California is dying. Literally and figuratively.

Despite ongoing draconian lockdowns, California continues to harbor the worst COVID numbers in the nation. San Francisco alone estimates at least 52% of their restaurants have stopped operating, and some economists estimate up to 1 in 5 California restaurants have closed permanently.

Unemployment rates are historically high even as the Employment Development Department (after a 6-month delay in unemployment checks) is now being audited for over $8 billion dollars in unemployment fraud.

Public schools remain closed as suicide rates among teens skyrocket.

Families and small businesses are leaving the state at an alarming rate to find greener pastures. Even some of California’s wealthiest residents have left for better business environments – most notably Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, and companies like Oracle and Charles Schwab.

Despite the fact that California is crushing middle and lower income residents and despite the fact that he is caught up in the midst of a very healthy and legitimate recall campaign, Governor Gavin Newsom scoffed at the notion that his state has created an unhealthy business climate that is driving our entrepreneurs.

The statement came on Friday after he unveiled a $227 billion dollar budget plan. When pushed to comment on the state of the economy, the Governor reassured Californians that everything is just great in the Golden State. Why? Because the billionaires are doing just fine.

From NBC4 News:

“We’ve got a lot of work to do to help small, medium-sized businesses, but the folks at the top, doing pretty damn well,” he said. “But I don’t begrudge that success. I admire and respect it. But at the same time, we have to be mindful of a competitive landscape. And I am acknowledging that, and I’m committed as governor to be more aggressive in the future to make a case anew for this great state.”

For funsies, I navigated to the California Budget and Policy Center, a non-partisan but pro-Big Government agency. If Newsom was right, they would have proof supporting his notions. Here were some of the first headlines:

Many California Children Do Not Have Enough to Eat During COVID-19

Most Latinx and Black Households With Children Are Having Difficulty Paying for Basic Expenses

 

COVID-19 Recession at Six Months: California’s Unemployment Remains High

 

Women and People of Color Take Biggest Hits in California’s Job Losses

Small business accounts for 99% of all employment in the United States. Newsom admitted himself that “We’ve got a lot of work to do to help small, medium-sized businesses.”

So no, we are not “doing pretty damn well” when it comes to business climate, by his own admission.

Newsom and his fellow Democrats are always lecturing the rest of us about justice and standing up for the little guy and helping the poor. Gavin Newsom is so privileged, so wealthy, and so disconnected from the daily lives of average Californians that he actually thought his statement pointing out how the rich are getting richer was some kind of a defense.

It is reprehensible and it is elitism of the sickest kind. While his unscientific COVID restrictions are creating an historical wealth gap in this state, he has the nerve to suggest that if the billionaires are doing well, we all are. It’s a far cry from even as recently as the Clinton era when we were all told that the idea trickle-down economics was foolish and racist. Yet Newsom seems to be all-in on the theory.

The petition to recall Gavin Newsom crossed 1million signatures last week. They need to collect another 400,000 signatures to trigger a recall.

Go to recallgavin2020.com to sign and share.