In the face of avoidable and embarrassing blackouts, Gavin Newsom is once again “demanding” a self-investigation of his own Administration. This has become his favorite trick: “investigate” himself so that no one else can.

“We’ve got an investigation moving forward, and in real time, we’ll let you and others know what we determine,” Newsom said. “I am not pleased with what’s happened. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

In a letter to his own hand-picked political appointees after the first round of blackouts, he offers this alibi: “I was not informed until moments before the blackouts started.” Newsom has also lambasted the “corporate greed” of PG&E, even when the utility spent $208,400 electing him Governor in 2018. 

The same self-investigation trick was used after his Administration disastrously botched COVID case data. The Governor disappeared for a full week, then his Public Health Director abruptly resigned. Finally, he promised an internal self-investigation of the “glitch” – no word on how that’s going.

I proposed a real investigation and oversight hearing, but the Legislature has been useless. Yesterday, the new Public Health Director told me she would agree to public testimony about the new “color-coded” shutdown scheme, but no one with a gavel has asked her. 

Unbelievably, the Legislature did convene one hearing yesterday: to plan for a $1.2 billion renovation of the State Capitol. Three models for the new annex were presented: a circle, a square and a “double T.” One legislator weighed in that “the circle is the best option because that model will save the most trees.”

As California accounted for 25 percent of the nation’s unemployment claims the last week of August – and as Newsom gets away with anything – all that lawmakers can be bothered to do is spruce up their own workplace at exorbitant taxpayer expense.

Help me fight back against Newsom and restore sanity in California