California is in trouble: We must recall Gov. Newsom to regain control of our state
That California is in trouble is obvious — anyone can see that by the growing number of residents moving out of state.
The state has been losing at least 100,000 more people per year than it’s gained from other states. According to CalMatters, the trend is especially stark in coastal counties like San Luis Obispo.
It has simply become too expensive for many families to live here. Many corporations have moved to states that are more business friendly, with fewer restrictions and lower taxes and operating costs. This shows no sign of ending.
Because Democrats control over two-thirds of seats in the California Senate and Assembly, they have pushed through the most restrictive and costly laws in the country. They have in effect made California a one-party state. Gov. Gavin Newsom and his predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, happily signed these draconian laws.
California has the highest state sales tax and gasoline tax in the nation, and personal income taxes are third.
The only thing preventing us from having the highest property tax is Proposition 13, which capped annual property tax increases. Gov. Newsom tried and failed to repeal part of Proposition 13 this year, when he supported Proposition 15, which would have taken away tax protections on commercial properties which hurts main street small businesses. Thankfully the voters were smart enough to not let that happen.
Not only has the Democrat controlled Legislature and the governor created the most expensive state to live in, they also are rushing to make California the most dangerous state as well by the following: Granting clemency for felons who have committed rapes and murders and crimes against children; reducing violent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors; releasing thousands of convicted felon prisoners into our cities due to overcrowding and the coronavirus; creating some of the most restrictive gun and ammunition control laws in the country. These are only some of their “accomplishments.”
On top of that, one of Newsom’s proudest achievements as governor was designating California a Sanctuary State.
Realize that sanctuary laws passed during the Brown and Newsom administrations affect only one group of people: undocumented immigrants.
Sanctuary laws have prevented California law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal Immigration agents. Gov. Newsom apparently thinks it is far better to release undocumented immigrants who are known to have committed crimes back into our towns and cities as free individuals. All these issues affect the entire state, and no less so San Luis Obispo County. This is an expensive but generally peaceful county, and our concerns for the safety of our families are paramount.
Gavin Newsom has consistently shown a lack of leadership.
He has hypocritically dictated COVID-19 rules prohibiting gatherings of family and friends without social distancing and without wearing masks, after which he himself attended a birthday party where the attendees did not follow social distancing and where no one was wearing a mask. In effect, he exempts himself, but issues “rules for thee, but not for me.” The Sacramento Bee blasted the governor calling his ignoring his own rules a “hypocritical fiasco.”
On the bright side, all is not yet lost in California. An aggressive statewide effort by volunteers to collect signatures for a special election to recall Gov. Newsom has been underway for some time.
In San Luis Obispo County alone, many thousands of signatures have been collected from local residents and from visitors from 41 of the 58 counties in California. The volunteers contacted voters in front of various retail locations as well as at the Atascadero and Arroyo Grande Republican headquarters. This will continue until the deadline in early March 2021. Statewide, when the drive has 1.5 million valid signatures, a special recall election will occur.
Comments from people signing the petitions touch on issues about high taxes, unnecessary regulations and public safety.
Remember that in 1986, a recall removed California Supreme Court Chief Justice Rose Bird, plus two additional Supreme Court Justices from office. Gov. Gray Davis was recalled in 2003.
With enough volunteers, it can happen again. Sign a current petition to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom and regain control of California.
Tribune columnist Joseph Rouleau is a retired supervisory special agent with the U.S. Treasury Department and a retired U.S. Naval Reserve captain. Contact him in care of letters@thetribunenews.com.
This story was originally published November 30, 2020 at 12:07 PM.