OPINION:
It is time for California to become more like America again. The state lost a congressional seat after the latest census and could lose more. It must make changes soon.
The state has more homeless people than any other and one of the highest per capita homeless rates in the country. The nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California noted that, as of 2022, 30% of the homeless people and half of all “unsheltered people” in America are in California.
When Gov. Gavin Newsom was elected mayor of San Francisco, he announced a 10-year plan to end homelessness. That was in 2004. Two decades later, the city still has more than 8,000 homeless people.
Drug overdose deaths have increased dramatically in California. Data from California Health Policy Strategies shows that drug overdoses in the state kill nearly three times as many people as automobile accidents. Fentanyl is tied to 20% of the deaths of Californians ages 15 to 24.
Peter Schweizer documents the flow of fentanyl over the southern border in his book “Blood Money: Why the Powerful Turn a Blind Eye While China Kills Americans.” He specifically mentions Mr. Newsom.
For years, I warned that the illegal aliens streaming across the border into California and the rest of America were involved in the trafficking of drugs, firearms and people. President Trump’s efforts to crack down on illegal aliens engaged in criminal activity, such as the drug trade, are helping clean up Los Angeles and the state of California. The mayor and governor should be thanking the president instead of attacking him.
Despite the talk of speeding up the rebuilding process after the fires earlier this year, little action has been taken on rebuilding over the past four months. When Mr. Trump visited immediately after the fires, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass promised a quick recovery. The city issued the first building permit nearly two months after the January fires destroyed 17,000 homes, businesses and other structures. So much for rapid response.
Sadly, attacking conservatives seems to be the only thing liberal politicians such as Mr. Newsom and Ms. Bass do well. Lately, the governor’s social media posts read like a teenager in a tirade against classmates.
It would be great if Mr. Newsom spent his time managing the many crises in his state instead of trying to “own Trump” on social media. The people of California deserve better.
As part of his social media campaign, Mr. Newsom released a letter from other Democratic governors attacking the president for calling up the National Guard. One of the signers was Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.
Many remember Mr. Evers’ failed response to the chaos in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020. The riots started after a video appeared to show a police officer unloading shots at a man in his car. Later footage showed that the man had resisted arrest multiple times, officers had used a taser on him unsuccessfully, and he had been reaching for a knife, which police found on the floor of the driver’s side of the car. Mr. Evers, however, jumped to conclusions after the first video was released.
The local newspaper in Kenosha blasted Mr. Evers in an editorial, saying, “Evers’ statement on Sunday fueled the fire before any rioters got here. His insufficient response has put a Wisconsin city and its residents in danger. Now he must do everything the state can to help Kenosha and protect its citizens.” This is from a paper that routinely endorses Democrats.
During my eight years as governor of Wisconsin, I learned several key things. First, never jump to conclusions until you have all the facts. Second, it is always better to have more force available to keep things from getting out of control.
Late in my second term, there was a shooting in the Sherman Park neighborhood of Milwaukee. Things were moving in a bad direction. The liberal mayor of Milwaukee did not want my help. At the same time, I spoke to the Milwaukee County sheriff, who was very concerned about the situation.
With that in mind, I called up the National Guard. We staged guard members in large garages used by the transit system, a few blocks from Sherman Park. Then, I contacted pastors in the area and asked them to reach out to people in their community to inform them that we had the National Guard ready but did not want to bring it in unless necessary for their protection. Thankfully, it worked, and we avoided large-scale riots.
Years later, Kenosha’s situation came under control only after Mr. Trump sent in federal agents. After the riots, Kenosha County voters elected a Republican to serve as the county executive and selected a mayor running against the candidate endorsed by the county Democrats.
After years of staggering homelessness, rampant drug use, uncontrollable fires and “peaceful protests” that turn into riots, voters in California would be wise to make a similar change. It’s time to make California more like America again.
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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