Meet the other recall candidates: John Robert Drake

What experience has prepared you to take over leadership of the world’s-fifth largest economy?
I am from a low-income family who experiences the struggles everyday Californians experience. I represent the next generation whose lives will be affected by the legislation of today. We deserve a voice at the table. The people in power all have “experience” but they’re also self-interested. I can surround myself with advisors and people I trust to defend the interests of Californians. Those entrenched in greed and corruption — those who are self-interested — are stuck there. They don’t and will not risk their bottom dollar for us.

Do you believe Joe Biden was lawfully elected president?
Yes

Should an ethnic studies course be required for high-school graduation?
Yes

Defund police?
(Left blank)

Should government make any vaccine mandatory, including for polio and smallpox?
Yes

Under California law, low-income women are eligible for taxpayer-funded abortions. Do you support this?
Yes

Should the governor’s emergency powers be altered, and if so, how?
There needs to be more scrutiny on what the governor can and cannot do — especially in regards to businesses. You cannot demand businesses shut down and close, then retroactively collect taxes from said businesses when they are not making any money; it just isn’t fair.

If you had $25 billion to spend on homelessness, what would you do with it?
Housing infrastructure and rehabilitation programs — the priority being housing. Homelessness itself costs taxpayers more every year than outright housing them for free, so to restore human dignity, I’d invest in housing with a secondary focus on rehabilitation.

As governor, would you direct the state to do more to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement?
Only if it’s in the best interest of those living in California. As an immigrant, I owe an even greater duty to protect immigrants. If the actions being taken by ICE are destructive towards our communities and violate basic civil rights, I’ll make it as difficult as possible.

What would you do to decrease the chance of destructive wildfires?
Invest in preventative measures. We need to clear our forests so we can have restorative forest fires rather than destructive ones.

What emergency steps would you take during a drought to allocate water usage among Californians?
I simply would not allow unnecessary water usage for “aesthetic” purposes because it directly hurts our water supply and leaves less for real projects in which water is required — or even basic necessity. As for abundance, I’d gladly invest in desalination plants as a way to produce more.

Do you support California’s climate change initiatives? If no, what would you change?
I think we’re focused on the wrong things. Banning plastic bags and straws are good and all, but when our electricity is produced over 70% of the time by coal and oil, we have made no real progress in combating climate change. We need to go above and beyond. We need to also be more practical.