Who is Adam Papagan, candidate in the California governor recall election

Name: Adam Papagan

Political party: No party preference

Residence: Los Angeles

Occupation: Entertainer/tour guide

Education: Bachelor of arts, cultural anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles

Experience: Small business owner

Website: adamforgov.com

What precautions, if any, should California continue to take to cope with COVID-19 and its variants?

The number one way to prevent the spread of the virus is to get vaccinated.

California provided cash support to individuals and small businesses during the pandemic. To what extent should that assistance continue?

While the numbers may sound significant, as a small business owner I can tell you it’s just a drop in the bucket. California needs to do more to make it viable to even own a business and live in California. There should be more direct assistance to Californians who need it and higher taxes on companies like Amazon who have recorded record profits on the backs of shuttered businesses and government management.

What more would you do to address California’s housing crisis?

Build more housing, convert old commercial spaces like shopping malls and office buildings to housing, and level a vacancy tax on empty units.

What should California do to build up its middle class?

California needs to increase opportunities for regular people by closing the wealth gap. This means lowering the cost of living, canceling student debt, and direct payments to the most vulnerable.

Would you propose any new policies to address climate change?

The climate is a disaster and I fear we’ve reached the point of no return. Clean energy, reusable packaging, anything at all to mitigate the effects of climate change I am in favor of.

What should California do in the long term to address wildfire and drought conditions?

Controlled burns, forest maintenance, and desalinization are the only way forward. Companies who use a disproportion amount of resources to profit off our environment should be held accountable. Telling us to take shorter showers isn’t going to cut it.

This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Who is Adam Papagan, candidate in the California governor recall election."