California Governor Gavin Newsom pledged to “redirect money” from local areas that fail to clear homeless encampments.
At a Thursday press conference, the Democrat stated that since the start of the year, “more than 1,400 encampments have been removed” across California. However, he noted that “thousands of thousands” remain and need to be addressed.
Earlier in July, Newsom issued an executive order for the removal of homeless encampments in in the Golden State.
His order followed a Supreme Court decision in June, which ruled 6-3 that it did not violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment” to remove encampments or jail individuals for breaching anti-camping laws.
LIVE NOW: Governor @GavinNewsom gaggles with local media following encampment clean up efforts in Los Angeles. https://t.co/izlFUJc1Ni
— California Governor (@CAgovernor) August 8, 2024
“We’re done with the excuses,” Newsom declared. “The last big excuse was, ‘Well, the courts are saying we can’t do anything.’ That’s no longer the case. We issued a simple executive order. Do your job. No more excuses. You’ve got the money, the flexibility, the green light, and the support from the state.”
Newsom’s executive order from July mandates that “state agencies move urgently to address dangerous encampments” as per a press release.
“This is the most crucial issue,” Newsom emphasized. “If you’re not paying attention to this, you’re missing the point. This is the biggest scar on the reputation of the state of California. This is it.”
“If we can prove we can actually deal with this, they’ll start believing we can solve a lot of other problems in this state. That’s my state of mind. The state of California’s doing more than ever; we’ll continue to do more,” he continued.
“But, this will be my final words on this, if we don’t see demonstrable results, I’ll start to redirect money,” the California governor threatened locals.
Before this executive order, Newsom’s initiatives on homelessness primarily aimed at increasing public housing.
In 2023, he supported a $6.4 billion bond measure for housing homeless individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges.
Additionally, in 2020, he signed an executive order allocating $150 million to house homeless Californians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a surprising twist the same day, a California Democrat announced her switch to the Republican Party, citing a disconnect with the current direction of the Democratic Party.
State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, representing the northeastern part of California’s Central Valley, revealed her decision on Fox News on Thursday.
“In the past two years that I’ve been working in the Senate, I have not recognized the party that I belong to,” she told the conservative outlet. “The Democratic Party is not the party that I signed up for decades ago.”
“I can’t, in good conscience, with the values that I have and my commitment to represent the voters of California, continue to call myself a Democrat,” Alvarado-Gil explained.
Expressing frustration over an “uphill battle” to enact positive change with her Democratic peers, she remarked that state Republicans “have a plan to fix California, and I want to be part of that.”
The state’s fourth Senate district, predominantly rural, had been Republican-held since 1993 until Alvarado-Gil’s election in 2022. She has two years remaining in her term.
“From my first day in office, I’ve prioritized my constituents’ interests. I was elected to serve the public, not a political ideology,” Alvarado-Gil stated.
She told the New York Post that the Democratic “supermajority,” which is currently 31-9 after her switch, was “simply not working for this state.”
Welcome Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil to the Senate Republican Caucus.
It takes courage to stand up to the supermajority in California and Marie has what it takes. Her record on tackling crime, protecting communities from sexually violent predators, and prioritizing her…
— Brian W. Jones (@SenBrianJones) August 9, 2024
Alvarado-Gil’s defection to the GOP was warmly received by her conservative colleagues.
Republican California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones lauded Alvarado-Gil’s decision to jump ship, noting that it “takes courage to stand up to the supermajority in California, and Marie has what it takes.”
“Her record on tackling crime, protecting communities from sexually violent predators, and prioritizing her constituents speaks for itself,” he said.
I’m never going to be mad at a Democrat for becoming a Republican. People can be suspicious of the motivations, but if GOP is going to pick up seats in California, we need more than just one state senator to switch. We need millions of Californians. Good news is it has been…
— Joe Patterson (@Patterdude) August 9, 2024
Republican Assemblyman Joe Patterson tweeted, “I’m never going to be mad at a Democrat for becoming a Republican. People may question the motives, but if [the] GOP is going to pick up seats in California, we need more than just one state senator to switch.”
Do you believe this “lizard man” cocksucker?
What happens to the homeless once their encampment are removed? Does the state move them into $400/night hotel rooms?
Newsome reminds me of a slimy used care salesman. I wouldn’t trust him to be a garbage collector.