Newsom, Dems flunk Governing 101

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been roaming the country and the halls of Davos telling people he should be promoted from his current job.

But after eight years, California cannot afford Newsom’s governance. 

Can America?

Even though the first presidential primary votes are two years away, voters in other states should heed the warning signs now.

Voters in California should heed warning signs as Gavin Newsom sets his sights on the White House. REUTERS

To start, the state has botched or neglected fundamentals such as infrastructure and affordability.

A recent report from the California branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the state a C- on its infrastructure maintenance and development, compared with other states around the country.

Which raises the question of where all the state’s budgeted money — well over $300 billion this year — is going.

The civil engineers said that 30% of roads are in poor condition — far above the national average of 22% in poor condition. 

There is a multibillion-dollar repair backlog.

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And California roads received an overall grade of D.  

Likewise, the engineers found that 65% of the state’s bridges are older than the typical design lifespan of 50 years. The bridges received a C-.

California has neglected our water resources, too, often undermining farms that feed not our state, nation and people worldwide. 

Our leaders have wasted money allocated for reservoirs by meeting the demands of extremist environmental groups instead. 

Then there are the water utilities: More than 85% have components older than their designed lifespan, with pipe leaks squandering tens of billions of gallons of water. 

Then there are stormwater facilities, which received a D grade. 

Questions have been raised as to where California’s ballooning budget has gone while infrastructure flounders and housing skyrockets. AP

The engineers said that even when voters approve measures — such as Measure W, which Los Angeles County voters approved for $5.6 billion in 2018 — the maintenance is not done.

Incredibly, California through its general fund is spending twice as much per capita as it did just 10 years ago.  

It is quite clear from these studies that the bloated spending is doing little to advance the basic functions of government.

Simultaneously, elected officials’ actions are driving up costs for residents.  

In November, the Transparency Foundation released its Cost of California report on state affordability.

While democratic socialists have run on the issue of “affordability” in New York and Seattle, they’ve ignored the damage already done by a left-wing government in the largest state in the union.

The report said that to live in California, it costs a household earning $130,000 annually a penalty of $29,713.16 over the national average.  

The report went on to outline how costs in California exceed those in the rest of the country.  

Housing costs are 124% higher in California. Then residents must pay for utilities with costs 101% higher than in other states. 

And if you take a shower or water your plants in California, that cost is 48% higher.  

Child care is 51% higher, and if you must drive anywhere (like to work), those costs are a lot higher.  

Gas costs on average $1.38 per gallon more in California, or 50% higher than elsewhere. 

To insure your car, it costs 20% more to enjoy listening to the Beach Boys on the way to your job.  

After crushing their residents with these unaffordable costs — driven by misguided policy choices — the elected officials pile on a 45% higher state and local tax burden.

All of these realities have been caused by decades of one-party rule in California.  

The last seven years have been with Newsom, the Diva of Davos, at the helm.

And Newsom wants to spread the “affordability” disaster to the rest of the nation.  

Beware.

Bruce Bialosky, a two-time presidential appointee is a Certified Public Accountant specializing in taxes.