Newsom’s not a very coherent pundit
Gov. Gavin Newsom is apparently confused as to what it means to be fiscally conservative.
In a recent tweet, California’s governor said blue state’s had bigger shares of the nation’s GDP compared to red states, and then added: “So which party is fiscally conservative?”
Newsom also shoehorned in something about “red” states being the most dependent upon the federal government, which is itself misleading, as things like military bases and government contracts are counted into that tally.
Perhaps if I squint just right, I’ll be able to see the connection between a state’s share of GDP, states receiving federal funding and fiscal conservatism.
But with my eyes open enough to type this, I’m just not seeing it.
If anything, it’s ironic that Newsom is trying to somehow boast about being fiscally conservative when the state is now facing a more than $20 billion budget deficit.
As Calmatters reported recently, “A new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that only 37% of respondents are confident that the governor and the Legislature will be able to balance the budget without making significant cuts to state programs and services.”
Obviously eyeing a future presidential bid, Newsom is still trying to cast himself as a moderate, hence his Twitter post pretending to be fiscally conservative. However, he has not governed or campaigned as one and his self-appointed role as spokesperson for liberal America makes the moderate label all the more ill-fitting.
Just as Californians are doubtful about how the governor will handle the state budget, it’s also not surprising that 70% of Californians don’t want Newsom to run for president in 2024, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. I must not be the only one sensing his divided attention.
There is a difference between governing well and governing for higher office. California would be much better off if Newsom focused on the former.
Newsom won an award not too long ago for substantially increasing state funding for education, yet the return on that investment has not yet materialized, even if some of the programs have merit. As I wrote last April, “According to recent standardized tests, a majority of kids are not up to standards in English, math or science. And California is leading the nation in illiteracy, with only 77 percent of adults considered mid- to highly literate, as Edsource reported last month.”
Newsom has spent billions on fighting homelessness over the past few years. And while some people certainly benefited from those programs, homelessness remains as pervasive as ever. Unlike a fiscal conservative, Newsom seems content to just throw money at the problem without prioritizing results.
Newsom likewise continues to burn money on the highspeed rail project, despite all indications it’s a doomed effort and it’s a fiscally irresponsible thing to do. The latest project update from the California High Speed Rail Authority shows costs continuing to spiral upwards, with no end in sight. Ironically, this project is being propped up by federal funding, bringing this column back full circle.
And on top of it all, the state’s population is decreasing. As I wrote back in January, “In fact, according to Census Bureau data released last week, the two states Newsom beefs with most, Florida and Texas, led the nation in numeric growth last year, while California was second to last.”
Certainly, there are better things for the governor to be doing than tweeting non-sequiturs at Republicans in other states.