congress-budget-cuts.html
The rest of your attempt at personal attacks just keeps validating how insecure you are.
You could use better sources than NYT. If you dig a little deeper you will find that personnel cuts have been far greater than your Sesame Street information. For exampleCDC cuts https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/04/01/kennedy-fires-thousands-across-health-agencies-food-regulation-hiv-prevention-infectious-disease-offices-all-affected/. I just find it so obnoxious that you dredge up a bunch of shit and post it to support your preconceived notion. Could you wipe your ass without the internet. Reading your posts of googled crap is boring.
Let me start with the simplest thing. If you do not like what I write, do not read it.
Again, you are so insecure. You always have to resort to personal attacks.
Read your article. Look at the date. It was 4/1/25.
Now read what I wrote. What was WANTED versus what was DONE. That was the NYT article. All the puffery, all the cuts, and everything that was being done were NEVER DONE to the extent stated.
Would you believe the information if it were from Newsmax or Fox News?
Would you feel better if that same information was on some John Doe website? https://yournews.com/2026/02/18/6480106/congress-largely-rejects-trumps-sweeping-budget-cuts-as-2026-spending/
Would you feel better if it were not a rage-baited, no-name, but definitely right-leaning site?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/feb/19/doge-defeat-congress-rejected-trumps-spending-cuts/
Is this where you admit that you were wrong, or are you going to double down and claim fake news or something about bias or something about being inaccurate?
So either I am Nostradamus with my pre-conceived notions, or there are numerous journalists reporting on data, and I have just read it. I wonder what it is.
Hey idiot your link as an alternate to the NYT link was a summary of the NYT article. You don’t even read the links you post. Fraud you are. Go charge your Tesla and get a covid booster.
Wow.
So you decided to skip over the washingtontimes article?
I realize that reading comprehension is not high on your skill set, but I did state that the information was the same on the John Doe site.
I am no fraud. You are just portraying a person who is angry at the world and is insecure.
If you don’t like what The Current writes, don’t read it. I can find 50 links to support or refute anything I want. I am sick of people like you that argue with every conservative point and post links to “prove they are right”. We know you hate Trump and you are a global warming idiot. Fine, you are entitled to your opinion but posting links does not prove anything. I avoid googling or using AI because it is a bias amplifier and does not get me closer to the truth. When you are in Turkey, give my regards to Sarper.
I can read it, I can skip it. It is my choice.
It sounds to me like you want an echo chamber. If that is the case, why not just create this as an invite-only and the dozen of you can keep each other happy.
The irony that you proclaim to state facts, while not validating them with primary and secondary sources, is not lost on me. It does support the echo chamber concept, though. I think you need to learn the difference between opinion and fact.
Yup, I will more than likely be back in Turkey, the UAE, and Cairo this year. Capitalism is wonderful. My services are in such high demand that I can get around the world to provide them.
Bergerson,
Is that hot Florida sun getting to you? Same old tired, outdated talking points trying to rationalize the obvious. Rome is burning Pal, and Newsom is playing the violin while quite literally, Pacific Palisades has burned to the ground.
https://www.richstatespoorstates.org/states/CA/
Envy is one of the seven deadly sins.
You can complain as much as you want about CA. That is fine. Assuming that others are better is comical. It is so easy to figure out how this country works.
Money moves East to West.
Technology moves from the West to the East.
Laws move from Europe to CA, then from CA to the rest (eventually.)
Never let facts get in the way of your rant.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/florida-man-arrested-federal-criminal-complaint-alleging-he-maliciously-started-what
Texas lit the fuse, not Prop 50.
Gosh, things could be looking up in California as Texas also "lite the fuse" for no state income taxes, reduced regulations, drill baby drill and cooperation with ICE.
I like the way you think.
I sometimes question how well people understand how business actually works. Then I hear slogans like “Drill, baby, drill,” and it answers that question.
More drilling by itself does not lower prices. Increased supply lowers prices. And lower prices do not automatically make drilling profitable. Oil companies are not obligated to extract oil at a loss. They drill when it is economically viable.
