Governor Newsom's Recall Challenges

Governor Newsom’s fiscal challenges may be the driving force for the current recall efforts. Under his guidance (I did not use the word leadership), he continues to perpetuate the state’s dysfunctional energy polices and continues to do everything possible to further INCREASE the costs for energy for its 40 million residents. At the same time, the states’ Employment Development Department (EDD) experiences massive fraud and has paid billions of dollars to criminals and continues its spiral into oblivion.

California dysfunctional energy policies have already made the state’s electricity and fuel prices among the highest in the nation which have been contributory to the rapid growth of “energy poverty”, and some of the highest unemployment, overcrowding, homelessness, and poverty rates in America for the 18 million (45 percent of the 40 million Californians) that represent the Hispanic and African American populations of the state.

California, with 0.5 percent of the world’s population (40 million vs 8 billion) professes to be the leader of everything, and through its dysfunctional energy policies imports more electricity than any other state– currently at 32 percent from the Northwest and Southwest  and dysfunctionally HOPES that other states will be able to generate enough power to meet the demands of the state.

Newsom’s recent Executive order directing the state to require that, by 2035, all new cars and passenger trucks sold in California be zero-emission vehicles, will add more electrical charging demands onto a dysfunctional energy program that has already shuttered nine (9) in-state power plants in the last decade, in addition to the San Onofre nuclear power plant and three natural gas power plants in very recent years, and has five more to shutter in the cross hairs – the last nuclear plant at Diablo Canyon and four more natural gas power plants. The Governor wants to add more electrical charging demands onto a dysfunctional energy program that would most likely contribute to more rolling blackouts in the coming years.

The Governor is proud of being the only state in contiguous America that imports most of its crude oil energy from foreign countries. Its mind boggling that our Governor continuously fails to see the direct correlation between high energy costs for electricity and fuels, and poverty, homelessness, and a housing affordability crisis already impacting the Golden State.

California’s dependency on foreign suppliers has increased imported crude oil from foreign countries from 5 percent in 1992 to 58 percent today of total consumption. The imported crude oil costs California more than $60 million dollars a day, yes, every day, being paid to oil-rich foreign countries, depriving Californians of jobs, careers, and business opportunities.

The Governors latest moves to further reduce oil production and require larger setbacks for existing oil production wells will further decrease in-state production and require the State to increase its monthly imports resulting in expenditures approaching a whopping $90 million EVERY DAY for foreign countries to support the states’ 5^th largest economy in the world.

On the subject of electrification of everything in the state, from intermittent electricity from industrial wind and solar farms, to more EV’s, the Governor’s actions are supportive of jumping onto the EV train, knowing that EV’s have a very dark side of environmental atrocities, and the non-existing transparency of human rights abuses occurring in other countries, both of which are directly connected to the mining for the exotic minerals and metals that are required to  manufacture wind turbines, solar panels, and EV batteries.

The growing homelessness and poverty populations in CA, gives the Governor more to talk about, while he fuels (no pun intended) energy and EDD poverty onto the CA residents. The accelerating costs for energy are also fueling (again, no pun intended) the exodus of businesses and residents out of the once Golden state.

There is a growing likelihood that enough signatures will be obtained to place Newsom on a recall ballot. However, since California is a one-party state, the likelihood of a good-looking smooth talker (except for the uncontrollable “ahs” when he speaks), those suffering financially from his inept performance, will probably keep him in office as his appearance overshadows the financial pain he is imposing on his constituents. It will be the people’s choice at the ballot box.

This piece first appeared at Capitol Review.

Ron Stein is an engineer who, drawing upon 25 years of project management and business development experience, launched PTS Advance in 1995. He is an author, engineer, and energy expert who writes frequently on issues of energy and economics.

Photo credit: Charlie Kaijo via Flickr under CC 2.0 License.