California
Endorsement: Gavin Newsom earns 4 more years as California governor
California isn’t the identical place it was when Gavin Newsom was first elected governor in 2018. The COVID pandemic and Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory shrouded from view, at the least briefly, the hypnotic orange glow of Donald Trump. Voters throughout California rubbed their eyes, appeared round and seemingly realized that native politics matter, too — and that our state and cities have intractable issues that received’t be solved with lip service or headline in search of.
Californians could have chosen Newsom at the least partly for his willingness and talent to compete with Trump for oxygen. However there was no hiding behind a teleprompter within the governor’s first time period in workplace; Newsom confronted a confluence of challenges that bordered on apocalyptic — from COVID, to the biggest wildfire in state historical past, to a projected $54 billion finances shortfall — all whereas keeping off a cynical recall try.
And but right here we’re with California having one of many higher information of holding residents protected from COVID (thanks partly to beneficiant emergency sick go away advantages championed by Newsom) and a finances surplus near $100 billion.
In his endorsement interview with The Chronicle, Newsom wasn’t shy about taking bow; he boasted of “an economic system that’s outperformed all Western democracies.”
He’s proper. And he deserves a second time period accordingly.
In fact, Newsom’s tenure has been removed from flawless. And we’ve been essential of his penchant for cautious politicking. However we’ve been impressed with the elevated braveness he’s proven within the aftermath of recall, together with signing a roster of controversial however important payments designed to create denser housing in communities that haven’t been maintaining with demand and imposing these guidelines regardless of more and more artistic types of obstruction.
We have been additionally heartened when Newsom advised us he doesn’t intend to run for president in 2024 ought to Biden select to bow out.
California’s issues are far too pressing to indulge our govt workplace getting used as a marketing campaign industrial.
Our state continues to spend billions on efforts to unravel homelessness every year, a skyrocketing monetary funding that has but to meaningfully transfer the dimensions. Newsom claims the state sheltered 50,000 folks final 12 months, which isn’t any small feat. However there was little seen distinction on the streets. Current point-in-time counts of the homeless inhabitants present the ranks of the unsheltered in California continues to develop.
Newsom blames this failure on the dearth of dedication on the native degree. As a part of his new spending bundle, he has pledged to set arduous targets for areas he provides cash to, calling for elevated accountability. However, notably, he has but to set statewide targets — corresponding to housing one-third of the homeless inhabitants.
Newsom’s Neighborhood Help, Restoration and Empowerment Courtroom, which might broaden the power to order therapy for people who find themselves mentally sick and have substance use problems, additionally faces an uphill battle. There stays little readability round the place folks would go if a court docket determines they should be conserved. The state already has a scarcity of psychiatric therapy services as a result of many years of underfunding. And new incentives to coach behavioral well being professionals could take years to affect the scarcity. Newsom famous that laws on the court docket remains to be being amended.
Whereas we could have questions on Newsom’s agenda, we definitely don’t see complete solutions from any of his greater than 20 gubernatorial opponents. Of that group, writer and political impartial Michael Shellenberger will get probably the most ink. However it’s Republican state Sen. Brian Dahle of Bieber (Lassen County) who’s probably the most considerate. A passionate advocate for rural California, Dahle has compelling concepts on fireplace restoration and prevention in addition to conservation — and a observe document of bipartisan compromise. He’s not the suitable choose to steer state, however he’s value listening to.
Shellenberger, in the meantime, has media savvy befitting his years in journalism — which he places to relentless and sometimes theatrical impact surrounding problems with homelessness and dependancy. However his concepts, whereas evocative, lack substance. For example, he proposes delivery city homeless populations to rural communities, the place there’s extra room to construct wanted supportive housing and companies. And regardless of working for governor in 2018, Shellenberger couldn’t determine a single neighborhood associate who was prepared to tackle considered one of these services.
Concepts with out significant buy-in are simply empty guarantees.
This commentary is from The Chronicle’s editorial board. We invite you to precise your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter through our on-line type: SFChronicle.com/letters.