By Greg Marchetto
Last week Californians officially reached the 1.7 million signature mark to recall governor Gavin Newsom, an effort that has been long in the making. With the recall election looming on the horizon and several worthy competitors on the ballot, publicity efforts by the Gavin Newsom campaign grow more desperate by the day.
The newest of Newsom’s unfounded claims is California’s swift “roar back” from his economically depriving policies across the state. In the last 15 months, Californians have suffered tremendously under Newsom’s COVID-19 mandates, which have been questionable at best. Despite the WHO removing their advice for mandatory mask-wearing outdoors, Newsom persistently kept indoor and outdoor business shut down to stop the spread. Additionally, certain restaurant businesses weren’t even allowed to continue in a take-out only fashion.
Notoriously, Newsom’s French Laundry escapade (in which he ignored his own mask mandate only days after shutting down counties and businesses around California) sparked citizens across the political aisle to begin deposing the often-maligned governor.
After lying to Californians about the necessity of economically depriving shutdowns once before, do his claims of economic “roar back” stand the test of truth?
Not exactly. On one hand, California is in a budget surplus , but not due to any of Newsom’s merits. Strong economic growth within the technology sector was expected due to the increase in online use during the pandemic. Estimates show that the wealthy, who primarily own or are invested in tech companies carried tax returns to the current surplus.
On the other hand, only half of the 3 million lost jobs have been recovered, the middle-class bearing the brunt of this burden. California’s 7.9% unemployment rate is third-highest amongst US states, and economic output middling in the bottom third of other states. Even with some money going back into citizen’s pockets, the amount is minuscule compared to the sky-high California tax rates.
As the recall election draws near, the Newsom administration will continue to spin stories to cover up policies that have hurt citizens for years. Californians will have a choice to make: continued power-grabbing- or an administration that cares about the future.
