Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Joe Lisuzzo
Current job title: Businessman
Political party affiliation: Republican
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Elected member of LA’s South Robertson Neighborhood Council
City where you reside: Los Angeles
Campaign website or social media: JoeLisuzzo.com
Do you believe balancing the state budget should rely more on spending cuts, new revenue streams or a combination? Tell us how you would propose tackling California’s projected budget deficit. (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Balancing the state budget should rely on both spending cuts and new revenue streams. The key to balancing the state budget is to remove the waste of fraud and abuse within government at state and municipal government levels.
Cuts need to be made to bloated and costly government, and revenue streams can be generated by welcoming back businesses that we have financially chased out of our state and counties. We must eliminate red tape and oppressive taxation for businesses to return and grow. Common sense dictates that government can’t spend more than it takes in.
Additionally, fiscal responsibility and accountability are key to the state’s and everyone’s success.
For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I don’t believe that any politician who truly wants to help California should have any non-starters when it comes to balancing our budget.
Every aspect of each department within government should be analyzed for potential budgetary consolidation. In some areas, you may be able to cut more than in other areas, but to do so, we must enter this endeavor with an open mind in order to fix a state as large as California, which has been estimated to have almost $1.5 trillion in debt when you include unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities. This makes California the most indebted state in the nation, and we cannot keep hiding from this fact and avoiding our responsibilities as legislators to reduce our debt. I believe politicians are elected by the people to fix problems.
What are the top three most pressing issues facing the state, and what would you propose, as a state legislator, to address them? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
1. Lack of affordability
2. Reducing homelessness
3. Public safety
To make life affordable, I believe citizens’ fuel costs and taxes need to be cut. Fuel costs and gas taxes inflate costs on everything, directly and indirectly, for each citizen and business in the state. Fuel costs affect our lives from operating plows on a farm, to delivering goods to be processed, then delivering processed goods to the marketplace, then to traveling to and from work to go to the marketplace to bring goods home to the table. ALL are affected by fuel costs and over taxation on fuel.
Additionally, regarding affordability, we must fight to save Proposition 13 for current and future California homeowners.
To reduce homelessness, we must audit the homeless industrial complex that is funded by state and city governments via taxation and bond measures. Auditing state and municipal spending is key to finding the misuse and abuse of billions of dollars that have been spent and lost on homelessness. This must end.
The No. 1 responsibility of government, in my opinion, is to provide public safety to its citizens. As a legislator, I believe you must be a strong proponent of law and order. Whether it be white-collar or blue-collar crime, criminals must pay for the consequences of their actions. Time served and restitution for the crime must be commensurate with the criminal action.
I also believe that law enforcement must always be funded and never defunded. This is the only way to abolish criminal cartels and guarantee public safety.
What specific policy would you champion in the statehouse to improve the cost of living for residents? Would you see this having an immediate impact on Californians or would it take some time? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
As mentioned above, to improve the cost of living and to make life affordable immediately for all citizens, fuel costs and taxes must be cut. Fuel costs directly affect each citizen and business in the state.
I would eliminate California’s gas tax completely. This would have an immediate impact on all Californians.
Also, as previously mentioned, I would fight to maintain Proposition 13 for current and future California homeowners, which allows long-term tax savings for all homeowners.
There have been numerous efforts made in the state legislature to curtail federal immigration enforcement in California, from prohibitions on agents wearing masks to banning federal officers from future employment in a public agency. Do you see any area where the state could better protect its residents from the federal government’s widespread immigration crackdown? Would you prefer the state work more hand-in-hand with the federal government on immigration? Where does the role as a state legislator fall into your beliefs here? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
In my opinion, all law enforcement should work together for the betterment of public safety. Accordingly, I believe that state government should work hand in hand with the federal government when it comes to “illegal anything.”
Health care costs — like in many other areas — are continuing to rise. What policies, specifically, would you support or like to champion that could lower premiums or out-of-pocket expenses? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
To cut healthcare costs in California, I would eliminate the governor’s mandate that undocumented immigrants receive free healthcare and Medi-Cal from the state government.
Would you support expanding state health care programs to ensure more residents — including those who are not citizens — are covered? How would you propose the state fund such an expansion? Or, how would you propose the people who cannot afford health care still get the necessary care they need without expanding state programs? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
No, I would not support expanding state-subsidized healthcare programs, especially to those who are not legal U.S. citizens. I believe that healthcare is the responsibility of each individual to obtain, or not obtain, and not be provided “free” by the government.
For those who cannot afford healthcare, I believe safety nets can be provided via public health clinics and public hospitals funded by the public and private industries.
