Gavin Newsom is the one ‘wreaking chaos on California’

It seems a week can’t go by lately without California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom attempting some new political gimmick. A new podcast here. A new frivolous lawsuit there. Anything to distract Californians across the state from his abysmal record as governor. 

His latest stunt is classic Newsom. A wannabe president who continuously shows he isn’t ready for prime time, playing pretend foreign policy, filing a headline-seeking junk lawsuit contesting President Donald Trump’s authority to enact international tariffs. 

As a champion for free markets, philosophically I do not like tariffs. However, of course the president has the authority to enact them. Newsom just as badly craves the media attention, as he recognizes a need never to miss an opportunity to blame others for what he has done to California. 

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What the president is trying to do in renegotiating trade policies is to have a fair market economy. He wants to stimulate more manufacturing in the U.S. to bring back middle-class jobs. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is fully responsible for the problems of his state. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas, File)

Despite the governor’s cries that "President Trump’s unlawful tariffs are wreaking chaos on California families, businesses, and our economy — driving up prices and threatening jobs," earlier this week, CalMatters published a blistering column, "California’s economy was already sluggish before Trump’s global tariffs," completely debunking the governor’s claims. 

Dan Walters’ piece ends "California’s economic woes predate Trump. Much of it was self-inflicted." In other words, Gavin Newsom’s economy is a result of Gavin Newsom’s policies. 

Back in January, the legislature’s budget analyst described that economy as "lackluster, with elevated unemployment, a stagnant job market outside of government and healthcare, and sluggish consumer spending." 

To anyone paying attention, that wasn’t a surprise. Up and down our state, Californians feel the impacts of the economic damage Gavin and his Democratic allies have inflicted. 

Up in the north state, a once-thriving timber industry fell to environmental over-regulation, and now to cheaper Canadian imports. 

Valero recently heard the announcement that another major refinery is scheduled to shut down next year. That shocking news even forced the governor to "direct" the California Energy Commission to "redouble the State’s efforts to work closely with refiners on short and long-term planning."   

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In Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, California’s tech industry continues to see concerning levels of job losses. 

Throughout the Central Valley, the governor’s water policies have kept some of the richest farmland in the world bone dry for years. More recently, warning sirens have been sounding about troubles to California’s wine industry. A study from the Public Policy Institute of California found "even in the best-case scenario, some 500,000 acres" of prime wine country in the San Joaquin Valley may need to stop being farmed. 

Back in January, the legislature’s budget analyst described that economy as "lackluster, with elevated unemployment, a stagnant job market outside of government and healthcare, and sluggish consumer spending." 

In L.A. County, we are past 100 days since the LA fires, and yet red tape has only allowed four home permits to be issued to date. Four permits. After almost four months. 

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Throughout Southern California, drivers continue paying $1.50 more per gallon in taxes and regulatory costs than drivers in other states. Californians pay electricity prices almost twice the national average. Taxes are already too high. Money is continuously wasted on projects that will never be built like the high-speed rail. The job market is stagnant. Crime and homelessness have made too many communities shells of what they once were. 

As hard as he continues to try, Governor Newsom can’t blame President Trump or anyone else. These failures are his own. The troubles Californians across the state are facing, and the concerns that caused a million Californians to move away, are because of what this governor has done. Someone has been "wreaking chaos on California families, businesses, and our economy — driving up prices and threatening jobs." That person is Governor Newsom. 

Senator Tony Strickland represents California Senate District 36, including the cities and communities of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, such as Artesia, Buena Park, Cerritos, Cypress, Dana Point, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Hawaiian Gardens, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, San Clemente, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster.