AnonymousBy Ed Seaman
More than a third of Californians are living at or near the poverty level (Public Policy Institute of California, July 2021). We pay the highest income taxes (World Population Review, July 2021) and highest gas taxes (Statista, January 2021) in the country.
The extent of the damage that the state government has done and continues to do to our children, our small business economy, our poor and middle class in the name of pandemic safety is massive, so add pandemic mismanagement to the list of big things California mismanages. This list includes water, forestry (wildfires), electricity (rolling blackouts), public education, housing, homelessness, immigration, and food security.
Mr. Newsom is not the source of California’s mismanagement problems, and neither are the Democrats. I say this even though the democratic party has been mostly in charge and effectively unopposed for about twenty years, with a supermajority since 2018. The truth is, if we swapped Democrats with Republicans, we would still have big problems. There are two related reasons for this: One is the length of time that the governing party has been in power. The other is human nature.
The very humanesque pursuit of power, money, and prestige is the driving purpose of both political parties. Twenty years is a long time for our (essentially) unopposed governing political party to plan for and fix a lot of big problems, but it hasn’t happened. Long-term solutions are hard, politically risky, and don’t usually serve the driving purpose, so policies and resource distributions have recently been neither strategic nor innovative. The governing party makes every decision based on how it affects the party’s power, money, and prestige, not based on what is best for the people, economy, or environment.
For example, the bullet train is being funded on a huge scale (LA Times, June 2021), while such funding to plan for and expand water resources and manage carbon across the state is not. How many trees could we plant and care for and how many vermicast soil inoculations could we apply with bullet train kinds of money? One thousand healthy live oaks 36” in diameter will sequester ~100,000 lbs. of carbon and infiltrate ~2,500,000 gallons of rainwater into their aquifers annually (iTreetools.org, June 2021) and every 1% increase in soil organic matter per acre results in ~25,000 additional gallons of water storage (National Resources Defense Council, May 2015).
Another example is AB5. As a farmer working hard to build local food security, I’d like to point out that recently passed AB5, if enforced, would destroy the small farm sector and any hope we might have for food security overnight. AB5 is the so-called gig worker’s law that makes almost all businesses that hire independent contractors reclassify them as employees (Investopedia CA Assembly Bill 5, May 2021). The intent of the law is to increase Union (labor) membership among Uber and Lyft types of businesses (Capitol Research Center, December 2019), but the damage to small farms is unrecoverable. If you like your farmers markets, innovative climate-smart agriculture, and the possibility of local food security, pray this law is never enforced. Santa Barbara is part of an agriculture-rich Central Coast region of more than 5,000 small farms and perhaps 15,000 workers, so you would think our local state representatives would vote against AB5. They didn’t.
Senator Limon and Assemblyman Cunningham are victims of a lack of balance. They have no leverage and no political cover because there are not enough non-democrat lawmakers in the legislature, and our governor doesn’t provide reasoned checks & balances.
The governing party appears to have a bias against rural, agriculture-rich counties like Santa Barbara and the small businesses that are the heart and soul of our local communities. Our voice is being “railroaded” in the capital by vote-rich counties like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
I no longer feel represented as an environmentalist or as a member of the small farm sector. This won’t happen without returning to a divided government with functional checks & balances. The quickest way to do this is through the executive branch.
I will vote to recall Gavin Newsom.
Ed Seaman is a husband, father, environmentalist, and lifestyle farmer, and he and his wife own and operate Santa Barbara Blueberries, a U-pick berry farm in the Santa Ynez Valley. Ed is also executive director of the Wild Farmlands Foundation, a nonprofit advocate for California’s diminishing small farm sector, and a member of the SB County Land Stewardship & Carbon Farming Coalition. The opinions expressed are his own.
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Would Caitlyn Jenner or Larry Elder better suit the author’s environmental needs as governor?
Newsom had a good run, unfortunately it was a terrible run for California business and residents. Looking forward to the recall!
YES on the RECALL of Nancy Pelosi’s Silver-spoon nephew… The once “Golden State” just gives out golden handouts on the backs of the middle-class WORKING Californian’s.
On a national front, give credit to the Republican administration for executing Operation Warp Speed to produce effective Covid vaccines. However, the past Republican president declared the coronavirus a hoax and recommended using hydroxycholorquine to fight the virus. How did that work out? Not very well as evidenced by 600,000+ American deaths under his watch.
On a statewide front, while Newsom has made some mistakes, we don’t need a Republican governor in California now to emulate their Republican colleagues in Florida and Texas. Republican governors in these states have botched the effort to fight the pandemic with mixed messaging about masks and vaccinations, and as a result, these states lead the country in new Covid case rates. Lastly, none of the 4 Republican candidates for Governor of California that I watched have acknowledged that President Biden won in a fair and free election. Do we really want someone so detached from last November’s reality as the leader of California? I think not.
