Imagine a California governor who rolls back today鈥檚 mask and vaccine mandates, actively campaigns against Democrats in the Legislature who block his policies, and makes the expansion of oil and gas exploration the cornerstone of California鈥檚 climate change policy.
Things would certainly be different under a .
That is, if voters decide Sept. 14 to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and if Cox wins the most votes among .
In a 90-minute interview with CalMatters reporters and editors, the Republican businessperson drew sharp contrasts with Newsom; spoke about his plans to upend state policy on taxes, homelessness, healthcare and education; and explained 鈥� he hopes for the last time 鈥� why he took to the campaign trail with a .
CalMatters has invited Newsom and his major challengers to sit down and chat. Here are five highlights from the discussion with Cox:
鈥業t鈥檚 not Ebola, it鈥檚 not the smallpox鈥�
In the face of the , the Newsom administration has reintroduced a statewide and compelled , and to get vaccinated or get tested regularly.
That鈥檚 all a little much for Cox. He pushed back against what he calls 鈥渉ysteria鈥� over a virus that is likely And now that vaccines are easily available, Cox said Californians should have the freedom to choose whether they want to protect themselves with masks and vaccines 鈥� or not.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 vaccinated 鈥� which I am 鈥� do I really care if someone is unvaccinated?鈥� he asked.
Public health experts still strongly recommend that everyone who is eligible to get the jab do so. That鈥檚 to and to reduce the likelihood that local health care systems will be overwhelmed with patients as they currently are in , and .
鈥楾he streets, the beaches and the parks are for everybody鈥�
Cox said California鈥檚 is fundamentally a mental health and addiction issue. One of his first priorities as governor, he said, would be to to make it easier to place people living on the street into 鈥� an arrangement in which a person鈥檚 legal and financial affairs are entrusted to someone else.
Compelling people to receive treatment and housing, he said, should be accompanied with stricter enforcement of anti-camping laws. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have to live on the street,鈥� he said of unhoused Californians. 鈥淭hey can go and live in the mountains.鈥�
Cox said he would call a special session of the Legislature solely to tackle housing costs and homelessness. Other policy changes he鈥檇 like to see include stripping down a that is often used to block new development, and reducing delays and fees imposed on developers by local governments. But , he said, should remain the purview of local government.
鈥楢 lot of advantages to developing natural gas and oil鈥�
For decades, California has stood out for its aggressive policies on climate change. That鈥檚 included emissions statewide, and .
Cox has a different idea: Rather than focus on its own carbon footprint, California should do what it can to reduce emissions in industrial powerhouses China and India. And the best way to do that, he said, would be to export liquified natural gas across the Pacific, providing those countries with a cleaner alternative to coal.
鈥淲e ought to be talking about what we can do to fix global pollution, not just make symbolic gestures,鈥� he said.
鈥業鈥檒l have to go around them and get other people elected鈥�
It鈥檚 not lost on Cox that no matter what happens, California鈥檚 Legislature will remain in firm Democratic hands.
What鈥檚 a conservative Republican governor to do? Cox said he would first try to persuade legislators to back his policy agenda by appealing to their 鈥渃ommon sense.鈥� But if that fails he has a Plan B: hit the campaign trail next year and while running for re-election, urge voters to boot the hold-outs out of office in 2022.
鈥極h yeah, you鈥檙e the guy with the bear!鈥�
It鈥檚 fair to say that Cox is sick of taking questions about the Tag the Kodiak. Yes, it was a stunt to get people to pay attention. And no, Cox said, it鈥檚 not 鈥渂eneath me to parade around with a bear.鈥�
He recalled talking to a hotel valet in Santa Barbara who evidently had no idea who he was 鈥� until Cox mentioned the bear.
鈥淪o if that鈥檚 needed to reach the voters who should have a say, but who don鈥檛 have the time or the inclination to pay attention to politics, I鈥檓 all for it,鈥� he said. But for all the attention that Tag has received, he added, 鈥渢he bear didn鈥檛 talk. I talked.鈥�
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