Gavin Newsom says the state is "roaring back," but data shows the California comeback is more of a meow.

September 10, 2021
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For months now, Governor Gavin Newsom has been proudly proclaiming California — thanks to his leadership — is “roaring back.”

Unfortunately, a look at the data shows California’s comeback resembles more of a meow than a roar.

In a new article published this week ([link removed]) , California Policy Center’s Brandon Ristoff finds that California’s return to pre-COVID normalcy lags four months behind the nation. When accounting for things like frequency of dining out, the number of workers returning to the office, and resumption of family vacations, California remains mired in pandemic lifestyle. Worse, the state’s lag doesn’t appear to be tied to the severity of COVID infections or hospitalizations. Between May and July, California saw its lowest case rates since March 2020, yet unlike other states, California did not utilize that time to resume normal activities, instead continuing to behave as though infections were raging on.

Combined with the state’s high unemployment rate (which is second-to-worst in the country) and slow job growth, one must wonder if the Golden State will ever recover. That question is surely fueling the continued California Exodus, which leads more and more former residents eastward.

While Gavin Newsom tries to stop the bleed by telling reporters we’ve got a better tax climate than Texas (yes, really. In case you missed it, you can watch his factually inaccurate rant here ([link removed]) ), the numbers don’t lie. As CPC’s Lance Christensen and Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Chuck DeVore explain in this Fox News commentary ([link removed]) , the California Dream is becoming harder to attain thanks to the governor’s policies.

On top of the dismal economic recovery data, California boasts the nation’s highest marginal income tax rate and is home to hidden taxes like high vehicle licensing fees. Californians pay nearly 40% more for goods here than the national average, and the state has the nation’s second-lowest home ownership rate, in no small part because homes cost nearly twice the national average. In each of these areas, Texans pay less.
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Fortunately, there’s much California leaders — be they those currently in office or ones elected in the days and years to come — could do to reverse the state’s dismal course. Of course, reining in spending is an obvious first step and would make California a more affordable place to live, but there are other common sense reforms that Newsom (or his predecessor) and his colleagues in the statehouse could pursue to ensure California thrives for decades to come, some of which Christensen lays out in this California Globe op-ed ([link removed]) .

Whether Californians wake up Wednesday with a new, more fiscally prudent governor, or continue the course with Newsom for another year, the grassroots momentum demanding leaders fix California has never been greater, and the need for citizen engagement continues well beyond September 14.

Quote of the Week

"You can recall the governor. You can recall the school board. But how are you going to recall me?" - United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz ([link removed])

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CPC and allies in the news
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* DeVore and Christensen: Newsom’s recall desperation - whopper on California taxes shows he’s in big trouble ([link removed])
* Education, homelessness policy emerge as key factors in California recall election ([link removed])

Classroom headlines
* Los Angeles public school board votes to mandate student vaccinations ([link removed])
* Editorial: Learning loss is real. Stop pretending otherwise ([link removed])
* California students forced to pray to Aztec gods in ethnic studies ‘model curriculum’: lawsuit ([link removed])
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Union news
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* Parents and voters, not teachers’ unions, should control our public schools ([link removed])
* Too lazy to work, too callous to care: COVID’s lesson on teachers unions ([link removed])
* Los Angeles’s teachers union is out of control ([link removed])
* LA teachers union boss says children lost nothing during pandemic, now know words ‘insurrection’ and ‘coup’ ([link removed])
* There’s little rationale for masking school kids, but teachers unions are demanding it ([link removed])

Other things we’re reading
* Chris Wallace: “So you’re saying this mask I’ve been wearing for a year isn’t really protecting me very much?” ([link removed])
* Why isn’t the attack on Larry Elder the biggest story in America? ([link removed])
* Biden admits he can’t mandate masks. Why does he think he can mandate vaccines? ([link removed])
* If COVID is forever, is this what you want the rest of your life to look like? ([link removed])

Connect with CPC

Want to keep up with CPC and our partners during the week? Follow us on Twitter ([link removed]) , join our Facebook ([link removed]) community, and sign up to be part of the growing Parent Union ([link removed]) .


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