Recall boondoggle

To the Editor:

Some numbers on this recall boondoggle: Money came from wealthy GQP supporters who paid signature gatherers “$3 a signature.” Needed 12% of those who voted in the 2018 gubernatorial election: Democrat Gavin Newsom - 7,721,410 (61.9%)

vs. Republican John Cox - 4,742,825 (38.1%).

1,495,709 signatures needed; only 6.8% of our over 22 million registered voters. Registrations - 46.1% Democrats; 24.2% Republicans; 24% others.

Cost to Californians: $276,000,000. That's $6.90 for each resident or $22 for each vote in 2018.

Reasons people give for signing the petition:

Newsom attended a private party at the upscale, Napa restaurant, the French Laundry. Bad optics, but it cost us nothing and no one got COVID.

“He raised the gas tax.” Not true but like the private party, it stokes “the base.” “The first hike of 12 cents came Nov. 1, 2017 after the bill was signed by then-gov. Jerry Brown. The next rise of 5.6 cents came July 1, 2019, followed by a 3.2-cent adjustment last year.” (3.2 cents equals 688 gallons per 2018 vote, or 20,000 miles per vote.)

Inflation: Again, not the governor's fault — blame the climate denying GQP. “July warmest month on earth in history. Extreme weather is the cause of inflation rising.” (Global warming and COVID — not the governor.)

What Gavin Newsom and California Democrats are responsible for:

Minimum wage for California workers is $15; healthcare insurance second to none; many community colleges have low to no tuition costs; has kept California as the fifth largest economic power in the world!

Newsom successfully guided us through the COVID-19 pandemic and is working hard to corral the “unvaccinated COVID delta pandemic.”

Vote no on recall, get vaccinated, save our state and your life.

Domenic Torchia

Columbia