If the Founding Fathers Saw California Today…
As you know, tomorrow is July 4th, and the Fourth of July is my absolute favorite holiday! I love dwelling on the reality of how amazing the founding of our country truly was, how smart the young men who created our government systems were, and how revolutionary it all was and still is for us today!
As we look around America, many have asked the question, what would our founding fathers think? What would they think about today’s top issues of political conversation? What would they think about the men and women who run our government today? What would they think about the will of the American people and the issues we are fighting for?
As I look at California, I have the same questions. Are the very freedoms the founding fathers fought against Britain to obtain still protected in our own state? Or, have we become so far removed from the Declaration of Independence that we have willingly accepted the wrongs that they pointed out to the King as normal in California?
To answer those questions, I want to go through some of the main grievances that the founding fathers had with the King in Britain, expressed in the Declaration of Independence – and I want to break down how those compare to the government of our state today.
But first, I think we should set the scene as to why this is important. One of my favorite quotes from Thomas Jefferson is that “the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” If we believe that the freedoms afforded to us in the United States are morally good and objectively right – which I do believe – then we have the responsibility to stay vigilant as to whether those freedoms are being upheld or not. People often say that history has a way of repeating itself, and that basic idea applies here. Governments grow, leaders extend their power, and over time rights that were once recognized as belonging to the people are no longer recognized by their government. It is then our job to look around us and constantly evaluate – not just on July 4th, but all throughout the year – whether or not our rights are being infringed upon or defended. It’s necessary for us to ask ourselves if the vision that the founding fathers had for America still applies to life here – and that starts in our own communities and our own state. We only make real change when we identify real issues and recognize how they can be brought back to the original idea of what America was – not just for history’s sake, but for our sake, for the sake of not repeating the tyranny and struggles and need for a declaration of independence that our founding fathers lives through.
Big Government, Small Say
The first grievance listed in the declaration of independence reads, “He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”[1] This grievance highlights how the laws implemented by each colony had to be approved by the King. This denied the colonies true self-governance.
The Declaration makes it clear: legitimate government requires the consent of the governed. By calling these rejected measures “wholesome and necessary,” Jefferson emphasized that they weren’t radical, they were essential for securing the very rights the government was meant to protect. One striking example was the colonies’ repeated efforts to abolish the slave trade—efforts the King blocked to protect Britain’s financial interests. Jefferson originally named this directly in his first draft of the Declaration. The King wasn’t just indifferent—he was actively opposing moral legislation passed by free people.[2]
In essence, King George consistently rejected laws proposed by colonial legislatures that addressed local concerns, especially those protecting basic rights or limiting royal power. The people could not govern themselves in the way that they believed was right, they were subject to the whims and interests of the King – even though he was across the ocean.
Do we see this happening in California’s government today? Well, the context is of course different today. In every state we have the right to elect our leaders, and whether or not you agree with Gavin Newsom or the representatives in our Legislature, they have been elected by majority vote – and so that in and of itself makes today’s situation different. But there are still parallels that are important to recognize, because abuse of power doesn’t just happen overnight. It is a slow process that people become comfortable with over time. Before you know it, you live under an authoritarian regime, and then you are left to ask, how did we get here?
I would argue that we are seeing similar instances of this happen in California today, and we see it clearly when it comes to the state – like the governor – overriding the outcomes of local elections, city councils, and school boards. Take Huntington Beach for example. The people of Huntington Beach voted by majority to pass a local voter ID law – meaning that to vote in HB’s elections, you would need to show your identification at the ballot box.[3] This was something that the people who live in that city wanted. They wanted their local government to require voter ID for the sake of transparency and election integrity. But, our governor and our attorney general did not respect the will of those voters, nor the authority of the local government. AG Rob Bonta quickly filed a lawsuit against the city,[4] and Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1174 later in the year, outlawing any local government from enacting voter ID laws.[5] The city is fighting back, with the legal battle still ongoing,[6] but the point here is that the BIG government – the state government and very governor – immediately worked to override the will of the local government in Huntington Beach, despite what the people who live there voiced they wanted.
This isn’t the only example of this behavior by our state government. In a previous article, I examined the pushback our Governor gave to the Temecula Valley School District for refusing to enact state-recommended curriculum that promoted LGBTQ activist Harvey Milk. Gavin Newsom imposed a $1.5 million fine on the district, AG Rob Bonta hit them with a lawsuit, and Newsom even ordered the curriculum to the school district and charged them for it – against parents’ wishes.[7] Does this sound like respecting the will of the people, or like tyranny, to you?
This is a well-established pattern of our government. Take as another example Senate Bill 9 – a duplex bill – that was opposed by over 200 cities across California, yet was pushed through by our Governor anyway.[8] Or, take the examples of Chino Valley and Rocklin Unified School District – both local districts where parents voted for parental notification laws to be put in place, yet were once again sued and smacked down by the broader state government.[9]
These are all instances where the PEOPLE are trying to pass local legislation or policy that aligns with their values and how they want to be governed, but our state is stepping in and saying they aren’t allowed to govern themselves. It’s wrong, and it’s something our founding fathers recognized wasn’t sustainable. People need representation, but even more than that, people need self-determination. Of course, there is always a balance and there is a need for a central government of some sort, but the power in California has concentrated away from the voices of the people, and more toward the few who consolidate that power.