I’m voting against the recall. Thanks for letting us know your business and your opinion
The Op/Ed author sounds more like an Angelyne voter.
It seems to me that this recall election won’t happen. Obviously Newsom and the Democrats are watching the polls closely. Should it become clear that Newsom will be recalled he will be pressured by the Democrats to step aside so that the Democrat Lt. Governor can take his place.
Newsom has not done a good job anyhow (no matter which side of the isle that you reside) and his career in politics is over as soon as he leaves the Governor’s mansion either way. This way the Democrats will continue to control the Governorship.
This guy somehow reasons that its better to switch horses mid stream than ride to the other side, get off dry and re-evaluate. All because he feels that his particular desires and wants are not being heard? Heck, he even goes as far as citing the fact that this is a poor path, and its not really the fault of Newsom but that his feelings are way more important than the fact and figures… Poor fella, must be hard to inherit so much wealth and pretend its due to your own hard work.
Many good points made about the perils of this ironic “term-limited”, yet unitary party control over our state for the past 20 years. However, since state senator Monque Limon immediately signed up for the most extreme policy progressive caucus of her Democrat party when she arrived in Sacramento, it remains to be seen why the author praises her. How can anyone claims Limon now has “no leverage” to work across the aisle to find solutions to the well-stated problems this state continues to face?. She made her own choice to follow only the extreme charges of her progressive cohorts ( heavy micromanaging by increasing state regulations while increasing the growth of the size and expense of government). This makes Senator Limon one of very reasons we continue to have these long standing problems in the first place. Yet she refuses to look for state solutions where appropriate – use of the billions of MHSA voter-approved funding to provide a permanent state solution for the mental health problems now left on our streets, endangering all our lives. I only wish she would reach across the aisle . Maybe this letter and changing the top position to someone who can exercise a strong veto pen will strike down the floods of unitary self-protective legislation that will finally break up this 20 year ideological log jam in Sacramento. Term limits solved nothing in this state, and in fact made things worse. CVRA mandated “district elections” helped only the unitary and special interests to more cheaply control power; and did nothing to enfranchise greater public engagement. Along with a string of other alleged “election reform” measures that also did permanent damage to the former diversity of our state political structure, allowing this uni-party to embed itself so deeply that it is taking an extracurricular recall to break it up. We took many wrong turns in the past 20 years and Ms Limon was there every step of the way. If she did not fight any of them then, why the wishful thinking she will do anything more in the future?
My family and I love blueberries. But the recall? Not gonna happen.
I like your metaphor SBO. I think this classic would make a fitting campaign commercial for Newsom. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qABA0X6IzxU
Voting against the recall..
Absolutely not SBO, he’s arguing that single party (either party) rule is the problem. They legislate based on what best keeps them in power, vs. what’s best for their constituents, because there is no opposing side. Checks and balances are needed, without it, is what we get in CA and all the significant and negative issues that the article describes. The city councils recent nat gas ban is a great example to this; it doesn’t do any good for the actual residents of SB but does help the dems hold on power by providing a “look see the good thing I did here”, even though the consequences outweigh the nominal good it provides.
Newsom single handedly increased education and income inequality in CA more than any other time in our history. Progressive? No.
Completely against the recall. In republican led states across the nation they are trying to pass laws so republican politicians can toss out election results they do not like and “correct” the vote. very untrustworthy people.
Against the recall. I know several farmers who are also against the recall. I will support their businesses and buy their produce.
The complaint of this author is that democracy worked but he doesn’t like the results. Next time find an alternative candidate that the voters will support instead of the kooks that the GOP in CA foist on the electorate. (And I am not a member of Newsoms political party. Nor did I vote for him last time out.)
That is no where near accurate Goaty.
5:03 – You really are blind and deaf to what is going on with voter suppression.
We need to make voting easy… should be able to just show and scan an ID and vote. Crazy the backflips both sides go to to rile up their bases (“voter fraud” and “voter suppression”). Bring voting into the 21st century, which yes, like virtually every other country in the world requires an ID!
What’s going on?
The recall is a giant waste of time and money. Newsome is horrible though… thankfully his political career is over (either via recall or at the end of his term).
Stop watching and believing political ads.
If you think Newsom is bad, one of these clowns on the recall ballot will be an unmitigated disaster.
It’s not a matter of thinking newsome is bad, as we’ve all seen… he obviously is quite bad!!!!
Give newsome a medal???? I can see voting against the recall as it is a tremendous waste of time and money…but actually wildly supporting newsome … inconceivable!!!! Same goes for trump. Anyone who is wildly (GIVING A MEDAL) to either of those clowns is wildly out of touch with reality.
That was a horrible crime… part of a wildly horrific increase in murders over the last 18 months. As I’ve written on here dozens of times. we desperately need to wildly expand our gun control laws in this country. It needs to be exponentially harder to get a gun… and impossible to get assault rifles.
