The Recall of Governor Gavin Newsom
The California economy is doing very well in terms of household incomes, job growth, innovation, and state GDP growth. “No one anticipated the latest data readout showing the Golden State has no peers among developed economies for expanding GDP, creating jobs, raising household income, manufacturing growth, investment in innovation, producing clean energy and unprecedented wealth through its stocks and bonds. All of which underlines Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement last month of the biggest state tax rebate in American history.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-06-14/california-defies-doom-with-no-1-u-s-economy
California’s Covid positivity rates are very low compared the rest of the nation. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/states-ranked-by-covid-19-test-positivity-rates-july-14.html California’s overall Covid death rates are low compared to other states. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109011/coronavirus-covid19-death-rates-us-by-state/ Our state’s successes in wearing masks, social distancing and getting much of our population vaccinated has paid off in reductions in cases, hospitalizations and deaths from Covid. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailytrendscases
California faces some very big challenges in addition to the Covid pandemic and the economy: global warming, drought, fire, homelessness and affordability of housing. Our education and health systems are better funded now, but we need improved accountability to better educate all kids and provide more affordable health care to all state residents. Newsom has been making progress on these multiple fronts.
Recalling Newsom because he so stupidly went to an expensive restaurant for a friend’s birthday during the pandemic is the height of folly and then replacing him with a conservative who opposes virtually every good public policy in our state is utterly ludicrous. Are we really going to hand over the reins of California state government to a coalition of anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers, anti-immigrant Trumpistas? They are banking on low turnout for the recall election and then a splintering of votes for the replacement candidate where a simple plurality will win.
Most of us are thoroughly fed up with this pandemic, with its restrictions on our ability to see and interact with family and friends and to do the various different things we all love. We are fed up with the variants, the science, the invisible virus and the constant changes they entail in the advice, directions, rules and recommendations we get from public health officials. We are looking for someone to blame. So why not blame the guy at the top – that’s Newsom. His opponents have no real platform, no program to offer us other than their inchoate anger at Democrats generally.
I’m voting hell no on the recall; hope you will join me and get the word out to all your friends and family to vote either by mail or in person.
Lucien
PS: California’s recall procedures date back to the progressive era under Governor Hiram Johnson; they were adopted along with the referendum as an antidote to the control of the legislature and the media by the railroads. They have been hijacked here for an attempted GOP takeover of the Governorship via a low turnout election expected to attract only the most dedicated and committed activists. For those who would prefer to vote Governor Newsom out of office in the more conventional fashion via a primary or general election contest, that opportunity will present itself next year (2022)