Today is the last day in California Policy Center’s Year-End Take Back California campaign. 

You’ve heard from my colleagues about the huge gains we made in 2022—taking money and thus political power from government unions, rallying parents through CPC’s Parent Union, and organizing pro-freedom administrators through our California Local Elected Officials program. 

But let me on this final day remind you of just how urgent it is that we return power back to everyday Californians. Do you remember this?

In 2018, California voters approved a ballot measure that declared that animal products sold in state must meet exacting criteria for kindness. [Governor] Newsom took it upon himself to satisfy their uninformed ultimatum by dispatching state-agricultural inspectors around the nation.

I bring up the widely-criticized Porkocalypse for two reasons: first, because it shows perfectly how arrogant and out-of-touch our state politicians are, and second, because it is clear that they haven’t learned their lesson. 
 

It’s up to you and me to Take Back California.

Californians have been asked to get used to rolling blackouts for lack of electricity. And rather than fixing our infrastructure the governor declares his intention to force everyone to buy electric cars. 

The governor who made sure that schools and businesses were locked down and mask-mandated far longer than any science dictated, sent his kids to private schools that opened quickly and dined at his preferred restaurants, mask-free, during the pandemic. 
 

The officials whose policies have led to an exodus of families and businesses from California have declared our state a sanctuary for abortion and youth who want dangerous and destructive “trans” treatments and surgeries.  

The ironies could not be more stark, more numerous, or more maddening. 

Our leaders have absolutely no sense of accountability to you, me, and everyday Californians. They only feel accountable to powerful, regressive interests—especially government unions. 

Unions that expect, and receive, “pork”—special consideration and access—for their investment. 

Things will not change in California until you and I change them. 
 

My colleagues and I have showed during this campaign how your support has helped CPC and our allies remove more than $337 million from unions’ annual revenue. That’s more than $670 million that the unions don’t have to spend each election cycle. 

This is great, but given the massive power unions already hold, it’s not enough. We can see how, thanks to generous CPC donors like you, our investments in outreach lead directly to an increase in public employees leaving their unions. And taking their dues with them. 

If we’re going to Take Back California, I need your best gift today to increase this trend. 

This is what your Year-End, tax-deductible gift of $50, $150, or $250 right now will do.

Thank you for all you’ve done to bring freedom, personal responsibility, and sanity back to the state we love. Let’s keep it up in 2023!

For California,

Will Swaim
President, California Policy Center