LANCASTER — Ten, and possibly 11, of the 46 candidates on the ballot for the gubernatorial recall election will be in Lancaster today to present their plan on how to fix homelessness directly to people experiencing homelessness.

The candidates include no party preference candidates Kevin Kaul and Jeremiah Marciniak; Democrats Patrick Kilpatrick, John Drake, Jackie McGowan and Brandon Ross; Republicans Leo Zacky, David Hillberg, and Joe Symmon; and Green Party candidates Heather Collins and Dan Kapelovitz (if scheduling permits).

The event is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. behind the shopping center at 43627 15th St. West. The conference will also be broadcast live on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=rwepbe-MIx0.

The event is sponsored by Yes California, an organization that promotes Calexit — California’s secession from the United States. Yes California is working with advocate LaQuenta “Kwin” Reynolds, who works with the homeless in the City of Lancaster, to bring people experiencing homelessness to the event.

Yes California has hosted nine debates from March 1 through Aug. 4 with 25% of the recall candidates. Yes California CEO Marcus Ruiz Evans wrote in an email that none of the candidates attending the event has expressed support for Calexit. “Our goal was to provide info to the voters about the candidates and all of the candidates have said we were fair and that they appreciate the service Yes CA provided,” Ruiz Evans wrote. “A discussion on Calexit will not be happening — the event is focused on homelessness. I made a commitment to all of the people attending that this is the only thing we will be discussing on Sunday (today).”

All of the candidates have plans for homelessness, Ruiz Evans wrote, and wanted to present their plan directly to the people it would impact.

“25% of all registered candidates who will be up for a vote will be appearing,” Ruiz Evans wrote. “That is one-quarter of all of the choices. And none of the declared top candidates or the governor himself, have ever held a conference with actual unhoused people and explained their plan.”

Ruiz Evans invited conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder, who tops the polls among recall candidates to the event, and Elder will be present. He will be the guest at the 10:30 a.m. service at Lancaster Baptist Church.

“Larry Elder should come out and speak directly to the homeless,” Ruiz Evans wrote. “Lancaster has the highest concentration of homeless in the entire So Cal area. How strange that he would travel to an area with this demographic background and not speak on the issue or meet the people of the topic that everyone in California is concerned about.”

Why Lancaster?

“They have been dumping and concentrating LA homeless in Lancaster and, according to the ACLU and LA Times reporting, the worst conditions for homeless exist in Lancaster,” Ruiz Evans wrote. “That was how we were able to convince one-quarter of all candidates that speaking about homeless as an issue would be best against a backdrop of Lancaster as an example of a problem all Californians deeply care about.”

ANTELOPE VALLEY PRESS  

VALLEY PRESS STAFF REPORT Aug 29, 2021 Updated Aug 29, 2021 https://www.avpress.com/news/governor-hopefuls-visiting-lancaster-today/article_c3100ff0-0877-11ec-a4bd-a339a136e24b.html