![](\"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Homeless.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhy does it feel like Governor Gavin Newsom doesn\u2019t have a plan for California\u2019s homeless? It sure seems as if he\u2019s merely reacting to events and media coverage, making it up as he goes.<\/p>\n
During his campaign, the governor promised to appoint a cabinet-level \u201chomelessness czar\u201d to solve the homelessness crisis in California. After his election, he backed away from doing so, creating instead yet another committee that he filled with other elected officials. Now Governor Newsom has announced hiring Matthew Doherty, a Washington, D.C.-based consultant, as a part-time adviser to fill what is clearly a job with full-time needs and responsibilities.<\/p>\n
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Doherty most recently worked in the Obama and Trump administrations, where he was tasked with ending homelessness through coordinating housing, services programs and economic opportunities.<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s just us, but the homeless situation in California is only getting worse. This crisis needs more than a part-time contractor based out of Washington to address the growing crisis in California. With nearly 50 percent of the nation\u2019s homeless living on California\u2019s streets, this seems to be one of those jobs that requires an on the ground, full-time leader, not someone juggling a bunch of different clients and responsibilities from over 2,700 miles away.<\/p>\n
Take that foundation and to it add the news reports that President Trump has plans to combat homelessness and that his plans may focus specifically on California. Doherty recently was let go of his job by President Trump but apparently has \u201cintimate details\u201d of the president\u2019s plans, which Newsom has said he will not reveal until Doherty\u2019s successor is appointed. Why does it seem that Newsom has hired Doherty merely as part of his political strategy to cut off the president at the pass? After all, this governor seeks to undermine anything and everything the president says or does on a daily basis.<\/p>\n
Why do Californians have to wait until President Trump unveils Doherty\u2019s replacement? Why not begin to execute the plan now, right away? Isn\u2019t any plan to combat homelessness something everyone should embrace? Do Californians really care who gets something done as long as something actually is done?<\/p>\n
This is all further complicated because Doherty\u2019s role and pay was unclear when Governor Newsom announced him for the position. We hope that this isn\u2019t just another episode of fighting to best an opponent, not coming together to actually solve problems.<\/p>\n
The real question for Governor Newsom is \u2013 Will this announcement be a real homeless plan for California or just another political poke at President Trump?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Why does it feel like Governor Gavin Newsom doesn\u2019t have a plan for California\u2019s homeless? It sure seems as if he\u2019s merely reacting to events and media coverage, making it up as he goes. During his campaign, the governor promised to appoint a cabinet-level \u201chomelessness czar\u201d to solve the homelessness crisis in California. After his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases"],"yoast_head":"\n