This week, Gavin Newsom declared California a “national model” when it comes to retail theft. Anyone who has actually been to California, especially Newsom’s home of San Francisco, knows our crime polices are indeed a “model” – of precisely what not to do.
The Governor is truly on an island of delusion. A new poll from UC Berkeley shows voters of all partisan stripes – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – support our initiative to undo Prop. 47 initiative (Prop. 36).
Also being discarded: the reckless “progressive” prosecutor model. A poll shows George Gascón – who Newsom originally appointed – will be crushed in his reelection bid, while Oakland’s radical DA is facing a recall, and the DA of San Francisco was already recalled.
As if to prove their desperation, the “Keep Prop. 47” campaign just held a press conference. They claimed crime in California isn’t really that bad, but is simply a creation of “the media.” It doesn’t get more out of touch.
In a Fox News interview, Newsom even claimed Prop. 47 is “tougher” than theft laws in Texas. That is absurd. Texas allows the value of stolen goods to be aggregated across related thefts and allows felony charges for repeat thieves. These are precisely the changes our initiative makes.
In the same interview, Newsom accidentally told the truth: he admitted homelessness has exploded in California because of “our own policies and neglect.” A state audit that I originally requested found his Administration lost track of $24 billion in homelessness spending.
Thankfully, the recent Supreme Court decision I advocated for is allowing us to finally get homelessness under control, and with Prop. 36, we are going to make crime illegal again.
In other good news, the University of California just banned campus encampments, after I called for the ban in a letter to the UC President. It’s another step on the path to sanity for California and the reckoning for American higher education.