The hypocrisy is getting as thick as the smog in the once Golden State. First, our illustrious Governor Gavin Newsom decided to break his own diktat of gathering with more than 10 people who are not from the same family when he attended a 50th birthday dinner at the upscale restaurant French Laundry. Never mind that people have had to cancel or postpone weddings, milestone anniversary celebrations, or have not been able to bury and grieve their loved ones because of his inconsistent and arbitrary mandates. I had to mourn and memorialize a close cousin over ZOOM because of the California restrictions he has imposed. So this made me absolutely livid.
In an afternoon press conference yesterday, Newsom attempted an apology that was half-baked at best and nakedly arrogant at worst. I’ll go with the latter; this man lacks any self-awareness and fails to realize how snide and insincere he comes across. He gave the “apology” after gleefully (and I mean that literally) reporting that since California is having a purported spike in Coronavirus cases, he will institute new restrictions and another lockdown; these restrictions include limits on travel and 14-day quarantines if you have traveled into or out of the state.
Deputy Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar called it for what it is:
The unconstitutional blueprint. Pacific Legal Foundation sued him over it last wk using rationale in case Kevin Kiley and Jim Gallagher won. Then Newsom got caught at French Laundry, the judge wouldn't grant a stay in the Kiley case, so he's throwing a temper tantrum. GROW UP! https://t.co/lvRjS5w0FO
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) November 17, 2020
We have a governor who is like a petulant and spoiled child, and we are the toys that he tosses around in his tantrum. It’s not pretty, and those who remain are beyond fed up.
Then the evening after his presser, this bit of news dropped from Politico:
“The pandemic may have “canceled” 2020, but it did not derail an annual gathering of lobbyists and lawmakers on the shores of Maui that brought people from across the country to a luxury resort this week.
“Roughly 100 people from four states converged at the Fairmont Kea Lani for a four-day legislative conference organized by the Independent Voter Project, said the group’s chair and executive director, Dan Howle.
“The 18th annual event was a third of its regular size, Howle said, but it still drew nearly 20 lawmakers from California, Texas and Washington state. The theme? How to reopen states’ economies amid the public health crisis.”
