Oh, friends, pull up a chair and grab your some cold (expensive, possibly undrinkable tap) water because we're about to discuss some hot tea on California's golden boy, Governor Gavin Newsom. As a Californian who's watched this state go from dreamland to dumpster fire under his watch, I can tell you straight up, this man's got more excuses than a cheating ex, and his "leadership" is about as effective as a chocolate teapot. He's been strutting around for years like he's ready for the White House in 2028, but let's be real, if he gets there, the whole country's in for the kind of chaos that makes California's mess look like a minor wardrobe malfunction. Get comfortable, because I'm breaking down the ways he's failed us Golden State residents, and why he'd turn America into one big, overtaxed, underperforming disaster if he were to become president.
First off, let's talk about the elephant (donkey?), or should I say, the tent city, in the room: homelessness. Gavin promised to fix this eyesore back when he was mayor of San Francisco (way back in 2004-2011), and now, as governor since 2019, he's thrown a whopping $24 billion at it. Twenty. Four. BILLION! That's enough to buy every Kardashian a new mansion (and pay the property taxes on said mansions), yet California's homeless population is still somewhere around 180,000, (when Newsom was sworn in as Governor in 2019, the homeless population was around 151,000) with no real dent made. Streets in LA and San Francisco are littered with encampments, needles, and despair, while audits show billions unaccounted for, um, where did the money go, Gavin? Seriously, where did it go? Finding the answer to this should be a top California priority. If he can't house people in one state despite all that cash, imagine him trying to "solve" national housing crises. We'll all be living in designer tents by 2030. (I personally hate camping).
And speaking of housing, remember his grand vow to build 3.5 million new homes by 2025? We're lucky if we've hit half a million. Prices are sky high, rents are ridiculous, and young families are fleeing to Texas or Arizona just to afford a backyard. Businesses are bolting too, Chevron and Tesla ditching California for greener (and less taxed) pastures. Gavin's green mandates and bloated regulations have turned the state into a bureaucratic nightmare, chasing jobs away and leaving us with the nation's highest unemployment rate at 5.5%. As president, he'd probably slap "climate equity" taxes on everything from your morning coffee to your electric car charger, sending the whole U.S. economy into a tailspin while he poses for selfies with solar panels (with perfect hair of course).
Crime, this one's a doozy. Gavin's all about that "compassionate" vibe, but his support for Prop 47 turned theft under $950 into a slap on the wrist, leading to smash-and-grab sprees that have stores boarding up like it's the zombie apocalypse. Violent crime's up, cities such as Oakland are war zones, and he's busy releasing prisoners early and closing prisons to "save money." Meanwhile, he's got sanctuary policies welcoming in millions of undocumented people, giving them free healthcare and legal aid, costing us billions more. If this is his blueprint for America, get ready for more open borders, defunded police, and criminals running wild, because nothing says "progress" like turning your neighborhood into a free-for-all. In 2024 California overwhelmingly voted yes on Prop 36, which was to reform the disaster Prop 47. A few months ago, we were told there is simply no budget to implement policies to enact Prop 36. WTH?
Don't even get me started on his energy "genius." Rolling blackouts during heatwaves? Check. Skyrocketing utility bills up 98%? Double check. He's banning fracking, pushing for all-electric everything by 2035, and telling us to "get used to" power outages while gas hits $7 a gallon. And wildfires? He ignored Trump's warnings on forest management, cut fire department budgets, and now begs for federal bailouts when things burn. As president, he'd force his green dreams nationwide, leaving us all in the dark, literally. California spends the most on climate change, yet we have the most amount of wild fires, and every year our wild fires increase in numbers, and we are in the top 3 states for worst tap water, while our water bills are among the highest in the nation.
Then there's the COVID hypocrisy. During COVID, he locked us down, masked our kids, and crushed small businesses, all while dining maskless at fancy spots with lobbyists. He mandated vaccines for school kids but exempted his friends and family, even managed to keep his own kids private school open while others were forced to close their doors. And that high-speed rail boondoggle? Billions over budget, years and years behind schedule, zero miles of track laid, it's like he built an imaginary bridge to nowhere with our tax dollars.
Here are the ways "California is leading the way" as Newsom likes to say: California is second in the U.S. for highest cost of living. We have the highest gas taxes. We are in the bottom ranks for K-12 public education. We pay the second highest fees for vehicle registration. We are number one for housing costs. We have the highest income tax. We have the highest homeless population, yet we spend the most money to fix homelessness. We are in the top five for highest electricity costs. Despite setting aside millions (billions?) for water infrastructure years ago, we have yet make a dent in that area either. In recent years we had record breaking rainfall, yet we had no way to capture most of it, thus, a drought will be declared, and we'll be asked to stop using our tap water.
The LA wildfires were seven months ago, and thousands are still without housing, their property tied up in policies that will likely result in the owners giving up and selling the land for cheap. Protests for No Kings Day brought out rioters who destroyed businesses in the name of No Kings, yet they happily bow down to King Newsom, and cry "govern me harder, King."
Look, Gavin's got the charm of a rom-com lead, but his policies are straight out of a horror flick. California was once the envy of the world, now it's a cautionary tale of progressive overreach, with people fleeing in droves, over 800,000 since 2020. He's turned our state into a lab for failed experiments: high taxes, soft on crime laws, endless mandates, and zero accountability. If he becomes president, expect the same nationwide, more debt, more decline, all wrapped in a smug smile and a podcast rebrand. America, we've got enough drama, we don't need Gavin's sequel. He is the poster child of "Rules for Thee: Not for Me." Let's keep him where he belongs: in California's rearview mirror.
herited a surplus, now we're staring at a $73 billion deficit.
If he runs the country like this, we'd be bankrupt faster than you can say "recession."
Fe littered with encampments, needles, and despair, while audits show billions unaccounted for—like, where did the money go, Gavin? To your French Laundry wine cellar? If he can't house people in one state despite all that cash, imagine him trying to "solve" national housing crises. We'd all be living in designer tents by 2030.
Streets in LA and San Fran are littered with encampments, needles, and despair, while audits show billions unaccounted for—like, where did the money go, Gavin? To your French Laundry wine cellar? If he can't house people in one state despite all that cash, imagine him trying to "solve" national housing crises. We'd all be living in designer tents by 2030.