Newsom, Cox split on fix for housing
Republican John Cox and Democrat Gavin Newsom agreed Monday that California is becoming unaffordable, and that the next governor will have to be sharply focused on making housing accessible to more people.
That was where their agreement ended, however. In an hour-long debate at KQED-FM in San Francisco, Cox said the solution is for government to get out of the way and that environmental laws need to be eased to allow cheaper housing construction. Newsom said there was plenty that government can do to help, and he
accused Cox of offering more slogans than specifics.
Cox, whose $200 million business empire includes ownership of 2,700 housing units in the Midwest, said “it is government that has driven up the cost of housing in California.” He said he could build housing in other states for one-fourth what it costs in California.
Cox said he would ease environmental laws and “red tape” to enable housing to be built more quickly. He said Newsom, who has been in political office for two decades, was too entrenched to make such changes.
“Gavin has been part of the political class that has led this state downward,” said Cox, who has run for office four times but has never won. “The status quo isn’t working for average Californians. I represent change.”
Newsom countered that he had 15 policy solutions for addressing the housing shortage and specific plans for reducing the state’s growing homeless population. One of them is withholding transportation dollars to communities that don’t build enough housing, Newsom said.
When Cox said, “We’ve got to take the money out of that game and change the status quo,” while offering few specifics, Newsom countered, “What you heard from John was an illusory strategy.”
Cox repeatedly painted Newsom as part of a Democratic establishment that has failed Californians. He said Newsom did little during two terms as lieutenant governor — a job with few duties and almost no power — or in his previous job as San Francisco mayor, where “he didn’t solve the homeless problem.”
But Cox was on the defensive when issues like same-sex marriage, abortion rights and gun rights were brought up. Newsom, who opened San Francisco City Hall to gay and lesbian couples’ weddings, pointed out that Cox once called for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The Republican said he had since “evolved” on the issue and that he no longer supported such an amendment.
Newsom also cited Cox’s membership in the National Rifle Association and blanket opposition to abortions, including pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Cox countered that bringing up such “social issues” was a way for Newsom to distract voters from the state’s affordability problem.
“I’m not running to change one iota” of social policy in California, Cox said.
He promised to make state government more efficient, but was vague at times about how he would make that happen. When Newsom challenged him on how California would replace $52 billion for road and transportation upgrades if the Cox-backed Proposition 6 passes and the state’s gas-tax increase is repealed, the Republican said, “We have to audit every agency and get the waste out. There’s a tremendous amount of waste and mismanagement.”
Newsom also sought to tie Cox to President Trump, whose approval ratings are under water in California. He noted that Cox supports Trump’s proposed wall along the Mexican border and said, “He parrots at almost every opportunity Donald Trump and Trumpism.”
Trump endorsed Cox in May, tweeting, “California finally deserves a great Governor, one who understands borders, crime and lowering taxes. John Cox is the man — he’ll be the best Governor you’ve ever had.”
Meanwhile, Newsom and Trump have had an ongoing battle over the past few months, fought both online and in sound bites.
Trump called Newsom a “clown” at a September rally in Nevada. Newsom countered via Twitter by comparing the president to Pennywise, the clown in Stephen King’s “It” movie who preys on children. Last week, after Trump attacked Newsom again for supporting sanctuary laws, Newsom replied that, “I don’t think he got a lot of hugs when he was a kid.”
It’s almost certain that Monday’s session was the only time the candidates will debate before the Nov. 6 election. Cox said he has offered to debate Newsom as many as five times, but added Monday that has been unable to persuade “my young friend” to agree.