Gov. Newsom strikes again — this time with another lockdown. We need to replace him
Is Gov. Gavin Newsom intentionally trying to destroy the economy of California?
California and San Luis Obispo County in particular were starting to get back on their feet when the governor thrust a dagger in our opportunity for a fiscal recovery.
To arbitrarily lump the Central Coast with all of Southern California in this latest COVID-19 lockdown is illogical.
Apparently, the governor does not yet know that SLO County has absolutely nothing in common with Southern California.
We are a rural county with fewer than 285,000 residents spread over 3,616 square miles. Our largest city — San Luis Obispo — has fewer than 50,000 residents.
Compare those figures to any city or county in what is truly “Southern California.” The population of Los Angeles is over 4 million. San Diego, nearly 1.5 million. You get the drift.
You may ask why the governor would designate us as being in Southern California.
The answer is simple: control.
With the stroke of a pen, he added SLO County to half the state he designated as Southern California and placed us all in a three-week minimum lockdown with a curfew to add insult to injury.
This freezing of the economy couldn’t have come at a worse time — in the height of the Christmas shopping period and just as many of the previously hard-hit businesses were starting to recover.
The governor has given the proverbial kiss-of-death to many small businesses that were already teetering on the brink of financial ruin.
Bars, health and fitness centers, hair salons, barbershops that were already struggling are now locked down again.
Restaurants that were operating at 35% - 70% of their usual business volume are now limited to pick-up and delivery.
Retail stores are limited to 20% of their normal number of customers at any one time. Hotels and motels are also hard hit; they are supposed to open their doors only to essential workers and to people under quarantine. Look for tourist dollars to dry up.
Some elected California sheriffs have stated that this is not the right thing to do and they will not be enforcing lockdown regulations.
These regulations are destroying small businesses that employee many individuals, particularly those in lower-income brackets.
The chain effect is paralyzing to the economy.
While businesses income has slowed to a trickle or even ended, expenses continue. In some cases, retail business owners will not be able to pay their rent, which in turn deals a financial blow to landlords.
If wearing masks and practicing the social distancing are so effective — as we’ve been told repeatedly — why is the governor demanding these draconian steps?
Where are the studies showing that eating at restaurants or getting a haircut causes the spread of the COVID-19?
Gov. Newsom should immediately lift the lockdown order on this county.
He also should recognize that he should not lump SLO County with Southern California.
What can we do? Write to the governor and our Sacramento representatives and demand that lockdown be lifted.
Also contact your city council members and county supervisors and demand they put pressure on Sacramento to rescind the lockdown.
Finally, and most importantly, if you have not done so already sign the petition to recall Gov. Newsom.
Get your friends and neighbors to join you so that we can remove our current, ineffective governor and elect someone with at least a modicum of common sense; empathy for people needing help; and some leadership ability — all of which Gov. Newsom lacks.
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 December 11, 2020 at 11:42 AM.