By Ken Magri
“I am not a politician,” says Aaron Draper, taking his first dive into electoral politics by challenging Assemblymember James Gallagher. He knows he has a mighty uphill climb ahead of him.
Trying to unseat a Republican opponent who is also the minority leader takes courage. But with an infectious smile and an easy manner Draper makes a point when asking what James Gallagher has done in ten years to solve the district’s many problems.
“Regardless of his role as a leader,” said Draper, “he is still in the minority, so he is representing Republican values, but not getting Republican legislation passed.”
Draper said he doesn’t oppose who Gallagher is. “Some of his ideas are fine. But I think it would actually be more alarming for somebody in [Governor] Newsom’s own party were to say ’I don’t agree with this legislation,’” he said.
Born in Yuba City, Draper has also lived in Olivehurst, Marysville and Oroville. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Chico State University in 2012 and a graduate degree from San Francisco’s Academy of Art University. Draper earned his law degree from the Cal Northern School of Law. Currently he is a Photography professor in the Department of Media Arts, Design, and Technology at Chico State.
Draper does not automatically advocate for big statewide solutions to problems. He believes in more “self-reliance” and using smaller localized solutions to deal with the district’s unique issues. He explains his ideas with a heavy dose of common sense which is easily understandable albeit unusual for a politician.
In a recent interview with News & Review, Draper discussed homelessness, affordable housing, small businesses support, education, the cost of energy and improving broadband capabilities throughout the 3rd Assembly District.
CN&R: “Homelessness is a big issue across the state and certainly in District 3. How would you address the issue?
Aaron Draper: We can’t keep doing what we’re doing, especially up in Butte County. Criminalizing people who don’t have a place to live is unethical and inhumane. We need to recognize that many people suffer unspeakable tragedies that often lead to homelessness.
Homelessness encompasses more than the stereotypical idea that they are all addicts and criminals. Seniors, students, veterans, wildfire victims and the mentally ill all make up various parts of the homeless community and each one has different needs.
When it comes down to mitigating costs, it makes sense to find a cheaper alternative, and that could be new housing for homeless. Marysville’s work with non-profits has been pretty successful. They’re excited to work with more non-profits to open up more housing.
CN&R: Affordable housing is also a great need. Do you support recent measures to streamline housing construction, like allowing more accessory dwelling units (ADUs, also known as granny flats)?
Draper: We need to build more housing, and we’re building it for section 8 and lower income folks. But I honestly think the middle class is getting squeezed. Billionaires and millionaires don’t fall into homelessness, but middle class and seniors are the ones in danger.
Homelessness, affordable housing and mental health are issues which are all intertwined. I am for any alternatives that will build housing faster and leverage the land we already have. I would be thrilled to get behind any movement that lessens restrictions on ADUs.
CN&R: Your website mentions supporting small businesses. How would a new “Assemblyman Draper” do that?
Draper: With subsidies of some sort.I think small businesses need a boost, especially after COVID. A lot of them are still struggling. We don’t have large factories [in this district] and these small businesses employ a lot of people. They are the backbone of our local economies.
I strongly support agribusiness and know that it is important to our district, state, nation and world. However, I oppose the big farm business model, specifically the one Monsanto has used to monopolize the farm industry and put small farms out of business and make them unable to compete. With the changing climate we need to help the farmers in our district adapt. This could include helping them become energy independent and introducing drought resistant crops that are equally profitable.
I also think we should be actively helping local farms enlarge markets here so that more of our food is being sold and consumed by Californians and Americans. We have a unique opportunity in California in that we have an extremely short supply chain from farm to table.
CN&R: You have been critical of high energy costs and PG&E in the past. Can you explain why?
Draper: I am not a fan of PG&E. Instead of putting power lines underground and taking precautions in areas like Paradise, any kind of weather related events will have trees falling on power lines. Putting them underground would have been the right thing to do, and they have known that for decades. But they’re reluctant to do it because they have been paying out shareholders and making profits, rather than invest that money in safety.
So, then we have the Camp Fire. fire loss wipes out your entire life, it’s absolutely devastating. I feel like PG&E has too much power, and the Public Utilities Commission that allows them to raise rates, they need to be looked into also.
CN&R: Chico is considering switching from PG&E to Pioneer Energy, a smaller energy provider. Do you support alternatives like that?
