Loud crowd welcomes Bernie Sanders in Santa Cruz

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders took the podium inside a packed and energetic Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz Tuesday afternoon.

Watsonville Mayor Felipe Hernandez introduced Sanders, vocalizing his support for the candidate. Hernandez called Sanders “a man of integrity and a man of honor.” He also had a clear message for the crowd — get out and vote.

It didn’t take long for a chant to break out; Santa Cruz has a lot of Sanders supporters. When Sanders got to the podium, one of the first things he said was, “This is a very loud crowd.”

Sanders spoke for about an hour, covering a number of different topics:

Government that represents “All of us, not the one percent”

A key point of Sanders’ campaign, he began his speech on this platform, stressing his goal to support working families, not “Wall Street contributors.”

“Rigged economy”

Sanders used that phrase several times, using the example of a young mom working multiple jobs who can’t afford health care and food for her children. “The children are our future, they should not be living in poverty.”

“Broken criminal justice system”

“We have more people in jail in American now than any other country on Earth, including China,” Sanders said. He put that number at 2.2 million people, saying if he’s elected president, “that embarrassment will end.”

“Fewer jails, more universities”

He attributed the cause to “off-the-chart” youth unemployment rates, stressing his goal of investing in young people through job creation and access to education, not jails and incarceration.

Demilitarizing police departments

As mayor of Vermont for eight years, Sanders said he worked closely with police officers. “The average police officer is hard working, honest and has a very difficult job,” he said. But he continued on to say officers must be held accountable if they break the law. He said he hopes departments begin to “reflect the diversity of the communities they serve” and that they serve, not intimidate.

Drugs

Sanders said he was not in Santa Cruz to advocate for or against marijuana, but said from a criminal justice point of view, too many Americans have been arrested for possession of marijuana, calling it a costly endeavor. He said if he lived in California, he would vote in favor of legalizing marijuana.

When it comes to opioid and heroin addiction, Sanders said the epidemic should be treated as a health issue, not a criminal one. He said more mental health resources are needed.

Environment

If elected, Sanders said he plans on taking on the fossil fuel industry. He voiced his strong opposition to fracking. On Wednesday, Sanders will speak at press conference on the matter in Spreckels. (The event is closed to the public.)

At one point, Sanders called out Trump for saying there’s no drought in California and for saying climate change is a hoax.

Women’s Rights

Sanders said his campaign is listening to women who are tired of working for less pay. “They want the whole damn dollar and they’re right.”

The California primary is on June 7 and Sanders ended his speech by stressing the importance of voting. He said if there’s a large turnout and he wins California, he’ll head into the DNC convention with “incredible momentum,” still acknowledging an uphill fight.