I have noted that California’s Governor Gavin Newsom is being targeted for recall in the wake of increasingly unpopular and ineffective pandemic lockdown efforts.
The recall organizers have now hit the 1 million signature mark.
A grassroots recall effort against controversial California Gov. Gavin Newsom has collected more than 1 million signatures. Just nine weeks remain to get the final 500,000 signatures needed to force a Special Recall election, campaign leaders said.“The people are being heard loud and clear, and it is not a matter of IF we are going to reach our goal necessary that will trigger a recall election of Newsom, it is just when we cross the finish line,” said Orrin Heatlie, the Lead Proponent of the official RecallGavin2020.com.Heatlie called the effort a “literal steamroller and Gavin Newsom’s failed policies are being run over and flattened by the People of California who will no longer be held hostage to his dictatorial failed policies.”
Perhaps this development explains Newsom’s proposal to send stimulus checks to some Californians?
California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled plans to send additional $600 stimulus checks to low-income households in the state earlier this week, as a petition pushing for him to be recalled rallied to 1 million signatures.Releasing a statement on Wednesday as the nation’s attention was drawn to the Capitol riots, Newsom said roughly 4 million Californians would receive $600 in state stimulus funds—in addition to the $600 federal relief funds being distributed by the Internal Revenue Service.The Democratic governor also said he would extend state eviction protections and ensure federal rental assistance funds were sent to local families in need.”Through the Golden State Stimulus, Californians who have been impacted by this pandemic will get help to provide for their families and keep a roof over their heads,” Newsom said.
According to one analysis, the incident at the French Laundry led to a surge of recall signatures.
The French Laundry is a very expensive, fancy restaurant in the Napa Valley wine country where Newsom attended a lobbyist friend’s birthday dinner with several other unmasked couples. It was the kind of potential virus exposure the governor had lectured Californians to avoid.fter news coverage of the event, Newsom apologized, but said it was held outdoors. Then leaked photos showed that the dinner was held largely inside.After that, the recall signatures barreled in.“We call it ‘the French Laundry surge,’” says Republican consultant Dave Gilliard, a recall strategist.“It was just the arrogance of telling people what they have to do and then not following your own rules. People don’t like it when politicians don’t play by the same rules they’re told to. It was a huge mistake.”
I do not think a $600 check will make up for shuttered businesses, months of social isolation, or anger at political hypocrisy. However, effective vaccine distribution and a robust plan for reopening and normalcy, enacted soon, might.
The new deadline for gathering the 500,000 additional signatures needed for the recall is March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. We will see if the luck of the Irish is with Newsom or the recall activists.
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