Happy New Year! A look Back and A Look Ahead
A Look Back at 2025
2025 will be remembered as the year Americans finally pulled back the curtain and saw clearly and unmistakably the scale of waste, fraud, and abuse that has been allowed by our government for far too long. After years of feeling ignored and gaslit, Americans are waking up to the reality that the systems meant to protect the most vulnerable have instead been exploited. The exposure of waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse whether in Minnesota or through government programs, nonprofit networks, and high‑profile initiatives like the DOGE‑related scandals has fueled a demand for accountability. Tax payers are tired of being ripped off and 2026 could bring a full‑blown taxpayer revolt from citizens who feel they’ve been pushed to the breaking point!
People are waking up and this awakening isn’t just about money.
Across the country, immigration has become one of the defining flashpoints of 2025. Not because Americans oppose newcomers, but because they’re increasingly frustrated with how the system has been handled. The federal government’s approach to immigration and the prior administrations radical open borders policy has been chaotic and deeply unfair to both citizens and legal immigrants who followed the rules.
I would argue that the survival of Western civilization itself depends on cultural cohesion, shared values, and a commitment to the principles that built this country. Immigration works best when newcomers embrace American culture, rather than reject it. A nation cannot remain strong enough to help others if it loses its own identity at home. We finally have a president that understands this and is doing something about it.
2025 was also a year of restored global stability. Many conflicts around the world were de-escalated. Wars were prevented and the hostages were returned home safely. These moments gave many Americans a renewed sense of national strength and purpose, proof that when the United States stands firm, the world is safer. President Trump became the clear leader of the free world and his emphasis on economic stability, prosperity and peace have caused countries that were previously edging toward conflict to pause, reassess, and reconsidered whether war was truly in their best interest.
And then there’s California, a state bursting with potential yet weighed down by decades of one‑party rule, soaring costs, and poor policy decisions. 2025 saw a mass exodus of families and businesses who found greener pastures in conservative run states like Florida, Texas and the Carolinas.
The Palisades Fire became another breaking point for Californians in 2025. As smoke choked neighborhoods and families fled their homes, people weren’t just angry at the flames, they were angry at the politicians who were supposed to protect them. Years of mismanagement, ignored warnings, and political grandstanding left communities vulnerable to a disaster that should never have reached that scale.
A Look Ahead To 2026
People across the state are calling for a Golden State Revival.
We're demanding:
Lower cost of living so everyday families can breathe again
An end to fraud, waste, and government corruption
Real oversight over massive spending projects
Protection of water resources, instead of policies that leave communities, especially farmers, with no water
An end to selling out California to toxic battery‑plant deals that are polluting communities
An end to skyrocketing premiums and the collapse of the insurance industry
A final goodbye to the high‑speed rail boondoggle, the ultimate symbol of mismanagement.
An end to illegal immigrants taking resources that should go to Americans first.
Californians are realizing that we do not have to stay on this path. There is growing hope for new leadership, leaders who aren’t entrenched career politicians but real people who understand real struggles. People who want to govern, not rule.
A Call to Action for 2026 and Beyond
Across the state, and across the country, people are rediscovering their voice. We're remembering that government is supposed to serve them and not the other way around. We want to restore accountability, rebuild trust, and revive the values that made America strong in the first place.
California can rise again. It can be golden again. But it will take people who are willing to stand up, get involved and speak out.
So if you’re ready for real change, stand with me and with the other parents, business owners, teachers, veterans and people who never imagined themselves in politics, yet felt compelled to act. We've watched families priced out of our state, watched corruption go unchecked, watched public trust erode, and finally said, "Enough".
Together we’ll take back California and rebuild the Golden State we love. Step into the fight with me and let’s write California’s comeback story in 2026!
Carol Pefley
Candidate for Ca State Assembly
