Golden State Today

Thousands of people gathered in Tulare County last weekend at Congressman Devin Nunes' Freedom Festival where Republican gubernatorial candidate and former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer was among the keynote speakers.

Faulconer said that Gov. Newsom and his administration have been failing to protect their constituents' livelihoods, and blamed the administration for Californians being frustrated with the most strict lockdown in the country that Faulconer said is not backed by any science. 

"It's time to have somebody who's going to support small businesses," Faulconer said. "It's time to have a governor that's going to support agriculture, who is not afraid to say that we need more water supply in California. We are going to build it. We are going to fix our conveyance systems and find somebody who understands."

Faulconer said that small businesses are the backbone of the economy, and likened California's farmers to "the best environmentalists in the state" and stewards of the land. 

Newsom's response to the pandemic's effects on small business was widely criticized, according to Golden State Today. The gubernatorial candidate said California needs an administration that will support the Central Valley as the bread basket of the state and beyond. 

Faulconer also pointed out that Newsom's children have been in a private school which has been open for months, while public schools like the one where Faulconer's kids go have remained closed. 

"It is time to make sure that our California public schools are not open partially, but they're fully reopen," he said. 

Faulconer added homelessness to his campaign pitch at the festival. 

"I did not allow tent encampments on the sidewalks in San Diego," Faulconer said. "In fact, I felt so strongly about making that change, we were the only city in California where we actually reduced homelessness by double digits. Why? Because we care about people enough not to let you die on the street in a tent and to say, no, you can't do heroin and methamphetamine."

Faulconer continued his discussion about the homeless and addict community by saying that he is going to lead an effort "clean up our streets" no matter "what city you're in."