Inland Empire Progressive

There’s a familiar script unfolding in California politics from conservatives: lose election, cry fraud, and hope the outrage sticks longer than the facts. This time, it’s a sheriff-turned-gubernatorial candidate, Chad Bianco breathlessly alleging “discrepancies” in ballot counts—claims that are, at best, laughable and, at worst, a glaring conflict of interest from someone seeking to benefit politically from undermining the very system they hope to inherit. These allegations are not rooted in evidence. They’re rooted in strategy. County Registrars of Voters are not shadowy backrooms where ballots mysteriously appear or vanish. They are among the most safeguarded, audited, and transparent institutions in the country. Bipartisan observers monitor counts. Ballots are tracked, verified, and reverified. Machines are tested and retested. Paper trails exist precisely to counter the kind of baseless accusations now being hurled into the public sphere. If there were widespread discrepancies, th...

The recent scramble by some California Democrats gubernatorial candidates to propose gas tax cuts in response to rising fuel prices because of the Trump Administration's Israel First War with Iran is strategically backward. At the exact moment when the California's dependence on oil is forcing a long-overdue reckoning, Democrats, as usual, are choosing cowardice and convenience over vision. Gas prices are a signal. And right now, instead of that signal pointing toward a clean energy future, Democrats are wavering, trying to placate oil executives who benefit most from this crisis. This is a mistake. If Democrats truly believe in transitioning away from fossil fuels, this current crisis should be embraced by aggressively investing into solar infrastructure, battery technology, EV incentives, and modernized transit systems. This is how you build the next economy. Cutting gas taxes is easy. Restoring them is politically radioactive. Once you lower that revenue stream, it rarely co...

The word woke didn’t start as a punchline. It wasn’t born in a cable news chyron or weaponized in a focus group. It came from a place of survival. To be woke meant to stay alert to injustice, to recognize patterns of abuse that polite society preferred to ignore. But today, centrists recoil at the word like it’s radioactive, lumping it together with slogans like “Defund the Police,” stripped of context, history, and meaning. In doing so, they erase the conditions that made it necessary. Because you can draw a straight, unbroken line from the rise of the smartphone camera to the explosion of Black Lives Matter protests. The difference between then and now isn’t that injustice suddenly appeared, it’s that it became undeniable. What once looked over by America is now captured in real time and shared globally within minutes. As Will Smith once said, racism isn’t getting worse, it’s getting filmed. And that filming shattered the illusion that incremental reform was enough. Yet centrists, t...

  December-2025-Report.pdf The Inland Empire isn’t collapsing by accident. At the center of this economic unraveling is Jay Obernolte, marching in lockstep with the chaotic economic agenda of Donald Trump. Families across Riverside and San Bernardino counties are living with the consequences of this economic: rising costs, job insecurity, and a regional economy teetering on uncertainty. All of this was before uncertainty was present before the Israeli First war began. The data is not subtle. Regional economic reports warn that instability driven by federal policy, especially tariffs and unpredictable trade decisions has injected deep uncertainty into the Inland Empire’s economic outlook. Businesses don’t invest when they can’t plan. Workers don’t thrive when industries hesitate. And right now, hesitation is everywhere.  Tariffs, in particular, are a blunt weapon and Inlander the ones getting hit...hard. The Inland Empire’s economy is heavily dependent on logistics, warehousing...

Republicans appear to have thrown both the rule of law and common decency out the window while acting like they’re the arbiters of justice. Instead of demanding accountability, Rep. Obernolte and the rest of the Guardians of Pedophiles (GOP) are apparently more concerned with preserving Trump's power instead of seeking justice. The case of Jeffrey Epstein still needs transparency. Only half of the documents have been released! Yet rather than be the fearless champions of victims and truth, many Republicans consider the case closed. Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie continue to seek justice for the victims from the United States Department of Justice, but conservative Pam Bondi has so far refused to prosecute. And what is the GOP doing? Predictably, they are slow walking accountability and justice. So yes, while the GOP shouts about crime wave, wokeness, “lawless” progressive mobs and all manner of perceived threats, the actual law‑and‑order game? Looks more like selective enforceme...

