San Diego

The night Mindy Fletcher became a mom, her life changed forever.

She and her husband Nathan carried baby Zach home from the hospital, where his birth mother had handed him over to the couple who so desperately wanted a family.

“It was an amazing night,” said Fletcher, a San Diego resident. “I think when we took him home, we were still in shock that it actually happened.”

The Fletchers had tried and tried to have a baby, without success. They always knew they would adopt, but thought it would be after they had their own children.

As time went on, Mindy Fletcher became more frustrated. She kept hearing stories about children who were neglected or abused by their parents, or children who were shuffled from one foster home to another, who were never given much of a chance.

It didn’t seem fair, especially when she wanted a child so badly.

So she decided to get involved and fight for those children who could not fight for themselves.

“These kids are helpless,” she said. “I don’t understand how we can sit by and let the most vulnerable of our population be neglected and victimized. For me, that’s what touched me the most -- that these kids have no voice and they have no way to help themselves and so that was what spoke to me and told me: if I don’t stand up and help them, who’s gonna?”

She joined organizations such as Angels Foster Family Network in San Diego and United Friends of the Children in Los Angeles. She volunteered, doing anything that was asked of her, all the while trying to adopt a child of her own.

The call came last summer, and on a June night, Zach was born.

Fletcher knew she’d be the stable foundation this little boy needed, that she would love and cherish him forever.

Today Zach is almost a year old, and Fletcher is still working tirelessly to protect and save children like him, who could have so easily fallen through the cracks. She worries about those children who are not adopted and who move from one foster home to another without the love and caring they need to succeed.

“It takes a special person to be a foster parent.  That is the greatest need – more and higher caliber foster parents,” Fletcher said. “There are some really good people who have made that choice and are fostering kids.  We just don’t have enough of them.”

“My California dream is that we have a foster system that values the lives of children and protects them and loves them.”

At Angels Foster Family Network, an organization that fosters babies, Fletcher learned a lot about early childhood development and what happens to foster children who don’t receive enough emotional care. 

She learned that by age 1, the babies in the system were being moved to three or four different homes or put into families with upwards of six foster kids. If the children don’t get the opportunity to bond with the caregiver before age 2, she said, the part of their brain that teaches them empathy and gives them their moral code doesn’t fully develop.

“These are the kids that 10 years from then are committing crimes and doing drugs and ending up in prison because they never learned how to love another person,” Fletcher said. “I had no clue when I got into this that it actually all happens before age 2, and once you miss that window you can’t get it back.”

In Los Angeles, United Friends of the Children helps children who are turned out of their foster homes when they turn 18 and have no place to go. The organization helps place the teens in transitional housing, apply to college and find scholarships. 

“It’s one of those things that once you learn about it, it’s kind of hard not to get involved and tell people about it. It sort of rocked my world that this happens and we’re allowing it to happen and it’s not being fixed,” Fletcher said. "But as I heard these stories, I also began to come across more and more non-profit organizations who had stepped up to fill a need the county system wasn't filling."

“They are the bright spots in an otherwise truly dismal situation. But at the end of the day, they can’t do it all.  Fundamental changes are needed in the system in order to give these children the love and care they need and deserve.”

Fletcher and her husband hope to one day adopt again. And if they could, they would foster children. For now, she’s focusing on her volunteer work and on making sure that Zach has everything he could ever want. She’s focusing on being the best mom possible.

For Zach I hope he grows up knowing how blessed he is to have a family that loves him –even when he is at that age where he doesn’t want to admit he has parents,” Fletcher said. “There are so many children who don’t have that – no place to call home, no mom and dad to support and help them. We can’t imagine our lives without Zach.”

San Francisco

As a 'transplant' from Ohio, I've lived and thrived here in California for almost 9 years now. I moved to San Francisco upon college graduation and although it has been an adjustment, I've been exposed to so many things out here that I never would have had I continued my life in Ohio. It's been a life-changing, and somewhat trying 9 years but I wouldn't trade my experiences for the world.

To me, California is truly the land of opportunity. As a little girl, I saw this long, sturdy-looking state on the map as a place where dreams came true. Like many people that head west in search of a better life, I consider myself a pioneer. I have an ability to see consumer trends and find ways to capitalize on them. I've landed at a tremendous design firm that helps companies do just that. One day I hope to have my own firm in pursuit of my dreams.

When I had the opportunity to work as a college intern out here I jumped at the chance to show the world what I could do. I was able to secure a job once I graduated and consequently knew what I was jumping into head first. Since I've been here there have been many opportunities to take my career in several different directions, three times as many as if I were in Ohio. As a result of these experiences and wearing many hats, I have gained a tremendous amount of confidence as a young career-focussed female and have seized every opportunity presented to me...even a Miss San Francisco USA crown!

It's been heartbreaking to see such a magnificent, trailblazing, pioneering state falter in a down economy. What's more upsetting is that it took a recession to make someone like myself, a single female living in the Bay Area able to afford a house. Somehow, somewhere along the lines things went awry and the line between the haves and have-nots became deep and distinct. This, in my opinion is a result of leadership that didn't have a long-term plan for the state. Leadership that allowed things get out of control when they knew it was only a matter of time before the balance got distorted and things got too top heavy.

My dream for California is this: once the economy starts to show momentum on the upswing, let's use this opportunity to build an economy the right way. Keep a system of checks and balances in place. Give small businesses an opportunity to thrive once again and make college affordable. We can't continue to be a pioneering state if we don't support the ones that will help us get there. And most of all, give those who believe in this state, work hard and play by the rules, an opportunity to thrive financially. Keep houses affordable and true to their worth. So many of my friends have had to move away because they couldn't afford to live here any longer. What kind of world are we creating when we force people to leave because we make it unaffordable for them to live here? Limit taxing and keep people's money in their pockets so they can invest and spend freely and do the best job we can at regulating the credit industry so that people who may be tempted to rely on credit know better and have learned their lesson. Let's all learn form this recession and build a stronger state as a result of it.

From everything I know to be true of Meg, she knows how to plan and build for the long haul. She understands the basic principle to avoid spending what you don't have and that band-aids only help small cuts and sometimes a trip to triage is necessary. I'm willing to suffer through the pain as long as I understand and believe in where this state is going. If we don't elect her we endanger people like me, who have the greater good in our hearts and minds, leaving the state and turning a new land into an opportunity. We all want to have the life we deserve but in the end, we're fighters and survivalists that will do what we need to get there. Keep us here Meg!

A Believer in Meg,

Julie Craven

Yuba City, Calif.

Things were different in California in 1967, when Al Montna was graduating from college, had just married his college sweetheart and was embarking on a career in farming.

California was a good place to do business, a good place to raise a family -- a place to succeed.

Today things have changed.

“The problem with California now is that regulatory climates have become such that it’s not business-friendly and we have to change that because the cost of doing business in the state is more burdensome than any of our competitors,” Montna said. “We have to do something.”

Montna grew up on a farm, where he was riding tractors and learning from his father and the farm’s employees by age 5. He studied agriculture in high school and college, and for the past four decades he has made his living as a rice farmer in Yuba City, Calif.

But it’s getting more difficult and more expensive, and Montna is worried about the generations of farmers who come after him. He wonders if they will be able to build a life the way he has.

“My California dream is that my family -- my children and my grandchildren -- have the same opportunity in agriculture that my family had over the last 100 years of farming in this state,” Montna said. “And to be given that opportunity, we’re going to have to correct regulatory and business climate in this state and that’s what we’re hoping Meg Whitman will be able to accomplish for us as governor moving forward after 2010.”

Davis, Calif.

When Katie Davalos was growing up in San Jose, she longed to go to public school.

It was closer to home, and it was where all of her friends were.


Instead, her parents sent her to eight years of private school. Davalos, now 21, said they doubted the public school near her home would give her an adequate education.


Today Davalos is a college student at the University of California in Davis. She said she loves it and values the fact that California has such impressive higher education programs -- more than any other state. But she wishes she could have attended public school K-12.


She said she worries about the state’s universities. They are high-caliber, but they are becoming less accessible. Increasing tuition costs are hurting state-funded schools and are leaving fewer options for people who can't afford to go to a private institution.


She's concerned California's education system will eventually buckle under those conditions, and she wants to see something done about it.


"It's no longer affordable for the average Californian," Davalos said. "My dream for California is to work on that and actually make sure our higher education is sustainable."
 

Folsom, Calif.

In Faye Thomas' line of work, California's economic dive has meant a shift in the way her department can perform its daily tasks. Job cuts put even more responsibility on the shoulders of the coworkers left behind.

It’s a problem facing millions of other employers and companies across the state. But Thomas, a deputy with the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, said the state of the economy is especially troublesome for her.

Ultimately, she said, a budget shortfall means compromised safety for the citizens of California.

“There’s a lot of crime out there, there’s a lot of things we have to work on and a lot of the customer service is not being met,” said Thomas, a Folsom resident.

“So crime is going to increase, poverty, and at the same time we're decreasing all the jobs so we're not going to be able to meet the expectations of the citizens, which upsets me because we get a zillion calls a day and are only able to respond to just a few of them at a time because of lack of resources.”

Thomas moved here in 1997 from Chicago because she had family here. She’s grown to love the variety of opportunities, the culture and the diversity of people. But it’s getting tougher to stay here and do her job to the best of her ability.

Her California dream?

“For (the state) to grow and grow more than it has already grown,” she said.
 

Santa Cruz, Calif.

For the first six months Jack Parker lived in California, he camped on beaches, stayed on friends' couches and slept in his car.

He moved to Santa Cruz from Ohio nearly a year ago because many of his friends had settled here and he liked what he saw when he visited. It was a laid-back place with beautiful scenery and a hopeful atmosphere.

"You can go from 20 minutes up in the hills and be surrounded by giant redwoods and creeks and streams and you go 20 minutes in the other direction and you're down on the beach, with some of the best surfing and the best hiking, all within easy access," Parker said.

But when the 21-year-old musician arrived in California, life was much tougher than he anticipated.

"It was really hard for somebody my age with the background I have -- not in college and not a student -- to actually make it here and to live comfortably. But you just, like, fight through it," he said.

He says he submitted his resume to nearly every business in downtown Santa Cruz before he finally got a job at Borders, where he still works today.

Only recently has Parker found lodging -- in an artists' community that provides affordable housing. 

He wants others like him to have an easier transition. He dreams of more affordable housing in California, especially for blue-collar workers.

"It's a beautiful place to be and it kind of takes away from it when you're, like, struggling so hard just to get by that you can't go out and enjoy everything," Parker said. "I would like to see (a governor) who has a down-to-earth approach as to how to fix the economic struggle for a lot of people,  the people that are working two or three jobs just to live out here. Because there's really no reason somebody should have to work that much just to keep a roof over their head."

Stanford, Calif.

Logan Deans came to California in 2007 from Provo, Utah to pursue higher education, but he and his family want to stay because they enjoy so many other aspects of living here: the energy, the diversity, the beauty. He has since founded a web development company called Newport Interactive. But today the Stanford resident sees challenges facing the state he has fallen in love with and the ability to grow his business. Deans wants to see change that will create prosperity and the opportunity for success across California.

“We all hear reports of Mumbai and Shanghai becoming the next centers for technology and innovation.  My dream for California is to see it once again become the state of the future, capturing the energy, entrepreneurship and economic success of Silicon Valley and extending it statewide for the 21^st century.”

“I came to California to pursue an MBA at Stanford and was quickly enveloped in the passion, creativity and entrepreneurship that drive this community.  Our family has fallen in love with the beauty and diversity of this great state and we have decided to make California our home.  Given the economic challenges we face today, we need a leader who knows how to run a more efficient government focused on helping small businesses that will grow and create jobs.  I know that Meg will do what it takes to ‘clear the path’ for entrepreneurs like me to stay and build flourishing companies here in California.”

