Newsom playing games with vaccines

Just as Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for a vaccine mandate in California’s public schools, he has actively resisted vaccine mandates for prison guards. Why the uneven response?

As with so many decisions Newsom has made since COVID-19 began, he seems primarily concerned with what is best for him politically.

A federal judge called for a vaccine mandate for prison guards. According to CalMatters, there were 48 outbreaks linked to prison staff from August to mid-September alone.

Since the pandemic began, 50,000 California state prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 200 have died, and prison guards remain largely unvaccinated.

It should surprise no one to learn that the union representing prison guards gave Newsom $1.75 million to fight the recall and has made opposition to a vaccine mandate a top priority.

Meanwhile, the California Teachers Association, arguably the most powerful special interest group in the state, has been fighting in-person learning since COVID-19 began, using lack of COVID-19 safety as an excuse. The CTA gave Newsom $1.8 million.

To its credit, the CTA boasts a vaccination rate exceeding 90% among its teachers, and outbreaks in schools seem to be worse in areas with low vaccination rates.

How can Newsom fight against a vaccine mandate in one instance where a mandate would make sense but call for a mandate in another?

Newsom is trying to have it both ways. And since there is no science of which we are aware justifying such an uneven response, we can only take a cynical view of Newsom as someone simply appeasing his donors.

Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, a Rocklin Republican who ran to replace Newsom in the recall, said it best the other day on Twitter: “Gavin Newsom just announced a vaccine mandate for K-12 students, days after opposing one for prison guards.

“California kids made the mistake of not giving millions to his campaigns.”

None of this is surprising, unfortunately. This is the same governor who violated his own pandemic rules to dine with lobbyists and the same governor whose wife received an annual salary of $290,000 from a nonprofit which received donations from companies that lobby his office.