Gavin Newsom’s Delusional Letter to Joe Biden

Gavin Newsom has written a letter to Joe Biden, saying he “stands ready” to “highlight” California’s “policy innovations” so they can be adopted nationally. I stand ready to highlight California’s policy failures so they can be averted nationally.

To that end, I’ve provided a fact check of Newsom’s delusional letter. You can read my full response here, which identifies 16 false claims Newsom makes in an effort to portray California as some sort of “progressive” utopia. Here are a few excerpts:

Dear President Biden,

In your Inaugural Address, you called “the truth” one of the “common objects we love that define us as Americans.” You added, “There is truth and there are lies.” In the spirit of your remarks, I am writing to correct several inaccuracies in a January 19 letter sent to you by the Governor of my State, Gavin Newsom.

Newsom writes that California is “a model for what’s possible.”

In fact, California’s own residents see it as a model that has failed:

• A study this month by U-Haul ranked California “last by a wide margin” out of the 50 states in terms of migration growth.
• 53 percent of Californians are thinking of leaving the state.
• 63 percent say the American Dream is dead here.

California is “implementing progressive policy.”

In fact, California has the nation’s most regressive policy outcomes:

• The highest poverty rate
• Up to half the nation’s homeless
• The second worst education for poor students, ahead of only Alaska.
• Nearly the widest income inequality.

“We are strengthening our state by investing in California’s High Speed Rail project.”

In fact, the High-Speed Rail Project is nowhere close to operating. It is now at least 13 years behind schedule and tens of billions of dollars over budget.

“One of California’s top priorities is safely reopening our schools.”

In fact, California has the nation’s most severe school closures and just imposed new requirements that will force additional closures among the few districts that are currently open.

California is “enabling people to get back to work.”

In fact, California has had the most severe business closures and nearly the nation’s worst unemployment throughout the COVID era.

“California is doing its part to help struggling residents pay the bills.”

In fact, California’s “EDD” unemployment office is the national poster child for government failure and has stopped millions of Californians from paying the bills.

“California has charted a successful path on homelessness”

In fact, homelessness has been increasingly rapidly in California while going down in the rest of the country.

My letter concludes: “If you are seeking a model of a ‘progressive’ government, California is not the place to look. Ours is a Capitol plagued by corruption, with devastating consequences for the people of our state.”

Help me stop the nationalization of California’s failures

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