The real question is: at what price point is drilling profitable in the U.S., Venezuela, the Middle East, or Canada? Once you understand those break-even levels, you understand when production will increase. In the United States, profitability often requires significantly higher oil prices than in lower-cost regions.
When people say “reduce regulations,” what does that actually mean? Be specific. If the goal is no income tax, look at Florida or Texas. But taxes do not disappear — they shift.
For example, I own property in Florida worth around $300,000 and pay nearly $6,000 annually in property taxes. When I’m there, I pay over $20 per week in tolls. Hotel taxes run 13.5% or more. Rental cars include state sales tax plus additional daily fees. The structure is different, but the revenue is still collected.
If you want to understand the real difference between California and Florida, look at how each state handles unemployment. In California, unemployment benefits can reach $450 per week for up to 26 weeks. In Florida, the cap is about $270 per week for up to 12 weeks. In California, someone with no income may qualify for Medi-Cal. Florida’s safety net is more limited.
The core difference is not whether money is collected — it is how much is collected and how broadly the state chooses to provide support.
Gavin Newsom was looking for any issue to raise his national standing. There was NO reason to play games with Texas. None.
If anything, Prop 50 was concocted in response to the recent SCOTUS ruling against any form of racial discrimination, which is what unglued Newsom. He knew he risked losing his many California Voting Rights Act racially-based "protected" rotten-borough voting districts(D).
Something must be wrong with my computer. I did a search of this post for "Texas", but found nothing.
Maybe your search would show you that Texas was started by Democrats.
After the 2022 midterms, groups like LULAC filed a lawsuit that Texas’s congressional districts were violating the civil rights act.
Then Trump won 63% of Hispanics in Texas in 2024, so then the Democrat position was “just kidding, districts are fine.” But the lawsuit already advanced to the Texas Supreme Court and they agreed they violated the civil rights act and Texas must redistrict. The Republican administration in power used that to their advantage.
That said, I know it’s hard to get past the headline, “Trump ordered Texas,” which is factually untrue, he wasn’t in office in 2022. Both parties are playing these political games behind the scenes and all it does is destroy a democratic process - you know the part where the people hold elected officials accountable, not where parties just install people?
CA’s law before it was nuked, had a provision where anyone participating in redistricting is banned from political office for 10 years…something that should be modeled in other states.
But instead we’ll ruin democracy in our state as long as we can impeach Trump. If Democrats win the house it will be two years of impeachments, which will never be tried by the Senate. A huge waste of our taxpayer dollars while our adversaries laugh at how dysfunctional we are and China takes the lead.
Brains are broken here in CA if you cheer for America to fail while our state fails in almost every category with 2 decades of supermajority rule.
Thank you candidate "Bob" Smith for your keen insights about process, as well as issues. Both are on the table in our form of representative government.
Your insights and real life experience are highly valued. Party line bots, over the past few decades, have not served this state or nation well.
Wish Bob Smith would be a man of integrity but because his post completely ignores the reality of what drove Newsom to act completely invalidates his argument. It's 'selective argumentation - my side good; your side bad' posturing that is why we will never get out of this mess with men like this. I would have much more respected his views if he would have, say argued, for completely independent redistricting committees nationwide, and called out both sides to put partisanship aside for the good of the long-term health of our democracy. But no, he can't do that because being honest about why we are in this mess in the first place would anger the MAGA base who is always selective in their outrage.
That's what you took away? Criticizing CA's redistricting IS having integrity. The entire point is for parties to support quality candidates and better ideas, not playing 10-year census gerrymandering wars.
Gerrymandering is not party-specific. I have all the numbers on this. Both parties are gerrymandering their top 10 states at the same level of congressional district apportionment to presidential vote %. Blue states get more seats from it because their top 10 includes NY, NJ, MD, CA, IL, etc., highly populated district states, because large cities are the #1 factor in gerrymandering. Which is why, in CA, top-ticket Democrats get 58% of the vote but hold 83% of the seats before Prop 50; after, it will be 92%. Happy to share the data with you.