Regulated to Death
But, that isn’t the only grievance the founding fathers had with the King, and it certainly isn’t our only grievance in California today! Next, they wrote, “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people…”[10]
In the context of 1776, Britain was flooding the colonies with tax collectors, customs agents, and other enforcers who operated with unchecked authority. The colonial complaint was about an explosion of unelected officials wielding power without accountability.[11] Today, California's massive regulatory state mirrors that in form and even in function. We have unelected agencies that basically write de facto laws.
Think of the California Air Resources Board. They are responsible for having set new, burdensome regulations around air pollution and carbon emissions. Their regulations have impacted everything from electric vehicle mandates to gas prices to building codes and so much more. None of these are directly voted on by the people. They aren’t even voted on by the legislature in many cases.
Or take the California Energy Commission, which regulates what appliances you can have. I literally couldn’t buy an attachment for my faucet in my kitchen that would change the flow type of the water, because groups like the California Energy Commission and Department of Water Resources mandate what types of faucets you’re allowed to buy!
Maybe this seems like a small issue, but all of these regulations add up – and then they end up affecting things like small businesses, housing development, zoning – important areas that have bearing on your life. It passes onto you in the form of low housing supply and high costs, or your favorite local business shutting down operations because they got slapped with outrageous fines for noncompliance with the newest regulation.
The Founding Fathers warned us about a swarm of officers sent to harass the people. Today, we as Californians live under an alphabet soup of unelected boards and regulators who make rules we can’t vote on and enforce them with penalties we can’t appeal. We shouldn’t be okay with that. You don’t need a king when you have a thousand bureaucrats with unchecked power.
Abandoned by our Leaders
But let’s move to one of the most emotionally charged grievances of the Declaration of Independence, “He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.”[12]
This line accuses King George III of completely abandoning his duty to govern the colonies justly. The King’s actions—especially after the colonies began to resist—were interpreted as revoking their rights as English subjects.[13] Parliament’s Prohibitory Act of 1775 explicitly removed British protection from colonial trade and declared the colonies to be in rebellion.[14] The King was accused of abandoning any claim to just rule. He revoked the colonies’ rights, blockaded their trade, and used military force against them. In short: he gave up governing and took up attacking.
And this, I think, is one of the most prominent characteristics of our state government and Governor today. Our government has proven time and time again that it seeks to protect its own agenda before it protects its people. How?
Look at the passage of Proposition 47 and the stranglehold it had on law enforcement up until just last year when Proposition 36 finally repealed it. Progressive DA policies have effectively decriminalized theft, drug use, and public disorder. Retail theft rings operate openly;[15] violent crime in urban areas is rising; drug deaths are surging—especially from fentanyl. Victims often receive no justice, while criminals are released or never charged. Last year we saw that 70% of voters cast their ballots to repeal these soft on crime policies[16] – but they didn’t do so with the support of their governor! Gavin Newsom worked to get prop. 36 pulled off of the ballot![17] He has completely abdicated any responsibility to seek the protection and safety of the millions of California residents under his care.
But that isn’t all, just look at the homelessness crisis. California has the largest homeless population in the U.S., despite spending billions annually. Laws and court rulings literally prevent cities from clearing camps—even when they endanger neighborhoods. Families and business owners are forced to live among needles, tents, and human waste, with no protection.
Or, look at the complete abandonment of parental rights. Schools conceal student gender transitions from parents—by design. Sexually explicit materials, gender ideology, and DEI programs are pushed in classrooms without consent. Parents who speak up are labeled extremists or investigated. And we just talked a few weeks ago about the impending passage of Assembly Bill 84, which would work to reduce funding and overregulate charter schools across the state – schools that give parents more of a voice in their children’s education. Gavin Newsom and the California government do not care to protect your right to raise your family according to your beliefs and values. They seek to strip that away from you to become the parent of your child.
The bottom line is that the duty to protect you and your safety and your rights and your beliefs has been completely abandoned. Our own Governor has led our state into such disastrous ruin that he has effectively laid aside his fundamental responsibilities as governor and instead has essentially waged war on the people he was elected to serve.
That only covers THREE of the grievances laid out for us in the Declaration of Independence, but I could keep going. Just look at the fact that we have the highest taxes in the nation, while our cities are crumbling, and our citizens are struggling to make ends meet. Or look at our massive state budget, now exceeding $300 billion dollars annually. We are so bloated with wasted taxpayer money, while never seeing the result of the billions of dollars poured into hundreds of programs. Or look at our expansive welfare programs. We pay for the Medi-Cal costs of illegal immigrants and raise the minimum wage into oblivion and are even piloting universal basic income[18] - making us a complete and total welfare state.
