With his Republican opponents John Cox and Caitlyn Jenner launching their campaigns yesterday, Gavin Newsom continues to do what he does best: malign the citizens of the state, minimize their pain and hardship, and maximize his special interests by filling their coffers. All under the canard of protecting the “Core values of this state.”

You see, “values”, are what drove him to release 76,000 inmates, many of them violent felons.

With little notice, California on Saturday is increasing early release credits for 76,000 inmates, including violent and repeat felons, as it further trims the population of what once was the nation’s largest state correctional system.

More than 63,000 inmates convicted of violent crimes will be eligible for good behavior credits that shorten their sentences by one-third instead of the one-fifth that had been in place since 2017.

That includes nearly 20,000 inmates who are serving life sentences with the possibility of parole.

As crime increases in Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties, Newsom has glibly ignored it, just like he has ignored the rampant homelessness. Newsom cannot even be bothered to weigh in on the Recall efforts against L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon and San Francisco County District Attorney Chesa Boudin.

Two Asian women stabbed in "disgusting and horrific" San Francisco attack https://t.co/ahqQfORj3t

— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 5, 2021

So are Asians getting stabbed and mothers murdering their children part of Newsom’s California values?

Park rangers patrolling Ocean Front Walk in #Venice are asking to be armed, saying they fear for their lives. Neighbors call the area “an open air insane asylum” @MikeBoninLA

— NTJ (@Natasha_Venice) May 4, 2021

Asking for a friend.

In a campaign press conference with the California Firefighters Association, Newsom goes on to diss Caitlyn Jenner’s campaign launch ad, pretending he is too busy and important to view it.

Asked by a reporter if he had seen the spot Newsom responded, “I haven’t had a chance to look at it.” He suggested to the reporter who posed the question, “You’ll have to send me the video.” The governor then went on to list all of the things on his plate besides the recall.

“Look, I’m focused on cleaning this state up, preparing for wildfire season,” he said, before reconsidering and saying, “So perhaps you shouldn’t send me the video. I’ll take that 3 minutes and focus on the needs of [firefighters].” Newsom’s press conference was held with members of the California Professional Firefighters union which represents more than 30,000 first responders. Union leaders strongly endorsed the governor at the event. Newsom also characterized the recall as “a sideshow” and “a joke.”

This is how he feels about your efforts, which garnered 2.1 million signatures, 1.6 million of those signatures verified by the Secretary of State. YOU are a sideshow. YOUR desire to have better governance in California is a joke.

Last week @GavinNewsom handed out a half BILLION DOLLARS of our money for Forrest fire 🔥"managment." On Tuesday the Firefighter UNION BOSSES were used as political props once again and went against The PEOPLES RECALL #RecallGavin2020
Can you say Quid Pro Quo kids? #StandUp

— Randy Economy, Sr. Advisor @ #RecallGavin2020 (@EconomyRadio) May 5, 2021

The fact that he used the Firefighters Union to stage an event says it all. These are the only things that matter to Newsom: his special interests and monied supporters. You, mere plebe, can just toddle off and be entertained by your sideshow.

Newsom was asked directly what he thinks of Jenner as a candidate given the fact that his campaign is using her challenge in fundraising emails, but the governor sidestepped question.

Instead, he went after recall proponents in general, saying they want “to attack the core values of this state.” The recall election is “about the values of this state,” said Newsom.

The governor then went on to paint the recall as an effort by the national Republican machine. “Learn more about the people behind this,” Newsom urged. “Why is the Republican National Committee behind this? Why is Newt Gingrich behind this? Why is there a whole [TV] network put their energy and attention to covering this? Is it because they have the backs of Californians? Take a look at their agenda and contrast that with ours. I think the majority of Californians support our agenda.”

As I reported last week, Newsom’s campaign to “Stop the Republican Recall” is heavily funded by the Wonderful Company’s Stewart and Lynda Resnick, The California Association of Realtors, and the California Democrat Party, among others. The Party is using other Democrat lawmakers’ campaign coffers, and a behested payment system to funnel money past the campaign contribution limits towards the Newsom Recall opposition and other Newsom pet projects.

The Los Angeles Times did a crappy job of calling Newsom out, but they at least alluded to Newsom’s methods in a recent article:

Facebook, Google and Blue Shield of California are among the companies that contributed $226 million to government causes on Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s behalf last year, an unprecedented level of spending that is raising alarms about the influence large corporations are amassing in Sacramento.

State records reviewed by The Times show that so-called “behested payments” surged in 2020 compared with the year prior, when companies gifted $12.1 million on Newsom‘s behalf. The governor’s haul last year during the COVID-19 pandemic was six times as much as that reported by the preceding governor, Jerry Brown, during his final eight years in office combined.

With no limit on how much money can be donated by organizations or individuals at the behest of the governor, millions of dollars flowed in to prop up public services during the pandemic and fund Newsom‘s favored programs, including an effort to address homelessness and a public safety campaign promoting the importance of wearing masks.

For those new to this concept, “behested payments” are part of those core California values about which Newsom likes to bloviate.

A behested payment occurs when an elected official solicits or suggests that a person or organization give to another person or organization for a legislative, governmental or charitable purpose. For example, a lawmaker or someone acting on their behalf might ask a company to donate money or services to a nonprofit or government agency, such as asking for cash donations to support food banks or accepting pro bono consulting work.

[…]

General requests for charitable donations not directed at any particular organization are not reportable behested payments, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission, the state’s campaign finance watchdog agency. Elected officials are required to report behested donations of $5,000 or more.

With that and more evidence of his corruption and mismanagement being uncovered, a recent poll shows voters in the state are split in half on whether Newsom should be recalled, with 10 percent undecided.

NEW:@CAGOP releases new recall poll showing Gov. Newsom is vulnerable in a likely recall election later this year. The recall ballot is tied at
45% Yes
45% No
10% Undecided
The Yes support includes support from 50% of Independents and 20% of Democrats

— Stephanie Myers (@_StephanieMyers) May 4, 2021

Newsom might do well to stop the dog and pony shows with his union backers, and see whether his core values actually do match up with the voters, before he so cavalierly dismisses any effort or candidate who wishes to unseat him.