Secondly, the latter half of the article is solely criticizing the Republican Party for complaining about the results and elections while not voting...
What are you talking about? There was nothing "MAGA" in this article, and there is nothing MAGA about why CA is failing in many categories, nothing at all. I'm sorry that you were conned into voting for "Save Democracy" while literally giving away your voting power to politicians here, and justifying it by pointing to another wrong and saying, "Look at them." Explain kids reading at a lower level than in Mississippi while spending 3x per student? I know, it's Trump's fault... not Newsom's "driven" to save our state. What drives Newsom to do anything is his own political career...as does any career politician.
Democrats here should say, "I want more competent candidates in our party to fix these issues, fewer socialists destroying business, our budgets, and opportunity here, and if not, I'm voting for change across the aisle until you provide one." This is Democracy. Being ruled by a political class of people here with no chance to be removed other than a primary in the party, which they refuse to entertain, is the opposite of that.
Maybe show up to the speaker series or the UCSB Economic Summit and listen to frustrated people on both sides ask how to fix these problems here...
Bob,
"large cities are the #1 factor in gerrymandering. "
Let me clean that up for you.
"large cities are the #1 factor in generating GDP, thus funding rural, red cities."
:)
What you just said is unconstitutional.
How is the line that large cities produce the money that funds the rural cities unconstitutional? I am confused.
LA county and Silicon Valley are about 1/2 the states GDP. Without their money, Burney, CA fails. You know, that RURAL town.
The rural district feeds all the people in the city. I know people here think food comes from plastic containers at Whole Foods, but it actually comes from farmers keeping land agriculture and not concrete. The fact you think GDP is most important for representation says everything…
Districts are drawn based on:
• Total population
• Geographic boundaries
• Communities of interest
They are not drawn based on (unconstitutional):
• Income levels
• Tax revenue
• GDP
• Land area
• Party registration (officially)
No, that is not accurate and misleading.
The image that you are trying to portray is that of a farmer in this family who has had that land for decades, and it has been passed down, and now the 5th grandson is running it. That is inaccurate. Farming is a big business and heavily consolidated. Isn't it something like 80% of all tomatoes grown in the state are by 4 companies? Sure, some crops aren't as consolidated.
No, I am not saying that GDP is most important for representation. Again, if you are going to put words in my mouth, get it right. I am stating that the output of large urban cities feeds the rural areas. One is a donor, the other the recipient.
I am well aware of how districts are drawn. There will always be more reps in urban areas than rural areas. The concept is equal representation, measured by population. This is why I often laugh when you see the red/blue maps and people show how red a certain section is. Land does not vote, people do.
Show me in your article where you criticize Texas for breaking precedent and bowing to Trump's edict to create five additional seats for Republicans and I'll see if you truly are a man of integrity.
You want to be taken seriously? Stop being the purveyors of AI slop.
What does that mean?
Bob - dreamsville!
- ‘It would be ideal . .’
- ‘If common-sense liberals . . .
- ‘If conservatives continue . . .
- ‘If 80% of Republicans vote . . .
And if a frog had wings he wouldn’t bump his butt when he jumps!
Why do the CommieCrats keep getting elected? Because they promise the stupid voters everything with slick media and phony dreams! None of it true - so what! Can’t deliver? Who cares?
“Democrats branded their campaign “Save Democracy from Authoritarianism - Vote Yes.” That’s how ya win!
The GOP better get their sh . ., er, act together and start realizing that you gotta fool ‘em to win ‘em! Otherwise, it’s like telling my Golden Retriever - ’Bucky, go into the living room and bring me my cane.’ Fun to hope, but it ain’t gonna work!
Wait, so you still think the ballots in our current system are reliably and accurately counted? I and so many others disagree!
There is a 0% chance your ballot will be counted accurately if you don't vote. That is the point.