Should Newsom be recalled?
This week, we welcome back two of the “founding fathers” of Pro vs. Con: Anthony Watts and Matt York. They’re taking on the topic of a potential recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom. Watts takes the “pro” position while York handles the “con.”
Pro: Anthony Watts
This is such a target-rich environment, where to begin? First an overview.
When California recalled Gray Davis in 2003, he became the second state governor successfully recalled in U.S. history. It was really about the “wimp” vs. the “Terminator” Arnold Schwarzenegger, who swept into office promising to clean up state government. Now with the recall Newsom signature petition reaching the numbers needed, Newsom could be the third recalled governor in U.S. history. Supporters have until March 17 to collect the 1,495,709 signatures needed to trigger a recall election and it looks like they will make that deadline based on recent reports of signature gathering.
Newsom’s approval rating is tanking according to a Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll February 2. Just 46% of California voters approve of Newsom’s job performance — a big decline from the two-thirds positive rating in September 2020. Even 31 percent of Democrats either support his recall or are open to it.
My biggest issue with Newsom is that he acts like a king, not an elected governor.
He’s made edicts that he had no authority to issue, such as closing houses of worship for pandemic reasons, which was tossed out by the U.S. Supreme court on February 5. Back in November, a successful lawsuit by Assemblymen James Gallagher showed Newsom abused his authority by changing state law in violation of the California constitution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
And then there are the gaffes. Shortly after placing a curfew on every county in the “Purple Tier,” including Butte County, Newsom went out to dinner with his “buddies” and the world noticed. Dining indoors at a restaurant called the French Laundry, he was surrounded by lobbyists from the California Medical Association. Not one was wearing masks. It was Newsom’s “let them eat cake” Marie Antoinette moment showing that rules are for little people, not King Gavin the First who has perfectly coiffed hair while us peasants scramble to find a decent haircut.
Newsom’s waste and cronyism has been unprecedented. From the “bullet train to nowhere” largesse that just got pushed back another year, to at least a half- dozen companies that dumped money into Newsom’s campaign coffers and received no-bid contracts from the state, ranging from $2 million to over $1 billion. Conflict of interest much?
Lack of humility, tonedeafness, financial corruption, no accountability, and no respect for the rule of law should earn King Newsom a total recall.
Con: Matt York
The recall process was minted 110 years ago as a “precautionary measure by which a recalcitrant official can be removed.” In the year 1911, citizens were concerned that someday, a California governor may adopt an uncooperative attitude toward authority. While Gavin Newsom may have executed his duties in ways that have frustrated his political opponents, he listens to his voters and takes calculated action as he sees fit. When he makes a mistake, he owns up to it and apologizes.
We all know Newsom dined at a restaurant in
2020 after he told citizens not to. As soon as he sat at the outdoor table, Newsom realized the group was larger than he had expected. Like Sen.Ted Cruz said about his Mexico trip amid the Texas winter crisis, Newsom said “I made a bad mistake. I should have stood up and … drove back to my house.”
If enough signatures are gathered, a special election would take place in November. If Newsom were to lose, his last day in office would be Jan. 2023, shortening his term from 48 months to 34 months. The special election could cost taxpayers upwards of $100 million; that’d be over $7 million per month. Seems like a poor value proposition to be promoted by adversaries who often identify as fiscal conservatives.
The real motives of the recall are to exploit a global pandemic to advance political careers. The prime movers are a ragtag crew of antivax extremists, Trumpers, and some politicians who want to be governor. It is partisan troublemaking by a small group of right-wingers trying to destabilize the political system and consequently to make the government less effective. The same people who complain about Trump’s impeachment over the insurrection are in support of recalling California’s governor.
If enough signatures are gathered we run the risk of perpetual election campaigns. As soon as an elected official is sworn in, the effort to remove them is started so duly elected politicians will be required to keep their election campaign machine operational during their entire term in office. This would be a great distraction from focusing upon their job of leading.
The money required for a special election is wasteful as the state works to distribute vaccinations, stimulate the economy, and reopen schools. If you know anyone who is willing to sign the petition, please tell them not to. Encourage them to relax because they’ll get a chance to vote for a new governor soon enough.