As an independent voter in Sacramento, who actually has serious solutions for California’s biggest problems?
I love California, but the politics are burning me out — independent voter looking for real answers
Before anyone jumps to conclusions, let me give you some context: I'm a 29-year-old independent voter in Sacramento. I have a wife who works in the school district and a young daughter. I run my own small business and I'm currently going back to college. I'm not here to bash the state — California is genuinely my home and I want it to thrive. But I'd be lying if I said what's been happening in this state doesn't bother me.
Here's what's been weighing on me:
**Crime & public safety** — I want my daughter to grow up in a safe community and attend safe schools. I don't think that's too much to ask. Policies that feel soft on crime make that harder to feel confident about.
**Our schools are in serious trouble** — My wife works in the school district, so this one hits close to home. Teachers are overwhelmed. Class sizes are too large and there simply aren't enough hands on deck to give kids the attention they need. On top of that, student behavior has become a real and growing problem — and teachers have almost no tools to address it. Discipline policies have been so watered down that kids who consistently disrupt the classroom face little to no real consequences, and the students who actually want to learn are the ones who suffer for it.
**Affordability** — As a young family in Sacramento, the cost of living is a real pressure. Housing, groceries, running a small business — it all adds up. California is increasingly hard to build a life in if you're not already established. My in-laws that are a military family were living in Georgia for a few years they recently got sent over here in California and they asked us "How are you even surviving?" and tbh I have no idea. My wife has been wanting to leave California because we feel like we can barely stay afloat with the high living cost, paired with an insane amount of taxes but tbh I don't want to leave California is my home and I love it here.
**Taxes — and where they're actually going** — Let me be clear: I understand taxes are necessary. Roads need to be paved, schools need to be funded, services need to run. I get it. But Californians are being hit from every direction — at the gas pump, at the register, on our paychecks, on our property, at the bridge toll, and then again when we register our vehicles every year. It adds up fast, especially for working families and small business owners. What makes it truly infuriating isn't the taxes themselves — it's the feeling that the money isn't going where it's supposed to. When billions of dollars evaporate to fraud and mismanagement, it doesn't feel like civic duty anymore. It feels like being robbed. We deserve to know exactly where our money is going and why the people responsible for losing it aren't being held accountable.
**Homelessness** — It's a visible, ongoing crisis and after years of throwing money at it, I'm not seeing the results that were promised. Something fundamentally isn't working. when I think of all the money we have spent on it all I can think of is Fraud/Embezzlement and Failure. It's sad to see people on the streets but I also dont like going for walks with my wife and daughter and having a homeless man tweaking out and screaming at us.
**What I don't want** is another career politician who cycles in, makes the same promises, protects the same interests, and leaves things the same or worse.
**What I'm actually asking:** Who do you think has real, substantive policies that could make a difference? Doesn't matter to me if they're left, right, or somewhere in between — I vote on issues, not parties. I just want to hear from other Californians who are paying attention.
What are your thoughts? Who are you watching and why?
