"I'm Voting For You, But Don't Tell Anyone": Steve Hilton on Flipping California

You know, there are going to be people that say you can have all the tax plans that you want.

You can make these promises.

But the fact of the matter is, is California is so underwater.

And something that a lot of people don't even understand about California, but I'm sure you understand very well better than I do, is the unfunded liabilities.

It's all the promises that have been made over the years going way back, several governors back that have made these.

And you know what the funny thing is? I remember discussing these unfunded liabilities on your show on Fox News in L.A.

with you.

And I remember talking about how we got in that position, and we discussed that way back then.

And obviously you're aware of it, but now you're running to be the governor.

What does a governor of a state that's going to be largely run by Democrats, even if you win, what does a governor do with those unfunded liabilities? How do you get back on track and get your state, I guess, in a better financial position, even though you've got all this baggage already?

Well, you're completely right.

And the number one thing is that it's having a governor who's elected, who's not owned by the interests that have pushed all that, particularly the unions and the government unions.

And so for Sarah, my opponent, like all the Democrat machine politicians, completely captured and owned by the unions.

They fund the campaign.

But I won't be I won't owe them anything.

And so I'll push back on them and renegotiate some of those contracts.

The governor can do that and make sure we act and change the way the pen.

And there's some technical things we need to do about how pension money is invested.

They've been they've been investing the money according to all sorts of political, woke, ideological incentive imperatives rather than just like, how do you get more money? And so all of these changes are practical things that the governor can make.

But it goes to having someone who's an outsider.

who's not owned we've had 16 years of one party rule and it's these insiders who just own the whole process and and the politicians are their puppets and that's what's been going on in california and they're so arrogant they think they'll be in power forever that's why he's behaving the way he is and it's going to be a real shock but you can do this i mean you could the governor of california actually has a lot of power if you know how to use it and you're prepared to confront the corrupt interests that are there.

And I absolutely do know how it works and how to change it.

I mean, look, you can't do everything.

You're right, there's gonna be a two-thirds majority, most likely, in the state legislature.

But remember, the governor writes the budget.

You know, there are going to be people that say you can have all the tax plans that you want.

You can make these promises.

But the fact of the matter is, is California is so underwater.

And something that a lot of people don't even understand about California, but I'm sure you understand very well better than I do, is the unfunded liabilities.

It's all the promises that have been made over the years going way back, several governors back that have made these.

And you know what the funny thing is? I remember discussing these unfunded liabilities on your show on Fox News in L.A.

with you.

And I remember talking about how we got in that position, and we discussed that way back then.

And obviously you're aware of it, but now you're running to be the governor.

What does a governor of a state that's going to be largely run by Democrats, even if you win, what does a governor do with those unfunded liabilities? How do you get back on track and get your state, I guess, in a better financial position, even though you've got all this baggage already?

Well, you're completely right.

And the number one thing is that it's having a governor who's elected, who's not owned by the interests that have pushed all that, particularly the unions and the government unions.

And so for Sarah, my opponent, like all the Democrat machine politicians, completely captured and owned by the unions.

They fund the campaign.

But I won't be I won't owe them anything.

And so I'll push back on them and renegotiate some of those contracts.

The governor can do that and make sure we act and change the way the pen.

And there's some technical things we need to do about how pension money is invested.

They've been they've been investing the money according to all sorts of political, woke, ideological incentive imperatives rather than just like, how do you get more money? And so all of these changes are practical things that the governor can make.

But it goes to having someone who's an outsider.

who's not owned we've had 16 years of one party rule and it's these insiders who just own the whole process and and the politicians are their puppets and that's what's been going on in california and they're so arrogant they think they'll be in power forever that's why he's behaving the way he is and it's going to be a real shock but you can do this i mean you could the governor of california actually has a lot of power if you know how to use it and you're prepared to confront the corrupt interests that are there.

And I absolutely do know how it works and how to change it.

I mean, look, you can't do everything.

You're right, there's gonna be a two-thirds majority, most likely, in the state legislature.

But remember, the governor writes the budget.