Ahead of the November general 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.

MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide

Name: Elizabeth “Beth” Culver

Current job title: Retired Entrepreneur

Political party affiliation: Republican

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: None

City where you reside: Cypress

Campaign website or social media: N/A

It’s no secret that California will play an outsized role in AI development and regulation. That was a big topic for the legislature this year, but what is one way you’d like to see the legislature tackle concerns about bias or transparency in the AI space or encourage innovation and start-ups? (Please be specific in your response, and keep your answer to 200 words or less.)

AI should not be a government-funded “experiment.” It is an unconstitutional use of our taxes. Instead, allow private enterprises to experiment and improve on it first. The feedback I get from citizens is laughter and a litany of flaws.

Before California voters this year is a proposition to increase the state’s minimum wage to $18 per hour, the nation’s highest, by 2026. Do you support increasing the minimum wage in this way? Why or why not? (Please keep your answer to 150 words or less.)

Absolutely no increases in any price controls or salaries mandated by any government. It is pure government control that fuels inflation and another erosion of our liberties. A Marxist ideology.

This year, California faced a large budget deficit that put a strain on lawmakers’ ability to fund certain programs and projects going forward. What is one thing you believe the state should do to avoid such large deficits in the future? (Please be specific in your answer, and limit it to 150 words or less.)

Close the border and end the freebies doled out to those illegally invading our border (for nefarious reasons). Rewarding them for this unconstitutional crime is an insult to every lawful American citizen and our veterans. Investigate the freewheeling, “double dipping” flow of money into social services without accountability. Save over $10 billion annually by defunding the bullet train which hasn’t laid down any tracks.

Speaking of the budget, there are multiple proposed bond measures before voters this year. Is the state in a good place to issue bonds for state programs and infrastructure projects? Should certain programs or projects be prioritized over others? (Please be specific in your response, and keep your answer to 200 words or less.)

There are no “bond” issues that should be considered above protecting American citizens; safety, security and secure sovereign borders, (as promised in the oath of office every elected official in any government office has sworn to uphold). Unless, however, it is to restore/maintain neglected and outdated infrastructure. It is well-known to most Californians that we do not have a water shortage problem but an egregious mismanagement problem. Instead of capturing the plentiful rainfall (in much-needed, expanded, updated water storage facilities) to capture this runoff, the overflow is pouring into the ocean … while we are being scolded for using water and denied the ability to capture our own rainfall. Power plants are inadequate to support increasing electrical needs (brought on with bogus Green Deal mandates). Instead, we’re penalized by “brownouts” on the hottest days of summer.

Cost of living is high on the list of concerns among voters, particularly among younger people. What is one bipartisan proposal you have to alleviate concerns about high prices or the cost of living in California? (Please be specific in your response, and limit it to 200 words.)

Government overreaching, unconstitutional mandates and cruel regulations, double taxing, price controls, rent controls, user fees, etc., are “liberty thieves” contributing to the high costs of living. One of the most egregious is the high tax on gasoline. Easily alleviated by stopping buying from our enemies and using our own, abundant supply of (clean) natural gas. Desalination is a genius plan as it has been successfully used by our U.S. Navy for generations as well as other desert communities, i.e. Dubai.

The legislature this year considered recommendations from a first-in-the-nation task force that considered how California could atone for past racism and discrimination against Black people, including potential compensation. What do you believe is the role of the state in atoning for the atrocities committed against Black people? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

Reparations are a historic “boondoggle” to assuage the consciousness of the racists’ past activities in Democrats’ history of enslaving Black people, founding the KKK, Planned Parenthood. It is a bogus claim for Californians as it didn’t happen here. However, it was Chinese “slaves” who built the continental railroad, dams, etc. It was the Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt who “enslaved” the Japanese during WWII with his arbitrary decision to send Japanese people to internment camps. How about his blatant dislike of Jews as well as Black people as he allowed Breckinridge Long to deliberately ignore the plight of Jews suffering and dying during the Holocaust? Reparations are an unconstitutional use of tax dollars. There’s no end to these handouts. What about the thousands of children and young adults abducted and sold into sex trafficking slavery?

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently ordered state agencies to remove homeless encampments on state property and urged cities to follow through. What else do you propose the state do to help eradicate homelessness? (Please limit your response to 200 words or less.)

Homeless encampments will return as soon as the elections are over. Easy solution: defend and close the border. Remember the oath all elected officials took to defend and protect our sovereign borders against all enemies/invaders foreign and domestic. Homeless are squatters being encouraged and supported by money stolen from American tax-paying citizens. They’ve illegally broken into our country and are rewarded with freebies, housing and unearned money for housing our citizens can get. This is shameful and disgusting. American veterans are the only people who deserve our care, reparations and housing.

Similarly, Gov. Gavin Newsom has urged county leaders to take advantage more of a new state law that makes it easier to place someone with severe mental health or substance abuse issues into conservatorships, an effort to keep more people out of homelessness. But local leaders in Southern California have said they need more time and resources to build, fund and staff more mental health facilities. Is there anything the legislature could — or should — do to aid communities struggling to find the resources to properly provide this type of mental health support? (Please be specific in your answer, and limit the response to 200 words or less.)

Defending and closing our sovereign border … serving only American citizens and our veterans would cut this expenditure nearly in half. Severe cases should be institutionalized (or use the successful procedures that Ellis followed for immigrants). The “local leaders in Southern California” should be audited, investigated and held accountable for shenanigans, misappropriations of funds with no accountability, overlapping service organizations with only a P.O. Box as well as personal donations to family members. Also, the qualifications of the lay staff making these decisions must be investigated as well.

Common sense requires the ability to budget one’s own money … not keep spending other peoples money. You’ll run out of it.

What’s the No. 1 song on your playlist while you’re on the campaign trail?

“Proud to Be An American.”

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