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MARK, MY WORDS - If a family member or friend was harmed or murdered by a person, would your natural response be to harm one of their family members or friends? I would hope the answer, based on morality and objective analysis, would be a resounding no. Many people would be tempted to seek some kind of emotionally charged vigilante justice but would hopefully refrain from doing something they know, or should know, is wrong. None of us though, are Governor of California (unless Gavin is reading this of course).
A good leader is a diligent public servant and is expected to and has a duty to be objective and fair since millions of people’s quality of life is very much in their hands. Newsom has proven time and time again that he is not interested in or capable of this basic job requirement. Instead of helping fire and crime victims, he is more interested in the theatre of petty threats, the goings on of other States and the obsessive bashing of President Trump.
In a sane and reasonable world where we are all paying attention, Measure 50 should easily be the final nail in Newsom's political career coffin. But alas, many voters are more interested in digital virtue signaling than reading what this grade school playground measure is really about. It should instead be called the “I know you are but what am I” measure. For California politicians, two wrongs apparently make a right and should therefore, be codified by law.
Congressman Kevin Kiley synopsized it best: “50 replaces map drawn by voter approved independent citizens commission with map drawn by Sacramento politicians. Overturns constitutional ban on gerrymandering and adopts most gerrymandered map in modern history.” No matter what we feel about the Texas redistricting issue, do we want to go down in history as the State that started the normalization of gerrymandering?
What Sacramento democrats are suggesting is cheating the system they claim is under threat by Republicans who are "cheating the system." It's interesting how California Democrat politicians only value fair elections when it suits them. Texas "what-about-isms" have no place in California politics or legislation. An eye for an eye agenda will only leave us with a politically and morally blind society. The only California worth saving is one that recognizes the difference between partisan politics and constitutional adherence.
Gavin Newsom has built this putrid kingdom (formerly known as the Golden State) upon lies, misinformation and self-interest to the tune of billions of precious taxpayer dollars. He is, by logical deduction, proudly admitting to countering illegal gerrymandering in Texas by doing it in California. That is not what a good leader does. That is what a vigilante does.
While the backs of hard-working Californians are being incrementally broken, Newsom is acquiring massive personal and political wealth. Here are some of his past and present “greatest hits”:
SB79 Gives developers the right to build multi-story dwellings in thriving single family neighborhoods. They want us to believe that it will be limited to transit corridors, but the truth is, they can add a bus or metro stop anywhere and build luxury massive multi-family dwellings with NO parking requirements. We can be sure that this will be an assault on lower- and middle-class neighborhoods leaving upper class communities unaffected.
FIRES Gavin and Mayor Bass’ response to the Pacific Palisades and Alta Dena fires are internationally condemned for their blatant disregard for community, the embezzlement of millions of dollars of charity donations and the basic rights of residents' right to rebuild.
HOMELESSNESS California has spent almost 40 billion dollars on homelessness that has only become worse with the homeless dying on our streets and residents held captive by an almost total lack of public camping law enforcement.
GAS PRICES Highest gas prices in the nation! Newsom will blame Trump, the oil companies and Micky Mouse if he could, but the truth is, California piles on fees to pay for all its failed programs and irresponsible spending.
RISING CRIME Crime will continue to rise, people will continue to become unnecessary victims, and small businesses will continue to be forced to close due to Newsom’s aversion to law and order.
COVID SHUTDOWN AND EDD FRAUD California has the highest unemployment fraud in the nation and lost billions of dollars in Covid EDD fraud.
HIGH SPEED RAIL In 2023, the cost of the high-speed rail was estimated at almost 130 BILLION dollars! It has not seen a single rider to date. It has always been and continues to be a cash cow for favored State vendors and an ever-growing debt for generations of Californians to come.
And of course, his multi-platinum number one single...
SB50 A measure described on the ballot as Lie #1: "Temporary until 2031, Lie #2: only costing "...up to a few million..." ( It is estimated to cost nearly 300 million dollars, even by an ABC affiliate and Lie #3: Millions in ads claiming that 50 will put districting in the hands of the people. (It is actually literally doing the opposite and says so.) I believe fighting crime with crime is anarchy. Read and judge for yourself.
Whether or not Texas is breaking the law is for the courts to decide and should bear no relevance to California legislation. By weaponizing the Governor’s seat, Newsom is showing us his true colors, and they are not red, white or blue.
(Mark Dutton is a lifelong musician, music producer, writer, and investigative journalist. After leaving college in his third year as a psychology major, he spent three decades touring the world and creating music with top artists. A sharp political observer since childhood, Mark now focuses his passion on reforming City Hall and holding power to account. As a contributor to CityWatchLA.com, he blends cultural insight with investigative reporting to spotlight issues affecting everyday Angelenos.)
