California Gov. Gavin Newson, who may have presidential aspirations, must first fix a huge problem: his state. Despite being in office since 2019 and pushing failed policies on his constituents, his solution is simple: It’s not his thought.
His most recent example concerns escalating crime in the state and the number of businesses fleeing because they can’t operate in California and earn a profit. Whether it is Pizza Hut laying off 1,200 delivery drivers before a Newsom-driven $20 per hour minimum wage kicked in or a restaurant like Denny’s closing because of crime, businesses are deciding the problems associated with doing business in California aren’t worth it, and they are leaving.
The Daily Caller reported that in a Zoom meeting, Newsom told a story of witnessing a shoplifter steal and being told by an employee at the store that it was because the governor’s soft-on-crime approach made it easier for criminals to get away with their actions.
Newsom said he was at a Target store and saw a shoplifter walking out. He said he was confused about why the employees didn’t stop the thief. He was told by an employee, who didn’t recognize Newsom, that the governor “lowered the threshold” of shoplifting’s severity.
“Sir, you dropped this, and he comes back, picks it up, and he’s walking out. As we’re checking out, the woman says, ‘Oh, he’s just walking out, he didn’t pay for that.’ I said, ‘Well, why don’t you stop him?’ And she goes, ‘Oh, the governor’’ — swear to God, true story. On my mom’s grave — ‘the governor lowered the threshold, there’s no, there’s no accountability,’” Newsom said.
Newsom said that California has the 10th-toughest shoplifting laws in the United States, which is laughable. However, even if it were true, those “tough” laws aren’t working, so maybe California should work to have the toughest shoplifting laws in the country.
He was hurt being blamed for the problem and said of the employee, “She didn’t even know what I was talking about. By the way, we have the 10th toughest in America. Look it up. No one gives a damn about that.”
Yes, no one gives a damn whether California has the 10th-toughest shoplifting laws or the 40th. They care about whether those laws work, and in California, they don’t. Newsom acknowledged this, although he didn’t realize it. He got upset that once the employee did recognize him, people wanted to take their picture with him, which he refused.
“And it was, you know, $380 later, and I was like, why am I spending $380? Everyone can walk the hell right out?” he said.
He nailed the problem without realizing it. The laws don’t work, and people are walking out of stores without paying, and as long as it is under $1,000, the police can’t do much about it.
Voters approved California’s Proposition 47 in 2014. Although Newsom wasn’t governor at the time, he supported it. And he hasn’t done anything to strengthen the law, which reclassified some non-violent offenses, including shoplifting and grand theft under $950, as misdemeanors versus being charged as felonies.
Newsom can try to say it’s his fault all he wants. He has had five years to rein in crime and hasn’t, so businesses are walking “the hell right out” because they can’t pay their bills.
That’s the leadership he wants to bring to America.