How Gavin Newsom has ruined California (or is ruining it)
Economic and Social Decline
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Homelessness crisis worsening:
- California now has about 25% of the nation’s homeless.
- Since 2019, $37 billion spent on homelessness programs.
- Homeless population has increased by ~20,000 instead of declining.
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Population loss:
- Net domestic population losses every year since 2020 (first in state history).
- Over 430,000 residents left between 2020–2023; another 250,000 in 2024 alone.
- Reasons cited: high taxes, cost of living, crime, and failing public services.
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Poverty and affordability:
- California ranks dead last in affordability and opportunity.
- Highest poverty rate in U.S. (after adjusting for cost of living).
- Millions of full-time workers cannot afford basic expenses (rent, food, utilities).
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Energy and fuel costs:
- Californians pay nation’s highest gas prices due to state taxes/regulations.
- Electricity rates among the highest nationally.
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Housing crisis:
- Median home price ≈ $850,000 (≈2.5× national average).
- Families need over $200k/year income to buy a modest home.
- Median household income ≈ $90k—making ownership unattainable for most.
Public Services and Education
- Schools declining despite high spending:
- California ranks 37th in K–12 education nationally.
- Critique: mismatch between economic size (5th largest economy) and performance.
Business Climate and Exodus
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Major businesses relocating out of state:
- Tesla & SpaceX (Elon Musk) → Texas
- Oracle (Larry Ellison) → Tennessee
- Charles Schwab → Texas
- Broad investment flight eastward due to high taxes and regulation.
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Proposal of wealth tax:
- Viewed as pushing more high-value residents/businesses to leave.
Political Behavior and Priorities
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Focus on national politics over state issues:
- Attended World Economic Forum in Davos instead of addressing state problems.
- Used international platform to attack President Trump rather than fix state issues.
- Portrayed as prioritizing presidential ambitions over California’s wellbeing.
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Hypocrisy and double standards:
- Praised policies offering taxpayer-funded healthcare to undocumented immigrants.
- Compared ICE agents to the Nazi SS.
- COVID lockdown enforcement: harsh against citizens (e.g., arresting lone paddleboarders) while lenient toward illegal immigration.
- “French Laundry” incident: dined maskless at elite restaurant during lockdown.
Ideological Governance
- “Trump-proofing” California:
- Described as rejecting national policies that were allegedly improving the country (e.g., lower crime, strong growth, energy production).
- Characterized as sabotaging the state to maintain partisan ideology.
Overall Critique
- Newsom accused of:
- Mismanaging massive spending with worsening results.
- Driving residents and businesses out.
- Making life unaffordable for average Californians.
- Prioritizing image and ambition over governance.
- Enforcing inconsistent, hypocritical policies.
- Undermining prosperity through excessive regulation and taxation.
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