I hope you’re enjoying some downtime and making the most of these precious holidays with those closest to you. 

A few days ago, my colleague Mallory Staley wrote to highlight how parents have joined together through California Policy Center’s Parent Union to advance school choice and fight back against powerful teachers’ unions. 

But there’s another initiative that you supported in 2022 that is proving to be a potent antidote to the Golden State’s leftward slide. 

With CLEO, our educational and fraternal program for California Local Elected Officials, elected officials are standing together for financial sustainability, government transparency, and personal liberty. 
 

I know what you’re thinking.

But believe it or not, there really are some praiseworthy officeholders out there. And they make critical decisions about your life that you may take for granted. The problem is they tend to be isolated from one another.  

These local heroes can’t count on independent policy assessments from their fellow officials, and often not even from the city staffers whose self-interest and training guides them toward bigger and costlier government.

But thanks to you, CLEO supports this courageous minority of local elected officials—the “good guys” of grassroots California politics—by offering policy guidance, detailed financial analyses, legal perspectives, and communications support. 
 

And earlier this year, your support helped CLEO launch its Candidate Academy—an eight-module master class to teach potential local government candidates how to file properly and run for office without the backing of special interests. 

Because of your support, some 400 users have taken the course and many used our content to run for elected office this year. 

As our course users win elections, they’ll have CLEO ready to stand with them, with complimentary access to our new Leadership Academy, a 15-module master class to support them with policy research and analysis and continued training on topics like first principles and how to navigate government budgets.
 

This is how freedom revolutions are made—from the ground up.

CLEO, the Parent Union, our Janus Outreach to union members—each of these powerful initiatives helps combat the power of government unions. 

With your support, you’re showing that Taking Back California is not only possible . . . it’s already being done!

John, your Year-End, tax-deductible gift of $20, $50, $150, or $250 right now will help power CLEO in 2023—giving freedom-focused office holders the information, support, and networking to bring sanity and freedom back to our state policies. 

Thank you!

Will Swaim
President, California Policy Center