HE’LL DO TO THE COUNTRY WHAT HE DID TO CALIFORNIA: Gavin Newsom goes global: why US voters should beware.
While the governor’s 2026 budget proposal attempts to frame the challenge as a “manageable” $2.9 billion shortfall, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has painted a far bleaker picture, projecting an $18 billion deficit.
This massive shortfall threatens essential services to those who need them most.
This is not just bad luck with the markets; it is the result of a governor who expanded permanent social programs using temporary, volatile tax windfalls.
Under Newsom, California is a place where only the ultra-wealthy or the heavily subsidized can afford to live.
The state has a cost-of-living crisis that drives the middle class away, thanks to factors including:
•Energy costs: Californians pay the highest electricity rates in the continental United States — nearly double the national average.
•Gas prices: Aggressive environmental taxes and regulatory premiums keep California’s gas prices much higher than in the rest of the country.
•The poverty paradox: Despite its vast wealth, California has the highest poverty rate in the nation when accounting for the cost of living. More than 7 million residents lack the resources to meet basic needs.
When Newsom boasts of “California values,” he speaks of a system that punishes middle class residents through high taxes and regulatory burdens, forcing them to flee to other states.
California’s neo-feudalism gone national leaves little room for escape.
