California’s crime rate has increased alarmingly in the last year. District attorneys who are soft on crime refuse to admit that their efforts to coddle violent, repeat criminals do not work. The armed robbery that took place on Saturday, targeting a Secret Service agent working for President Biden, is an excellent example.
The emails between Newsom’s staff and the California District Attorney’s Association obtained by CBS California Monday will make you question whether the Democrat Governor in California, Gavin Newsom, cares about families’ safety in his state.
Newsom, despite his denials, has presidential ambitions and is making these efforts to look like he’s trying to fix the issue. Along with then-San Francisco district attorney George Gascon, he was the architect of 2014’s Prop 47 which caused the problem. Newsom cannot support efforts to repeal or repair Prop 47 without admitting that his brilliant ideas failed.
He does everything in his power to stop The Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, recently approved by the voters for November 2024 and aimed at fixing Prop 47.
Newsom’s Administration and the Democrat Supermajority leaders in Sacramento have drafted a number of alleged public-safety bills that are currently going through legislative procedures with the aim of confusing voters so they think the initiative isn’t needed.
Steve Maviglio is a Democratic strategist who said that while this tactic may not be popular, it can work if Democrats fear that the ballot measure will lead to mass imprisonment.
Maviglio said that a “poison pill” is a piece of legislation that is designed to make voters confused and vote against it.
If the Fix Prop 47 initiative passes, any legislation passed this year could be reversed by voters next year when Democrats hold a comfortable majority. Newsom would have a permanent public L if it passes.
Newsom can usually intimidate the supermajority into doing his bidding. There are too many Democrats who could lose their seats if he does not take action to improve public safety. The daily news reports about violent criminals repeating their crimes help to reinforce this.
Newsom has to scramble for a Plan B. The weekend’s failure of his attempt to “work” together with the California District Attorneys Association to get their support for a legislative proposal and then drop the ballot initiative was a colossal blow. Dana Williamson, Newsom’s chief of staff, then resorted to a series of bullying and thuggery emails.
Totten responds to Newsom’s proposals and points out that they do nothing. Nothing.
This proposal fails to address the reforms proposed in the ballot initiative. This is particularly true in the case of retail theft. The proposal does not address the issues of repeated theft, excessive taking, or aggregation.
Totten suggests that the two parties collaborate on a ballot initiative to save millions of dollars in campaign costs. Williamson is reminded that his ballot measure has already qualified for the ballot.
Other people have said that they might be willing to consider an ballot measure in 2024 that would address the crisis posed by retail theft and the fentanyl epidemic. I have informed the members of my committee as well as the other representatives of law enforcement. I am sure they will take part.
This ballot measure is intended to offer compassionate and holistic solutions for the drug, theft and Fentanyl crises plaguing California.
Williamson tried to arrange a meeting over the weekend (Father’s Day Weekend) because language needed to be added before Monday to meet deadlines. However, he refuses to do anything other than promise Newsom that a joint ballot measure will be acceptable in 2026.
Totten replies that public safety cannot wait another two years. Then he says:
If you do not want to meet, we accept your decision.
Keep in mind that Newsom is not used to rejection. Williamson responds (at 1015 PM on a Saturday night, make your assumptions about the mental state of those who are awake at that hour):
If this is your opinion, I’m with you. It’s hard to find anything to say. Your consultants haven’t won in over 10 years.
She immediately followed with:
It is rude to agree to meet, but then not show up.
Nobody wants to work for me.
Although we are aware that bullying and thuggery is common, it’s still shocking to see it published. Williamson made several sexist comments towards her colleagues. She deleted her Twitter after tweets were made about Lorena Gonzales of the California Labor Federation, and Rep. Kevin Kiley of R-CA.
Finally got ahold of a screenshot from Gavin Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson’s Twitter account on Nov 30, shortly before she deleted her account @danawill2023. So was it the insult tweeted at @LorenaSGonzalez, or the insult of @KevinKileyCA that forced her hand? pic.twitter.com/RMDenWIhVF
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) December 4, 2023
Williamson’s words were taken to heart on Monday when “poison pills” were added to pending public safety bills, often against the will of the bill sponsors and authors. The amended bills are scheduled for hearing by a Sacramento committee on Tuesday while Democrats in Sacramento flee from the sinking ship.
Totten told CBS that the email was a message from Totten.
“I am not going to comment on the negotiations surrounding the ballot initiative, but we had one single goal when we pursued the ballot measure. The ballot measure was introduced to counter the unintended consequences of Proposition 47, which have led to an increase in retail thefts and fentanyl trafficking. Overdose deaths are also on the rise. ”
Newsom’s office has stated:
We regularly engage with stakeholders from across the political spectrum. It appears that their decision was based on a view that didn’t reflect the consensus in their coalition.
Could this be the reason Newsom’s government prefers non-disclosure agreements when crafting legislation?