Newsom’s First Year: ‘Biggest Problem’ Unresolved

By Tom Elias, Brentwood News Columnist

The utility company blackouts that accompanied the first severe blast of the fall fire season in October quickly became the signal events of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first year in office, triggering the most heated public response and causing more public inconvenience than any others.

Those outages by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the Southern California Edison Co. among other things demonstrated how far Newsom still must go to solve the problem he identified as California’s largest back when he was a mere candidate – income inequality.

Not that Newsom didn’t try to mitigate that problem. He spurred state legislators to pass widespread rent control, encouraged incentives to build more affordable housing, expanded Medi-Cal health care coverage and signed many more new laws aiming to benefit middle and lower income Californians more than the upper crust.

But while he did that, financial inequality grew in California during Newsom’s first year, the rich gaining even more of an edge over their middle class and poor compatriots. The blackouts put those differences in bas relief.

For the knowledge they were coming spurred thousands of Californians to buy solar panels and gasoline-powered electric generators that could keep their homes going – even if only sporadically in many cases – through the blackouts. Those became longer and more widespread than any outages during the energy crunch of the early 2000s, which put the first nails in the political coffin of recalled former Gov. Gray Davis.

With millions of Californians unable to afford basic needs like rent, food and medicines, generators that can cost thousands of dollars and solar panels that often run $20,000 or more for a single home were not on the radar of most Californians outside the upper income levels.

And yet, Newsom’s going along with the plans of PG&E and Edison for those outages, even in places where high, hot winds never occurred, exacerbated the existing economic differences he bemoans.

His tolerating those plans – until they were actually carried out, when he pronounced them “intolerable,” – established him as even more of a utility company ally than he was during July, when he helped arrange the new state Wildfire Fund that may eventually provide more than $20 billion to cover electric company liabilities in future fires. The money will come largely from a monthly charge to electric customers.

So the blackouts, especially their extremely wide range in Northern California, could eventually cause political problems for Newsom. He’s tried to head this off by disapproving PG&E’s proposed $13.5 billion settlement with fire victims.

Meanwhile, actions Newsom spurred on housing probably won’t resolve that problem, either. By working to force housing expansion everywhere, Newsom assured that a great share of any new units won’t be affordable to many first-time buyers, even if they carry the “affordable” label.

When cities like Newport Beach work to create hundreds of new dwellings, they must deal with land prices far above those in desert or other inland areas, including the Central Valley. So “affordable” housing usually sells for at least $350,000, well beyond the reach of hundreds of thousands of first-time buyers. That price also excludes virtually all of the homeless.

One constructive move that could help with land prices, though, was creating a new register of vacant or available state-owned lands. If those properties are sold off cheaply and developed, they could help the housing shortage, even if they won’t alleviate homelessness.

Newsom also made constructive moves on gun control, signing several laws previously vetoed by ex-Gov. Jerry Brown, including one Brown vetoed twice that allows increased use of gun restraining orders. Newsom signed a bill allowing child care workers to unionize and another banning smoking in state parks and on most public beaches. He okayed a compromise making charter school finances more transparent, set public school start times an hour later and nixed a measure to end the practice of paying initiative petition carriers for signatures they collect.

But he greatly watered down a public health measure designed to prevent bogus medical waivers from allowing parents to exempt their children from getting vaccinations on false grounds.

All this made Newsom’s first year a mixed bag, preventing a definitive reading on the new governor. Which means Californians will have to stay tuned.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, “The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It,” is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net

Related Posts

SMC Gallery to Showcase Faculty Art in Virtual Exhibition

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

The online event will feature works by seven Emeritus faculty artists. The Santa Monica College Emeritus Art Gallery will host...

Governor Declares Emergency for Malibu to Aid Franklin Fire Recovery

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The fire’s impact was compounded by the January 2025 Los Angeles County Fires and Windstorm Event California Gov. Gavin Newsom...

THIS WEEKEND: Five Outdoor Concerts for Make Music Day Comes to Santa Monica

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The global event, inspired by France’s Fête de la Musique, unites communities through music and is observed in over 800...

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...

National Guard Shortage Strains Firefighting Efforts Amid Trump Deployment: Governor

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Newsom claims the redeployment, which he calls illegal, has left the Monte Fire—spanning 868 acres and injuring three firefighters—understaffed Governor...

THIS WEEKEND: Theatre Palisades Stages Last Performances of ‘Jest a Second!’

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The play, a sequel to “Beau Jest,” follows Sarah and Bob, now married and expecting a child, as they navigate...

(Video) A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

For More Information, Go to Aplustree.com For More Information, Go to https://t.co/3PhU1J5wOj pic.twitter.com/1AWITi5NFw — Palisades News (@PalisadesNewsLA) June 19, 2025

(Video) See Inside Voodoo Doughnuts’ New Venice Beach Shop

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

The Creative Portland Franchise Has Opened Up at Windward Circle The Creative Portland Franchise Has Opened Up at Windward Circle....

Palisades Teacher Wins National Award, $5K for Supporting Students After Wildfire

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

A student athlete nominated him for the award, praising his ability to connect classroom lessons to real-world challenges Dave Suarez,...

Real Estate Agent Charged with Price Gouging After Palisades Fire

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

The charges stem from violations of California’s price gouging law, which caps price increases at 10% during a declared state...

What to Expect at This Weekend’s ‘Venice Summer Fest’ in Mar Vista

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

Attendees Can Expect More Than Two Dozen Bands, a Classic Car Show, Food Trucks, Vendors and More The Venice Summer...

Palisades, Pasadena Teens Raise Over $55K for Fire Relief with National Initiative

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

The initiative, now supported by a team of five and over 1,100 volunteer hours, has partnered with 18 nonprofits to...

July 4th Celebration to Take Place in Palisades for 78th Annual Event

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

The event aims to unite residents in a show of resilience and community spirit The Pacific Palisades community, undeterred by...

Second Doctor to Plead Guilty in Matthew Perry Ketamine Case, Faces Up to 40 Years

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

Doctor Admits to Illegally Supplying Ketamine to the Actor and His Assistant One of the physicians charged in connection with...

Multiple Injuries Reported in Windward Ave Collision: REPORT

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

Emergency crews closed the affected intersection to secure the area and began cleanup efforts A vehicle collision involving at least...