El Dorado County, A Local View

With big events looming large in the news, it is easy for local issues to fade into the background. But these are the issues that impact our day to day life: how our business functions, how we get to work or school, how our children are educated and what experiences they have, and how our local facilities are run. While these might seem mundane, they are what shapes what it means to grow up in El Dorado County. Our local politicians are hard at work to keep this county the place we want to raise our children and build our legacies.

Loon Lake

Corrin Rankin, who was recently elected Chair of the California Republican Party (CRP), shared how she is bringing new focus to the party here in California. When she took her position earlier this year, she noted that last year CRP social media had a little over 1 million views. Inspired to continue this positive engagement, Chair Rankin and the party focused on creating ads and other social media holding California politicians responsible for the decisions they are making in Sacramento. After a few months, she looked at the level of social media engagement and found it had already shot up over 2 million. This sort of vision and drive is helping the CRP draw in younger generations, who tend to receive a substantial portion of their information from social media sources.

Our representatives to the House, Tom McClintock for District 5 (covering the western side of El Dorado County) and Kevin Kiley for District 3 (covering the eastern side), have been regularly using social media to keep their constituents updated on recent developments and projects. In the last week, both representatives have expressed support for President Trump and denounced Governor Newsom’s handling of the L.A. riots. Representative McClintock posted, “People can see that the LA riots are anything but peaceful and the Democrats will not oppose them. If Dems prevail, our families will be at the mercy of these violent mobs while criminal illegals prey on us all. I’m proud to join CA Republicans in standing by the President.” (https://x.com/RepMcClintock/status/1932461598062359032). Meanwile, Representative Kiley shared a clip from an appearance on Fox News, stating “Newsom's attempt to blame President Trump for the chaos in LA is desperate and absurd. He's made a total mess of our state, and now the whole world can see it.” (https://x.com/KevinKileyCA/status/1932473338632548424).

Both representatives are invested in bringing common sense laws and policies back to California. Just this week, Representative Kiley’s resolution passed with bipartisan support. This resolution eliminates the ban on many types of vehicles that restricted Californians’ freedom to choose what they drive (https://x.com/KevinKileyCA/status/1933541666872348839). Many in El Dorado County appreciate being able to choose to have both an electric vehicle to commute to work and a gas-powered truck to haul trailers and boats to the mountains or ocean for vacation. When it comes to vacations, per an article in the Mountain Democrat on June 13th “Exploring the Yosemite Valley with no reservations”, Representative McClintock is working with Secretary Doug Burgum to make vacationing in Yosemite a reality for local families again. The severe reservation limitations previously put in place made it very difficult for local families to take their children to appreciate the beauty of Yosemite, something many California families have cherished as a tradition for generations. By moving towards more common sense policies, Burgum and McClintock are helping families continue these beloved traditions, embracing the natural beauty of our state.

Here in El Dorado County, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) has a say in many of the policies and decisions on how our county is run. In order to help the BOS know what matters to those living in El Dorado County, the Republican Central Committee (RCC) has set up 4 sub-committees to discuss key issues important daily life: Land Use, Law and Order, Health and Welfare, and Transportation and Roads. These sub-committees meet with the BOS to advise them in these categories and report on relevant issues at the RCC General Meeting on the second Monday of each month. Reaching out to the relevant sub-committee could help your voice be heard and changes made.

This last weekend, the RCC set up a booth at the El Dorado County Fair. Volunteers raised money to help local Republican politicians get elected in future elections and helped voters get registered. They also collected signatures for a petition to recall Governor Newsom. A victim of the Caldor Fire from Grizzly Flats discussed his personal petition for an investigation into that fire and how it was handled. The booth was visited by Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick and State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil. The RCC will be hosting two events later this month, one for Senator Alvardo-Gil on June 26th and one for Sheriff Chad Bianco, who plans to run for governor, on June 23rd. Contact us for more details.

Just as Chair Rankin is growing the CRP social media to reach younger generations, the RCC and local volunteers are working to do the same here in El Dorado County. Topher Hall, of the local Young Republicans Chapter, has started a podcast, Generation of Patriots, https://www.youtube.com/@GenerationofPatriots, to help those in our county of all ages, but particularly the younger generations, stay informed on important county matters and what the RCC and similar local organizations are doing to promote conservative values and policies in El Dorado County. Volunteering, donating, or finding other ways to help organizations such as these are crucial to keeping our county a wonderful place to live, both for those whose families have been here for generations and for those recently arrived to build a new life. Have the skills and want to help with podcasting, social media, website design, and more? Wonderful! Contact us to help reach young conservatives in our county. Not a tech person? No problem! There are so many ways to help, no matter your age or activity level. Contact us to learn more about the numerous ways to volunteer and make a difference.

While this article has focused on more local issues, we have not forgotten those affected by more national and international issues. Our prayers are with law enforcement and those impacted by the riots in southern California and across the country. We also pray for Americans in the Middle East, Israel, and all innocents impacted by the intensifying conflict in that region.