The economic pain spreading our Congressional District isn’t accidental; it’s the direct result of political choices made by Rep. Jay Obernolte and his continued alignment with Donald Trump. While politicians talk tough about patriotism, the reality on the ground is far less inspiring: jobs are disappearing, families are scrambling, and the district’s economic backbone is quietly eroding. At the heart of the issue is Trump’s “Israel First” policies that shift focus and resources abroad while weakening alliances that historically stabilized global markets and protected American industry. When alliances fracture and supply chains tighten are strangled because of tariffs, districts like ours that are heavily reliant on defense and logistics work are first to take the hit. Yet Obernolte continues to back these policies without hesitation, ignoring the growing consequences for his own constituents. The numbers are devastatingly real. Hundreds of skilled workers are being laid off from Fort ...

The current majority of the Supreme Court of the United States can no longer be seen as a neutral arbiter of law, they are, plain and simple, a power‑grabbing activist tribunal intent on stripping away the civil rights of same‑sex couples and openly flouting the will of the American people. Back in 2015, the Court rightly ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same‑sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. That decision wasn’t merely symbolic; it recognized that the liberty and equality guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment apply just as much to gay and lesbian couples as to their heterosexual peers. But today we find ourselves staring down the barrel of what looks like a targeted rollback, disguised as judicial review. Recent filings indicate that the Court is considering taking up a case brought by Kim Davis, a former county clerk who refused to issue licenses to same‑sex couples, seeking to dismantle Obergefell entirely. Instead of defending settled law and the rights of Americ...

The relentless parade of half‑baked, over‑hyped artificial intelligence slop is not just a tech problem it’s a social disaster. What we’re witnessing is a flood of AI slop sweeping across America creating services no one asked for, replacing real human connections with synthetic relationships, sucking away American jobs, and exacerbating the loneliness epidemic. Meanwhile, Jay Obernolte and his regulatory colleagues are pushing for a 10-year moratorium. Generative AI and automation are not just replacing routine manual labor anymore they’re now picking off cognitive tasks as well. AI’s capacity for non‑routine work sets it apart and presents a threat to the quality and availability of work that underpin stable societies.  The giant sucking sound we feared is real and workplaces are being hollowed out, career ladders collapsing, and workers left stranded. Americans have been grappling with profound isolation for years, and AI is not helping, it’s worsening the crisis. One article no...

In recent cultural flashpoints, such as the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney and the American Eagle ad campaign what might look like a mere marketing misstep is in fact symptomatic of a deeper and more insidious phenomenon: the way segments of the conservative movement marshal culture as a permission structure for white supremacist values, undermining the multicultural coalition that democracy depends on.  At its core, conservative cultural posture often presents itself as a defense of "tradition,” “heritage,” or “common values.” But beneath this veneer is a politics of exclusion: a framing that normalizes white identity as default, implicitly elevates racial hierarchies, and uses cultural tropes to provide cover for authoritarian impulses. Sociological research shows that white-male status anxiety is increasingly driving right-wing movements that treat democracy not as a shared civic project, but as a game to be rigged in favor of one group.  Such conservatism doesn’t j...

The reign of chaos orchestrated by Donald Trump is no longer a mere political spectacle. It is a clear and present danger to the U.S. economy. Far from the savvy deal‑maker he claims to be, Trump is proving to be an unpredictable wrecking ball for markets, business confidence and the wellbeing of ordinary Americans. The recent market slide underscores just how rattled investors have become.  The problem is a pattern of erratic decision‑making, tariff threats and regulatory whiplash coming out of the White House that’s hamstringing investment. Economists at Oxford Economics estimate that policy uncertainty driven by Trump could depress business investment by 4% in the near term, and even 14% if it persists. This is even before the Iran War that have sent oil prices to the moon. And what of the American people? They’re the ones left holding the bag. From small business owners who don’t know if tariffs will suddenly spike, to workers facing layoffs or hiring freezes. Trump’s policy me...