You have no concept of the problem
Top 10 reasons I’m voting yes. 1. Crime
From massive shoplifting to murder, CA crime rates are zooming up. The most dramatic increases in crime are ALL occurring in the big, Democrat-controlled cities. Democrats OWN the crime spree. I think that ‘crime’ might be the top issue in this recall.
2. Homelessness
Especially since Newsom publicly INVITED the nation’s homeless to come to California where we will take care of them. NO CA voter wants more homeless here. Even our state’s HOMELESS don’t want more homeless here!
3. CA gas taxes and prices
Our TOTAL CA gas tax and fee costs exceed $1.20 a gallon. Yet our roads are among the worst in the nation. It’s a bread and butter issue that voters can and do understand.
4. Lockdowns
It appears that variations of a lockdown WILL be imposed again and again by Democrats whenever some new variation of a communicable disease appears. People are sick and tired of this oppression, and of all the harmful side effects.
5. Newsom’s hypocrisy
Newsom has blatantly violated his own mask and social distancing mandates, while unleashing police on the rest of us to enforce his diktats. Moreover, he was fine with closing the public schools for a year while HIS kids attended an OPEN private school.
6. The theft of THIRTY BILLION DOLLARS in CA fraudulent unemployment claims
Much of that loss will have to be paid by employees having bigger “unemployment insurance” payments deducted from their paychecks in the future. Most of that stolen money went to California prisoners and international crime syndicates.
Newsom was in charge. Not a SINGLE CA bureaucrat was fired as a result. He doesn’t like to talk about it.
7. HSR
CA HSR is now opposed by voters by at least a 2-1 margin. It’s the madness that proves Democrats should not hold office in the Golden State.
8. Public Education
The prolonged closing and “masking” of public schools while most private schools long ago reopened has enraged many parents. Clearly the schools (and the politicians) are run by the teacher unions FOR the teacher unions.
The recall is a great time to call for “school choice.” Let the parents decide what’s best for THEIR families.
9. Fires, Water and Electricity
Newsom has GROSSLY mismanaged California’s fire threats, water supply, and the reliability (and price) of electricity.
10. Newsom’s de facto support of open borders.
Indeed, Newsom recently invited the WORLD to come to our welfare state, stating that “we” will take care of them.
NOTE: The GOP must NOT be anti-immigration. It should favor VETTED, limited immigration — with enforceable limits on welfare access by immigrants. Even INCREASED immigration can make sense with these sensible safeguards in place.
If we vote YES to recall Governor Newsom, in all likelihood the prevailing candidate will be Larry Elder – Rush Limbaugh’s doppelgänger. Elder is advocating emulating Florida’s COVID response plan, is for zero minimum wage, is a climate change denier – how would he be better for California? Because this is a plurality vote election, Elder (who 18% of likely voters are supporting) could win with that 18%. Here’s a reality check, if we elect any of the 40+ people running, whoever is elected will likely will be replaced by a Democratic governor in less than 18 months. This recall is a waste of taxpayer money, will accomplish nothing of substance but could, in fact, cause some serious damage.
Any party that governs unopposed for so long doesn’t just stop working for its constituents. It stops working even for its own supporters.
How about some fracking next door to your farm? See any problem with that? What do you think of the GOP who bitterly moved into CA to turn our state red with corporate money, to restrict voting rights, drill for more oil, and undo anything good that’s come under Governor Newsom? He can’t make water, he can’t fix a global environmental crisis. I believe his shut downs and mandates saved lives. If you want to see everyone suffer in CA, elect a GOP governor whose soul purpose is a money and power grab.
Willie Brown would be a significant upgrade, plus we’d save on hair gel.
Newsom is to be admired for his ability to “fail up”.
I’m thinking he wants the cushy job of do nothing but talk Senator from CA in the future and can’t let a recall derail that, even if he is a lazy incompetent white eminently privileged dope of a governor.
The Getty’s have too much invested in him
I think it’s Post-TDS, Duke. It’s going to take some time for them to recover. The most negative aspect of his presidency was how so many other grifting politicians on both sides got a pass with all the focus on him. Soon people will realize many of the aspects they hated about him are present in the very politicians they keep voting for. Red or blue doesn’t matter, the common citizen is neither’s priority.
EDD was hit by a massive amount of fraudulent unemployment claims just like every state in the USA many run by GOP governors; FAIL Are you referencing the bullet train that was started during Ahhhhnolds reign as governor? He supported the project and so did the California voters in 2008. FAIL
VOR your arguments are as illogical as the ones from The California GOP. The reason that the Democratic Party has had such success recently in state government is that the GOP has not had a reasonable position, project, or idea in decades. They have become the party of whacky conspiracy theories and bomb throwers.