Bernie Sanders is ready to fight for California — or at least the Golden State’s wealth of delegates.
The Democratic presidential candidate came out swinging during a Saturday stop in Santa Maria, where more than 7,500 people rallied at Ralph Baldiviez Stadium to hear him speak. Sanders, a Vermont senator, was greeted by a mix of people, from middle-schoolers to seniors. Many wore T-shirts and accessories emblazoned with “Feel the Bern,” Sanders’ unofficial campaign slogan, or phrases disparaging Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
“It looks to me like all of you in Santa Maria are ready for a political revolution!” Sanders yelled to a cheering crowd at the start of his speech.
He stuck close to his typical stump speech and focused primarily on a few key themes: economic equality, cheapereducation, universal healthcare and alternative energy sources.He encouraged large corporations, such as Wal-Mart, to pay workers fair wages so that employees don’t need to resort to food stamps and other public aid. Providing young people with jobs and opportunities for education is key to keeping them out of trouble and reducing the prison population, Sanders said.
“The truth is, 45 years ago here in California, and in states all over the country, tuition at your universities was virtually free,” Sanders said. “Well, if we could provide virtually free tuition to the state universities 45 years ago, we damn well can do it today.”
..
Sanders said the federal government could help Californians manage the drought by pushing for “sensible water conservation practices” and helping in any way possible. Drought is a byproduct of global warming, Sanders said, so the most important way the federal government can address the problem is by being “aggressive” in phasing out fossil fuels and pushing for alternative energy sources.
“We have got to acknowledge that climate change is already doing devastating problems in this country and around the world,” he said. “You’re already on the cutting edge of that. Some parts of this country don’t perceive that.”