In the face of an excruciating affordability crisis that plagues thousands of Inland Empire residents, Jay Obernolte has offered zero meaningful leadership. Trump’s latest gambit, telling Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get Big Homebuilders going because 2 million empty lots are allegedly gathering dust, is emblematic of a disconnected, scatter‑shot approach offered by Conservatives. Representative Obernolte has offered little in the way of proactive policy to address the roots of housing unaffordability. His focus on budget deficits out of touch when people are being priced out of their homes and money is being spent on and Israeli First agenda in the Middle East. Obernolte’s public priorities list does not even prominently mention affordability, and his legislative record shows no major development in our district. By staying silent while Trump plays with empty lots talking points, Obernolte is complicit in shifting the conversation away from meaningful change. Trump’s rhetoric serves ...

From the moment one reads the disturbing reports coming out of the Adelanto ICE facility, the comparison to some of the most infamous detention and concentration camps since World War 2 begins to seem less figurative than literal. People with disabilities are held in unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the facility, detainees routinely denied basic needs like adequate food, safe water, clean clothing, medical and mental‐health care.  The report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General from 2018 found nooses in detainee cells, improper and inadequate detainee medical care at Adelanto.  KHSU has reported that ne detainee was held in solitary for 904 days in the so‑called Special Management Unit. These conditions are evidence of the Trump Administration's system of cruelty that was built to treat human beings as disposable, replaceable, invisible. It is not mere imprisonment; it is the slow grind of disenfranchisement, the factory of despair that is...

The recent sweep of wins by the Democratic Party in state and local level races is no fluke, yet these victories also expose a devastating irony: Democrats have been successful when they stop pretending it’s something it isn’t and sticks to its core values. Democrats made gains in deep-red Mississippi, flipped two state-senate seats, and scored victories in Georgia, Pennsylvania and New York in districts that voted for Donald Trump in 2024.  What the party needs now is smart marketing. When Democrats win, it begins with telling voters: “We hear your pain, we share your hopes, and we actually have solutions.” In the 2025 election cycle, messages around affordability, strength and “getting shit done” are resonating. The party’s mistake until now has been trying to be everything for everyone and forgetting that in many states what voters actually crave is strength and authenticity. Voters switched-back to Democrats when they saw these values. The lesson is to believe in the coalition ...

The cruelty of the Donald Trump administration’s handling of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is stark and unforgivable. As winter draws near, children, seniors, veterans, and working families face the real threat of going without food because Washington is playing politics with survival. According to the Food Research and Action Center, the administration is delaying or withholding full November benefits for the 42 million people who rely on SNAP. A federal judge ruled the government must provide full funding for November. Instead of compliance, the administration appealed and sought to withhold billions, even telling states to undo full payments that had already been issued.  What we’re witnessing is a deliberate campaign of cruelty. Children who depend on SNAP aren’t faceless statistics. They are real kids in real homes worrying about their next meal. People with disabilities, veterans on fixed incomes, families with little margin for error. The government sh...

Back in 2012, Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic establishment were left stunned after a surprising result from the Inland Empire when Democrat Pete Aguilar the mayor of Redlands did not make the top two race in then 31st Congressional District. Two Republicans, Congressman Gary Miller and then-state senator Bob Dutton, ran, as did four Democrats, Pete Aguilar, Justin Kim, Renea Wickman and Rita Ramirez-Dean. Only the two republicans advanced after the June primary was done. During the general election, State senator Bob Dutton attempted to moderate himself but ended up losing to the better funded Gary Miller. After the loss the term 'Aguliared' was used among the Pelosi class of Democrats as a jest to Rep. Pete Aguilar for the results of the jungle primary. However, the outcome serves as a warning for the upcoming California governor’s race with eight Democratic candidates running: There is potential that the vote will split enough so that Republicans will advance to the general ...