San Diego, California


My hope for California is to lead the development of an education system where California people from all economic levels will be able to earn a college degree from our best universities based on their academic attainments and not on what they can afford. And I hope we implement state-wide K-12 after-school programs for those students whose parents cannot help them with their homework, in particular Hispanic and African-American families. There are plenty of non-profit organizations that would be willing to take over this task at minimal cost as the YMCA has done it in Orange County, California.

Meg Whitman clearly understands the value of a quality education and the beneficial changes that it produces in people’s lives and the economies of states.

Rocklin, California

“My dream for California is a place with much better education, and a place where we can get back to conservative values and equality.”

“I like that Meg Whitman wants to manage the state like a business, so we don’t spend beyond our means and that … we can actually get a budget every year, we can spend what we need to spend on education and make that money worth something. We spend so much and look at how we’re ranked. I think Meg Whitman would use the money, not only just allocate it properly, but use it more effectively. We need to use the money more effectively in every arena.”

Lancaster, California

I hope that my children and grandchildren will be able to live, work and buy homes in California, and not be forced to leave because of the issues that plague our once Golden State. Making sure every citizen has the opportunity to work hard and achieve their goals should be a dream shared by all Californians.

Meg is the BEST PERSON to lead California. Her values, skills, work ethic and experience in the “real world” are unmatched. As a former Legislator, I understand the challenges she will face in the Governor’s office, and I am confident that she has the right stuff to meet the demands. Meg Whitman understands the issues -- many of them unique to our state -- and has made a commitment to work day and night for the people of California

Danville, California

“My California dream is a dream that we can actually get control of education—that our kids can be prepared for the jobs of the future. My company does software, and we’re in healthcare and life sciences, and I hear all the time from these companies that they are very fearful for these kids aren’t going to be ready. So my dream is to help them become ready—ready for college and ready for the jobs of the future, so that California can continue to thrive.”

Judy thinks Meg stands out because of what she considers “a clearer vision” that not just helps women, but everyone realize what the California dream can mean. And for Judy, that dream is not only a better education for children, but also an entrepreneurial dream, where people can create the jobs of the future.

Bakersfield, California

My dream for California is that our state will continue to be the engine of innovation, opportunity, and ingenuity.  That the best and the brightest continue to come to places like the Central Valley to live and start their careers.  My hope is that California will be a place that will allow young people like myself to continue to have the opportunities to excel and achieve greatly.

California needs a leader like Meg Whitman who will work to empower Californians to strive and succeed.  She is someone who has created jobs by unleashing entrepreneurial drive and personal initiative.  Meg Whitman is uniquely qualified to lead our state as she has long been dedicated in providing everyday individuals and families with economic opportunities to prosper and excel.  A stronger and more prosperous California requires all of us to rise to the occasion, and Meg Whitman will be that leader that will help us chart the path to revitalize California.

Lakeport, California

My hope for California is that we would not only lead the Nation in fine wine production, high tech innovation and scientific research, but also become the national leader in education, transportation and health care. With the incredible intellectual energy and entrepreneurial skills we have as resources in our great State, I know we can take the lead in these areas that need so much attention.

I believe that Meg Whitman is the right person to lead our State as Governor because she has proven herself in a number of critical skill sets. First, there can be no doubting her business skills.  She took an idea from its infancy and grew it to a billion dollar business.  To do this she had to excel in financial skills managing large budgets, communication skills running a company with thousands of employees and maybe most importantly innovative thinking that led her company not just to financial success but to becoming a household name, an institution that most people in the world recognize -- eBay.  These skills can all be put into play as our Governor. She can lead as our Chief Executive, setting the agenda for the State, she can work with the Legislature using her proven people skills to pass legislation that will move the State forward, and she will think in a way that most career politicians can not, using innovative thinking to make the lives of all Californians better.