Draper: Finding alternatives would great because more competition brings rates down. If we had four or five energy companies competing for our business, that would drop the rates for everybody. I think the best scenario is localized smaller districts that rely on solar, which is more easily maintained.
CN&R: What are your views on K-12 education in California?
Draper: In a nutshell, parents need help. I would love to go to a four day work week…because parents get more time to spend with their kids and go over homework. I feel like parents are overworked. A day off during the week would go a long way in supplementing their kids with their education.
On higher education, universities need to partner with the trades or get them involved. If we design a program at a California State university, let’s say for electricians, to have an apprenticeship that includes a year at Chico State, it would help supply the work force and better prepare the students.
CN&R: You have complained about the level of infrastructure, pointing out that cell service in this district is lacking. Can you say more about that?
Draper: Our service up here is awful and it doesn’t matter which carrier we have. There are constituents up in Red Bluff, for example, who say that everything is app-based, like their home security systems, and they can’t get connected to work their apps.
Gallagher has been there for ten years and a lot of these problems have exacerbated over that period. Regardless of what he is doing, it’s time to get someone in [the Assembly] with a different voice that the supermajority will listen to.
Aaron Draper is focused on common sense approaches to tackle the issues the North State faces. He understands, acknowledges, and respects differences. His leadership is focused on unity, not division. How refreshing!
Let me preface by saying that I despise and detest most politicians. They’re constantly behind a wall of inaccessibility and wont stoop down to talk to people like me unless it’s for some trashy PR stunt.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet and speak with this guy. At first, I honestly thought he was going to be some up tight prep who couldn’t be bothered to listen to reason. From what I understand and have seen from politicians, this experience was going to be more painful for me, than an inconvenience for him. I went into meeting him, dreading the experience, stressed about how I was a lower status than him, and thinking that he would be unforgiving if I didn’t meet a preconceived notion of some sort of professional.
The day I met him, he blew all of my assumptions away. He’s a really down to earth fella. He’s willing to help people others understand, and he, himself, is willing to understand others. He reminds me of the kind of guy I’d meet as a neighbor and become friends with. I found that we had a lot in common when it comes to taste in music, hobbies, and even goals for a better future. I was worried that like most folks I meet these days, he’d have a more extreme idea of how things are supposed to be. Personally, I hardly ever agree with a politician on their views because it’s either to far left, or to far right. I didn’t experience that with this guy though. He’s not an extremist. His idea’s of how things should work in California make sense.
I’m not the most educated guy in the world, but I do understand basic economics. I worry about how much I pay for electricity and my internet. I worry about my kids riding they’re bikes home from school because of the large amount of homeless in my community. I worry about their exposure to drugs because of the ever-expanding homeless populace in Chico (Where I live). All of the question I had; this fella had an answer for. He may be new to politics, but I’m thinking that politics needs new blood at this point.
I feel like the country as a whole is spinning its wheel, but not going anywhere. I don’t really want the same thing we’ve had. I want progress to be made. I’m tired of my family paying taxes, just to see it go nowhere, aside from paying our state politicians. After hours of getting to know Draper, I know that he’s an honorable guy who actually cares about other people. He doesn’t make a show out of politics and is very respectful to everyone. He’s a teacher which also hit home for me because I’ve got 3 kids who are currently in school, so I really appreciate that position from someone. Draper is as real as they come and doesn’t distance himself from the hard facts of reality. He seems to take obstacles head on and overcomes them.
Draper’s attitude is what really drove it home though. While his hopes and aspirations run high, he also understands the logistics of what an uphill battle achieving these goals will be. He doesn’t live in a fantasy land where everything just happens. He’s willing to put in the work and make a change for what I feel, is the best. While everyone will have to make their own decisions, I know that I’ll be voting for Draper. He’s an all-around good guy and doesn’t try to put on a façade just to win people over. He works hard and dedicates himself to the positive goals he has; whether it’s as a small business owner, an educator, or a potential elected official. I’m happy to know that there’re people like him that want to help and make life better for people like me.
Can he come to New Jersey to run? Thoughtful answers to the questions. Good luck, Aaron.
Aaron Draper is a thoughtful, respectful, and approachable person. These qualities are the hallmark of leadership. Mr. Draper can build a coalition of people working together to solve problems. As voters, we can complain about the discourse in politics, but it doesn’t change the current state of political discourse. Aaron Draper is a choice for respect over name calling, substance over vitriol, and integrity over ego. Mr. Draper is the change we need to bring to political discourse and outreach.