SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's Republican candidate for governor said he spent a week living as a homeless person in search of a job to test Gov. Jerry Brown's claim that the state is making a comeback after the economic downturn.
In an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal, Neel Kashkari said he took a bus from Los Angeles to Fresno earlier this month with $40 in his pocket, and set out to find work. He turned to park benches and parking lots to sleep at night and got food at a homeless shelter.
A video crew documented his week.
The 41-year-old Kashkari went to dozens of businesses, offering to wash dishes, sweep floors, pack boxes and cook meals, but he was unable to find a job. He accuses the state's politicians of ignoring the poor and said California needs to reduce regulations and improve education to help create jobs.
"I walked for hours and hours in search of a job, giving me a lot of time to think," wrote Kashkari, a former banker and U.S. Treasury official who helped oversee the federal bank bailout during the recession.
"Five days into my search, hungry, tired and hot, I asked myself: What would solve my problems? Food stamps? Welfare? An increased minimum wage? No. I needed a job," he wrote.
A recent poll shows Kashkari trailing Brown by 19 points in a race that so far has generated only sporadic public interest.
Dan Newman, a spokesman for Brown's campaign, said he was having difficulty reconciling Kashkari's "bizarre campaign stunt" with his assistance for big banks.
"If one truly cared about the homeless and had $700 billion to spend, would he give it all to big banks and ignore families struggling to stay in their homes?" Newman wrote in an email.
Kashkari said he walked for miles in 100-degree heat searching for work with a backpack, a change of clothes and a toothbrush. He showered once, and was awoken each night by security guards or police, who asked him to move on.
He said he was committed to finding a job, but had to change his focus about halfway into the experiment to find food.
"Like others, I have often said the best social program in the world is a good job," Kashkari wrote. "Even though my homeless trek was only for a week, with a defined endpoint, that statement became much more real for me. A job was the one thing that could have solved my food, housing and transportation problems."
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.