Send us a text

The show opened on an empty chair and an honest apology—and then turned into one of our most substantive conversations yet. Sheriff Chad Bianco, longtime Riverside County law enforcement leader and 2026 California gubernatorial candidate, sat down with us to map out practical, fast-acting ways to tackle the problems Californians feel every day: $4+ gas, brazen theft, encampments, soaring insurance risk from fires, and schools that feel more political than practical.
We start where wallets hurt. Bianco explains why California pays so much at the pump and lays out day-one moves: permit in-state drilling, modernize refineries, end boutique-fee games, and let supply meet demand. From there, he draws a straight line to cost of living—transport drives the price of everything—and to business retention by scrapping predatory litigation like PAGA, slashing red tape, and competing with zero-income-tax states. Public safety is his core: reopen closed prisons, restore consequences, support prosecutors who prosecute, and give communities the baseline security that lets everything else grow.
On homelessness, he pushes a treatment-first model: mandatory detox, serious mental health care, and structured reentry—backed by redirecting billions from ineffective NGOs to providers that actually deliver outcomes. We go deep on water and wildfire, too: build storage now, partner with the Army Corps of Engineers, turn on desalination, and fund Cal Fire to stop letting manageable fires become city-level disasters. He also takes on redistricting power grabs, voter trust, and a school overhaul anchored in universal vouchers and a hard line on protecting girls’ spaces in sports and locker rooms.
Whether you agree with every policy or not, the conversation is clear-eyed and packed with specifics. If you’re tired of abstract slogans and want to hear how a governor could reduce costs, raise safety, and restore basic competence, this one delivers. If it resonates, do us a favor—subscribe, leave a review, share it with a friend, and tell us in the comments: what should be fixed first?

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram: benmaynardprogram
and subscribe to my YouTube channel: THE BEN MAYNARD PROGRAM
I also welcome your comments. email: [email protected]