As part of combating homelessness, elected officials often talk about the need to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. What policies or programs should the state adopt to make housing more affordable for renters and homeowners? What do you propose the state do to incentivize housing development and expedite such projects? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
To incentivize housing development and expedite projects, the state needs to reduce the red tape required to build. Also, eliminating exhausting environmental requirements statewide can quicken the process of building low-cost housing. Also, pricing incentives and discounted loans should be considered for first-time homebuyers or renters who are involved in public service, such as education, law enforcement, first responders and firefighters.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2023 authorizing state energy regulators to penalize oil companies making excessive profits. But the California Energy Commission put off imposing the penalties last year after two oil refineries, which represent nearly a fifth of California’s refining capacity, said they would shut down operations. Those announcements prompted many to be concerned about soaring gas prices. What do you think of the commission’s decision? And how would you, as a state legislator, propose balancing California’s climate goals with protecting consumers from high gas prices at the pump? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I believe California’s extreme legislative climate goals have actually come at the expense of protecting California consumers.
There is no reason why the gas excise tax automatically increases each year — or exists at all. The extreme goal to eliminate gasoline and fossil fuels completely from California is what has forced oil refineries to leave California. Additionally, electric vehicles were rushed into the California marketplace without consideration of the many unintended consequences. Not only was there no sufficient power grid to accommodate electric vehicles, but a million EV drivers wound up no longer paying fuel taxes to help maintain California roads.
I believe that this lack of foresight by legislators is a large cause of why California is in this crisis. Hence, I also believe there is an immediate need to reverse much of this legislation and many rules and regulations affecting California’s oil industry.
California is blessed with enough fossil fuel to never require our buying foreign fuel at high costs, which we currently and unnecessarily are doing.
In 2024, voters approved Proposition 36 to increase penalties for certain drug and retail theft crimes and make available a drug treatment option for some who plead guilty to felony drug possession. Would you, as a legislator, demand that more funding for behavioral health treatments be included in the budget? How would you ensure that money is used properly? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, as a legislator, I would fight for more behavioral health treatment and centers to be included in our state budget, but would require that it be paid for by taxation collected from the marijuana industry, in addition to all taxes generated from alcohol sales. To ensure that this money is used properly, auditors from within the Department of Health and Human Services should oversee that treatment centers are taking care of patients in accordance with any budget being provided by taxes generated.
What role should the state play in ensuring hospitals and doctors are providing gender-affirming care to LGBTQ+ residents? Similarly, what role do you believe the state could play should other states adopt policies that restrict that care? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Regarding LGBTQ+ issues, all citizens must be respected and protected regardless of their sexual orientation.
However, I believe that healthcare should not be paid for by the state, regardless of sexual orientation, and should also be the responsibility of each citizen. Additionally, California should not become a sanctuary for citizens from another state who are seeking healthcare.
However, I do believe that a safety net via state and federal government disability coverage should be available for citizens who are born, or become mentally or physically disabled.
Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Do you believe it’s the state’s responsibility to regulate social media use? Why or why not? And what specific restrictions or safeguards would you propose as a state lawmaker? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I strongly believe that children are the responsibility of the parent, NOT the state. However, minors should be protected on social media from physical or mental harm and sexual predators while online, via the oversight of law enforcement.
I believe that this is somewhat similar to minors who wish to drive at age 16, where adult supervision is required by law. The same should be required when minors use social media until they become legal adults at age 18.
Ongoing research and study must continue regarding the effects of social media on minors through all stages of development to ensure the health and safety of children. I believe this to be as important as automobile safety for minors, which has evolved for children over the years regarding seatbelts and car seat requirements for minors.
Artificial intelligence has become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Yet public concerns remain that there aren’t enough regulations governing when or how AI should be used, and that the technology would replace jobs and leave too many Californians unemployed. How specifically would you balance such concerns with the desire to foster innovation and have California remain a leader in this space? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Like any innovation, AI can be used as a human asset or detriment. I believe that AI is best used to assist society and protect humans from danger, such as any work involving physical risk and exhaustion to the human body. I also believe that, as an industry, AI will also provide many new jobs and careers as the sector booms. This industry will be in need of ongoing research, development, maintenance and oversight.
However, as a society, we must also be concerned about AI encroaching on the use of anyone’s identity without that person’s permission or knowledge. This is becoming a legitimate concern within the world of entertainment on many levels, which could also spill over into anyone’s personal life. Accordingly, I believe AI will have to be adjudicated as a health and safety issue on a case-by-case manner, to protect society. This should, and will, spill over into a new area of law and order, thus providing even more jobs for society.
Statistically, violent crime rates in California is on the decline, but still, residents are not feeling safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in the state legislature in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I am a strong advocate of law and order, which is, in my opinion, a main reason for the national decrease in crime. Without law, there is no order.
Protecting society should be the No. 1 concern of any state legislator’s role when addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods. Society must ensure that criminals are strongly prosecuted for crime at every level and that victims of crime are never ignored. This must be assured and even instilled in our youth in order for society to “feel” safe within its community.
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
My hidden talent is that I love people and enjoy making people happy and making their lives better. I am an eternal optimist and believe the glass is always half full and that people are intrinsically good. I am a goal-oriented individual who enjoys working with others to make life better for all. I enjoy seeing people smile. I believe this should be the goal of every legislator.