Thoughts on the Newsom Recall Election and its Aftermath
There has been much written about the political ramifications and polling of the recall election. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/california-recall-polls/ I think much of that is overblown as once the race narrowed to a choice of Newsom v. Elder in August, the recall had no real chance at all. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/10/california-recall-poll-newsom-chances-511115 It was largely a case of running up the score. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/california-recall-election-results-newsom-n1279205
Newsom was not my first choice for Governor; Antonio Villaraigosa was, because I thought he’d do a better job on education and had demonstrated he was not a captive of the local teacher’s unions in Los Angeles. On most other issues, they were about equal in my opinion. Newsom has done a reasonably good job on Covid, the economy, the budget, keeping people housed and fed, and getting people back to work and kids back to classes without reigniting the pandemic. His Administration like most other states has had a hard time processing claims for UI during the pandemic, partly due to the high numbers of newly unemployed and partly due to the new programs for gig workers who lost their jobs and partly due to the state’s own antiquated and outdated computer systems. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-10/california-lawmakers-send-governor-sweeping-changes-to-states-troubled-unemployment-benefits-system His administration like many others has had a tough time setting up a new program for those facing evictions and foreclosures to pay back rent and utilities for those who lost livelihoods and incomes due to the pandemic. https://calmatters.org/housing/2021/06/california-eviction-moratorium-deal/
Elder was a bad fit for the California electorate; he was against vaccines and masks and a woman’s right to choose. He was opposed to the ACA, the minimum wage and so many other basic protections for our diverse populations. He was very popular with the Republican base, but an easy opponent for Newsom in a state like California.
We do have more than our share of problems here: drought, fire, water supply, housing affordability and homelessness among others. In the last week, Newsom has signed bills for $15 billion to address the drought, the fires and the water supply issues. https://www.bondbuyer.com/news/california-governor-signs-15-billion-package-to-fight-climate-change He also signed bills to replace single family zoning ordinances with duplexes and four-unit homes to increase the supply of affordable housing and reduce the levels of homelessness. https://calmatters.org/housing/2021/09/california-housing-crisis-newsom-signs-bills/ In July he signed a $12 billion package of legislation to build new affordable housing and fund increased shelters for homeless families and individuals. He also has sought a $3 billion federal waiver to address the intertwined issues of homelessness, addiction, and treatment. https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CA-Comeback-Plan-Homelessness-and-Mental-Health.pdf and https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-07/newsom-california-medi-cal-homeless-public-funds
The challenge facing all of us is for California’s developers, health care providers, local and state governments to implement these measures quickly and effectively.
Lucien Wulsin
9/24/21