My name is Leon Sit, and I’m running as an Independent candidate for the California State Assembly in the 59th district. This is my official campaign website, where you can learn more about who I am, what I stand for, and what I intend to do if elected.
I’ve made environmental issues a priority because our state’s natural beauty should be preserved for future generations. We need to balance our stance between facing these issues with the urgency they demand and keeping our economy strong. It’s critical that we stay away from both denial and degrowth. We can’t afford to ignore our consumption’s impact on the environment, but we also can’t afford to set our lives aside for a climate crusade. One specific avenue for improvement is our policy towards plastics.
Everything you see around you, in one way or another, depends on a healthy economy. The food on your table came from somewhere, as did the device you’re reading this on. That’s why so many voters care about the economy. The so-called “kitchen table issues” ultimately boil down to whether American families can put food on the table, keep their gas tanks full, save for retirement, pay off loans and mortgages, and still have flexibility for leisure spending. It’s about living the lifestyle that every hardworking American deserves.
I believe the government should take steps to improve the collective social health of our society. This includes individual mental health but also social atomization in general. Adults and teenagers have been increasing signs of “loneliness” such as fewer friends, higher depression rates, and fewer ties to their local communities. This isn’t just a problem for individuals spread across a community. In many ways it can affect each and every one of us in ways we may not be able to immediately connect.
California already has a nonpartisan runoff election system shared with Washington, with two similar systems seen in Louisiana and Alaska. This system works well in theory, but with two major-party candidates facing off in each of the statewide races, it would seem as though our system has a limited effect in changing the way campaigns are run, or in changing the faces we see in November.
Californians depend on a steady source of electric power to fuel the economy, cool their homes, and for some, charge their electric vehicles. Making sure that this stream of energy isn’t cut when the sun goes down or when the wind stops blowing is important, but we should also stay away from relying on fossil fuels, which often come from abroad. This necessitates the continuation of nuclear energy operations, which are a good way to maintain a steady stream of power without generating excess carbon emissions. Keeping the Diablo Canyon power plant open was a good move by the legislature and the Governor to keep the lights on in California.
We can learn from history: In 2016, Californians narrowly approved Proposition 67, which installed a nominal fee for each single-use plastic bag taken from stores. Since then, millions of Californians have eschewed the non-biodegradable pollutants that were once commonplace. If we can use economic incentives to encourage Californians to make environmentally-responsible choices, then we can reduce the volume of plastic that goes into landfills and our environment for generations to come.