LET’S HOPE FOR REAL TALK FROM GOV. NEWSOM

Listen to the Mustn’ts, child,

Listen to the Don’ts.

Listen to the Shouldn’ts

The Impossibles, the Won’ts

Listen to the Never Haves

Then listen close to me —

Anything can happen, child, Anything can be. The nation’s governors could learn a thing or two from the creativity of Shel Silverstein’s famous poem to make their State of the State addresses more memorable (but also realistic!) As it is, eye rolls abound. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey used the word “must” seven times in the first 177 words of her 2023 address, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson vowed “We are not done yet,” and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pledged, “No challenge is too tough.” Groan.

The reality is things will prove formidable! (And not just politicians’ overreliance on clichés!) Some things won’t get solved! (Not just not overnight, but not at all!) For proof, just look around the nation’s most populous state — ours. Housing is out of reach. Homelessness is rampant. Here in San Diego County, border waits and border sewage are a constant aggravation. These are not new issues. People have been complaining about them for years.

This year, Gov. Gavin Newsom has decided not to give a State of the State speech but instead take a four-day tour and discuss his goals in less ornate settings than the State House. One of his destinations is San Diego, which Newsom is expected to visit this week. The San Diego Union-tribune Editorial Board lauds the novelty of his approach. And we have a list of some issues we hope he can address not with platitudes but with policy proposals.

We’re not going to say that they can’t be solved, but we will say that they won’t get solved if politicians continue to dither around the edges. Housing is expensive? Build more of it. Lessen the regulations that impede construction to speed it up. Change the California Environmental Quality Act so it’s not just stadiums that are expedited but housing. Homelessness is spreading? Well, build more housing! But also pursue solutions that homeless people will actually adopt rather than throwing money relentlessly at a problem only to see more and more people on the street. Border issues require coordination with federal agencies, officials in another country and money? Coordinate then! Spend the money! The governor should lend his voice to ours and to so many others clamoring for greater attention to be paid both to the safe, secure and speedy flow of people and goods across the border in our binational region, and the overdue reliability of 21st century plumbing that shouldn’t foul and close San Diego County’s beaches as regularly as it does.

In their own speeches this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott raved, “the state of our state has never been more exceptional,” and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis promised “you ain’t seen nothing yet.” Groan. We’ll see what Newsom says at stops in Northern California, Los Angeles and San Diego March 16 though March 19 — and then what he tries to do about it. We hope he meets real people and not just policymakers, privately and not for photo ops, so he can hear what the real problems are and what solutions might be. We hope he advances solutions for housing, homelessness and border logistics here. We hope in each location that he stamps out clichés — and clamps down on the state’s most serious issues. And maybe he will. Anything, after all, can happen.