The Trump presidency and Santa Cruz County

Paul Johnston, a sociologist with decades of experience in the immigrant communities of the Central Coast, helped city and county leaders draft local ordinances in 2017 to stand up against excessive immigration enforcement. There are many things local communities can do in the face of threats from a second Trump administration beyond recommitting to those ordinances, he writes; minimally and most urgently, we should establish a local resource hub for deportees.

Assemblymember Gail Pellerin empathizes with those who feel crushed at the thought of another Donald Trump presidency. But, she says, California and Santa Cruz County are resistant, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling a special session on Dec. 2 to take stock of what to do. “We can do hard things,” she writes, and lays out ideas for actions those disappointed can take to help the most vulnerable.

Peter Coe Verbica, chair of Santa Cruz County Republicans, is happy about Donald J. Trump’s election sweep and says it will be good for the country and Santa Cruz County. Here, he offers his top 10 policy-related reasons.

Santa Cruz therapist Lisa Herendeen is worried about another four years with Donald Trump as president. She fears for democracy, free speech, climate change initiatives and immigration and human rights. She has composed a speech she wishes all the Trump supporters in her life would say to her. And, she insists, we can’t let Trump’s reelection suck out all our happiness.

Activist, artist and writer Donna Maurillo has no patience for those criticizing Kamala Harris: “With only 100 days to the election, she was thrown into the arena wholly unprepared to face a man who had been working for more than four years to plan his election team, his policies, his strategies, and his roadmap. Four years versus 100 days.” She laments that two-thirds of the top economic superpowers of the world have had women presidents or prime ministers and says the U.S. is sadly absent.