In 1776, tyranny meant rejecting the will of the people. But in California in 2025, it means drowning the people in taxes, smothering them in regulations, and calling it progress. California refuses admit that people know what’s good for themselves, and it refuses to admit that people flourish and thrive the MOST when government gets out of their lives.
So, what would our founding fathers think? They would be appalled. They risked their lives to escape a tyrant. What would they say to us now, living under soft tyranny but too afraid—or too comfortable—to resist?
John Adams once said, “A Constitution of government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.” Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” So, this Independence Day, let’s stop pretending we’re free and start demanding that we actually BE free.
It doesn’t take revolution—it takes resolve. Resolve to keep showing up, to keep being informed, and to keep finding ways to make change around you. Show up at school boards. Run for office if you want to! Speak the truth without fear.
The battle for liberty didn’t end in 1776—it begins again, right here, today, in California.
References:
[1] National Archives. “Declaration of Independence: A Transcription,” May 17, 2025. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript.
[2] “He Has Refused His Assent to Laws the Most Wholesome and Necessary for the Public Good. – Founding.com,” n.d. https://founding.com/he-has-refused-his-assent-to-laws-the-most-wholesome-and-necessary-for-the-public-good/.
[3] Ballotpedia. “Huntington Beach, California, Measure 1, Voter ID and Election Rules Amendment (March 2024) - Ballotpedia,” n.d. https://ballotpedia.org/Huntington_Beach,_California,_Measure_1,_Voter_ID_and_Election_Rules_Amendment_(March_2024)#:~:text=Huntington%20Beach%20Measure%201%20was,the%20approval%20of%20Measure%201.
[4] Koseff, Alexei. “California Sues Huntington Beach to Stop Voter ID Requirement.” CalMatters, April 16, 2024. https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/04/california-elections-huntington-beach-voter-id/.
[5] Sivalingam, Danielle, and Jameson Ullman. “New California Law Prohibits Localities From Imposing Their Own Voter ID Requirements.” Perkins Coie, October 11, 2024. https://perkinscoie.com/insights/update/new-california-law-prohibits-localities-imposing-their-own-voter-id-requirements.
[6] State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. “Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber Continue,” May 29, 2025. https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-continue-challenge-huntington.
[7] Staff, KCAL News. “Gov. Newsom Fines Temecula Valley School Board $1.5 For Rejecting New Curriculum.” CBS News, July 21, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/gov-newsom-fines-temecula-valley-school-board-1-5-for-rejecting-new-curriculum/.
[8] Tobias, Manuela. “Duplex Housing Law Met With Fierce Resistance by California Cities.” CalMatters, April 11, 2022. https://calmatters.org/housing/2022/04/duplex-housing-resistance/.
[9] State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. “Attorney General Bonta: Superior Court’s Final Ruling Against Chino,” October 21, 2024. https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-superior-courts-final-ruling-against-chino-valleys-forced.
[10] “Declaration of Independence: A Transcription.”
[11] “He Has Erected a Multitude of New Offices, and Sent Hither Swarms of Officers to Harass Our People, and Eat Out Their Substance. – Founding.com,” n.d. https://founding.com/he-has-erected-a-multitude-of-new-offices-and-sent-hither-swarms-of-officers-to-harass-our-people-and-eat-out-their-substance/.
[12] “Declaration of Independence: A Transcription.”
[13] “He Has Abdicated Government Here, by Declaring Us Out of His Protection and Waging War Against Us. – Founding.com,” n.d. https://founding.com/he-has-abdicated-government-here-by-declaring-us-out-of-his-protection-and-waging-war-against-us/.
[14] The Library of Congress. “Organizing a War | to Form a More Perfect Union | Articles and Essays | Documents From the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789 | Digital Collections | Library of Congress,” n.d. https://www.loc.gov/collections/continental-congress-and-constitutional-convention-from-1774-to-1789/articles-and-essays/to-form-a-more-perfect-union/organizing-a-war/.
[15] “Retail Theft in California: Looking Back at a Decade of Change,” June 12, 2025. https://www.lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055.
[16] Duara, Nigel, and Joe Garcia. “Why Californians Got Tougher on Crime: Bleak Downtowns and Attention-getting Retail Thefts.” CalMatters, November 7, 2024. https://calmatters.org/justice/2024/11/retail-theft-proposition-36-election/.
[17] Walters, Dan. “Californians Back Measure to Crack Down on Crime Despite Newsom’S Opposition.” CalMatters, September 19, 2024. https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/09/prop-36-crime-newsom-opposition/.
[18] Yang, John, Kaisha Young, and Lana Green. “As Communities Test Basic Income Programs, Here&Rsquo;S How One California City Fared.” PBS News, December 24, 2023. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/as-communities-test-basic-income-programs-heres-how-one-california-city-fared#:~:text=As%20communities%20test%20basic%20income%20programs%2C%20here's%20how%20one%20California%20city%20fared,-Dec%2023%2C%202023&text=Guaranteed%20basic%20income%2C%20the%20concept,Guaranteed%20Income%2C%20to%20learn%20more.