Welcome to the new era of academic cringe: where the paragons of independent thought once sat in Ivy Towers are now lining up to bend the knee before the Trump Administration, offering their autonomy as tribute. Meanwhile, MIT just gave the kind of middle finger that should stiffen the spine of those in tweed jackets. The Trump administration rolled out its “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” effectively preferential funding in exchange for policy demands. Universities were invited to sign on to a curriculum of ideological compliance: caps on international students, rigid definitions of gender, and elimination of “belittling” conservative views (fucking conservative snowflakes).  What happens when you turn your most esteemed intellectual institutions into subordinate appendages of the Trump Administration?  Research becomes aligned with political fashion, not curiosity. Faculty dare not criticize or deviate. Student expression is squeezed into the narrow cor...

As the Epstein scandal grows Trump is increasingly acting like wild-eyed strongman. Father Michael Pfleger recently blamed the White House of violence coming from within the White House and not merely in rhetoric, but via real policy that blocks food access, medical care and basic social supports.  When the Trump administration weaponizes the tools of government and mobilizes violence against his own people, democracy teeters on the brink of authoritarianism. The pattern is clear federal troops deployed in U.S. cities, executive orders that ignore or override courts, selective punishments for political opponents and the rigorous use of “emergency” powers. The Trump administration has followed the textbook authoritarian playbook by purging institutions, attacking civil society and bypassing constitutional norms .  Father Pfleger’s didn’t just say look at Chicago. He said America is in a state of emergency. Cuts to SNAP, Medicare, Medicaid amount to state-sponsored violence, for...

Rep. Jay Obernolte's performative stunts are failing the Inland Empire. Inlanders, this is not a clean continuing resolution (CR) as Obernolte keeps trying to tell us. This CR is a continuation of the March CR which funded the American Gestapo to conduct immigration raids of Victorville, Adelanto, and Hesperia with the blessing of the activist judges on the Supreme Court.   The very fabric of our region is fraying, thanks to the kind of nihilistic, self-righteous brinksmanship that seems to delight the modern Republican playbook. Meanwhile, Obernolte acts as though the Inland Empire is glad to act as the president's doormat. Grow a spine Congressman! Thousands of federal workers and contractors across the Inland Empire are seeing their income vanish into thin air, furloughed or forced to work with zero guarantee of pay. That means teachers, social workers, forest rangers, park staff, grant administrators all watching their utility bills, mortgages, and grocery needs pile up wh...

FBI Director Kash Patel's actions regarding the January 6th insurrection must be called out. While the public has been told that the release of phone records and metadata was a step toward transparency, what’s really happening looks like a desperate attempt to whitewash the events of January 6th and as a means to enrich those allegedly involved. Behind the curtain of these carefully timed disclosures lies a pattern: Patel’s maneuvering appears to shield Republican lawmakers from any meaningful investigation into coordination or complicity in the insurrection itself. The FBI examined the phone metadata of at least eight Republican senators and one House member for the period of January 4–7, 2021 in the lead-up to the storming of the Capitol . Now here’s where Patel’s role becomes toxic: by releasing selective phone records he is trying to absolve Republican lawmakers. The metadata reveals nothing of call content, leaving gaping holes whether coordination, directives, or conspiratori...

If the Trump administration invokes the  Insurrection Act , it will not happen in a vacuum. It will be enabled, normalized, and quietly tolerated by members of Congress who choose party loyalty over constitutional duty.  That enabling figure is Congressman Jay Obernolte. By refusing to draw a hard line against the use of domestic military force for political ends, Obernolte would effectively allow the Insurrection Act to be enforced in our own district. We already have ICE gestapo in Victorville and Hesperia. Now imagine the Marines from 29 Palms in Redlands and Loma Linda. The Insurrection Act gives the president extraordinary power to deploy federal troops inside the United States, overriding governors and local officials. Trump’s repeated threats to invoke it are not about restoring order but about asserting dominance over political opponents and bypassing local resistance. When a president frames protests, court rulings, or uncooperative local leaders as “obstructions,” th...