I want to speak honestly with you, because what we’re seeing across the country — and right here in Southern California — should concern every middle-class family.

The middle class isn’t stressed.
It isn’t “anxious.”
It’s exhausted.

After nearly five years of stubborn inflation — and decades of political impotence — families are reaching a breaking point. Prices are up more than 25% since 2020, and the essentials that make up everyday life—groceries, electricity, insurance, car repairs—keep climbing with no end in sight.

People were promised relief.
Instead, everything keeps getting more expensive.

And here’s the truth nobody in power wants to admit:

This crisis didn’t happen overnight.
It happened because, for decades, leaders at every level have looked the other way while costs spiraled out of control — and now families are paying the price.

But in California, the situation is even worse.

State and city policies have layered cost on top of cost, regulation on top of regulation, bureaucracy on top of bureaucracy — until ordinary working families simply can’t keep up anymore.

When Sacramento raises fees, utilities increase rates, cities pile on housing restrictions, and new taxes are floated every year, guess who gets stuck with the bill?
Not bureaucrats. Not special interests. Not the wealthy.
It’s the nurses, teachers, tradesmen, young professionals, small-business owners, and seniors living on fixed incomes — the backbone of the middle class.

They’re the ones turning off lights to save on their electric bills.
They’re the ones watching grocery receipts climb higher for the same items.
They’re the ones delaying medical care or taking on credit-card debt just to get through the month.
They’re the ones rethinking their future in California.

And this is exactly why I’m running — because if we don’t act now, we risk losing the middle class entirely. And without a strong middle class, America cannot survive.

Here’s what we must do:

✅ Stop the policies that are driving costs up.
End the endless cycle of state and local fees, mandates, and taxes that quietly drain family budgets.

✅ Fix California’s cost structure.
Utilities, insurance, housing fees, development delays — Sacramento has created a cost-of-living maze that only government could design. It's time to unwind it.

✅ Make housing realistic again.
Remove/Reform VMT. Cut fees. Reduce frivolous lawsuits. Put local families first. Stop Wall Street funds and foreign buyers from snapping up our limited housing supply.

✅ Restore affordability so families can breathe again.
Lower everyday costs. Hold agencies accountable. Shine a light on where money goes and who benefits.

✅ Protect the next generation.
Young adults deserve a future where homeownership isn’t out of reach, where jobs are abundant, and where California is a place to stay — not escape.

The middle class has carried this country for generations. They’ve played by the rules, worked hard, sacrificed, and shown resilience through every challenge. But they cannot be asked to carry the weight of bad policy anymore.

For decades, politicians have overpromised and underdelivered.
It’s time to stop accepting excuses.
It’s time to rebuild the foundation that made America strong.

If the middle class falls, the country falls.
I refuse to let that happen.

Paid for by Desmond for Congress

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