Newsom Spends $20 Million in Taxpayer Dollars Buying Diapers From Family Friend
Governor Gavin Newsom wants to spend $20 million on branded diapers. Observers say the plan stinks.
Governor Gavin Newsom is facing criticism for funneling $20 million in taxpayer dollars to a family friend under the guise of giving out diapers to low-income families. The $20 million also reportedly does not cover the full costs, but the state does not have a firm plan for how to cover the gap.
On May 8, the Democratic governor and 2028 presidential hopeful announced the state had partnered with Baby2Baby to distribute 400 diapers to newborns in specific hospitals.
Hospitals with “large numbers of Medi-Cal patients” would be prioritized, the state announced, “so that low-income families benefit early from the program, with plans to scale across additional hospitals and birthing centers over time.”
But as is typical of a government program, there are not only accusations of wasteful spending but also of possible corruption.
The diapers “will be co-labeled with the state’s program name, Golden State Start, to reflect California’s commitment to bringing affordable diapers to Californians.” (Does Newsom know what diapers are used for?)
Others pointed out that Baby2Baby has close ties to Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife.
“One of its co-CEOs, Norah Weinstein, is also listed in leadership with Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s California Partners Project,” Jon Fleischman wrote at the New York Post. “That does not prove wrongdoing. It does prove how small and cozy California’s governing class has become.”
The program also comes despite other taxpayer-funded diaper programs and cheaper private-sector alternatives.
Matthew Fleming, writing at the Pacific Research Institute, points out the high cost:
There could be a worthy debate about whether the state should be in the diaper business at all, but the existing programs provide a good service at a relatively low cost and there are much bigger priorities to address.
According to the Department of Social Services, the state spent $30M over a three-year period to get approximately 144 million diapers to families in need through partner groups.
He called the new scheme an “inefficient money trap.”
This is backed up by a calculation of 50 cents per diaper – and that is trusting Newsom’s math and expecting no cost overruns for a government project. Costs for diapers at a Walmart in Los Angeles run closer to 35 cents per diaper, meanwhile.
Ok… most of you know I was in the organic baby formula business, but what you don’t know is I dabbled in diapers as well.
I also know this baby2baby “non profit” and have had past interactions with them.. I’ll leave that out for now..
Let’s dive into this absolute grifting… https://t.co/0ud0P9KtMi
— Peter B (@realpeteyb123) May 9, 2026
How much are diapers at Target compared to Gavin Newsom’s government diapers paid for by YOUR taxes?
We went to take a look: pic.twitter.com/iahLUbm1Fm
— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) May 10, 2026
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
At this point, Newsom’s governance seems guided by that refrigerator magnet game with all the random words.
What a complete putz.
He’d lose money running a Starbucks franchise. His fiscal acumen is ZERO.
He doesn’t care. Why would he?
Yeah, its completely corrupt payoff to a connected moron, and the cost of these trash-quality diapers is 5x what you pay in retail (it would literally be cheaper to just give every mother they claim to be helping $150 cash – they’d afford more diapers and the program would be cheaper!)
But it won’t matter. Democrats don’t care.
Just another grift, shoveling tax money to cronies and backers
He needs to have something new to gibs the gibsmedats.
The Dhimmi-crat Party is a well-oiled, criminal racketeering, extortion and embezzlement outfit, masquerading as a political party.
If I was a CA resident, I would be asking why my tax dollars are going for diapers in the first place. If you can’t afford a kid. don’t have one!! If you still want a kid get cloth diapers and hand wash them!
Grabbin’ needs them, because he is full of shit.
First he gave breaks to his buddy that owns a bunch of Panteras and now he wants to shovel tax dollars to a buddy that owns a designer diaper company. Sort of sound like Obama and all the money he shoveled towards his green buddies who paid themselves lavishly and essentially burned the rest. What other buddies is Newscome taking care of??
Costco and Amazon have poopcatchers for around 16-18 cents each. Wal Mart and Sams probably similar. They don’t need the big name, just adequate function. After all, diapers catch all kinds of aromatic substances a politician should be familiar with.
.
No way! Even more NGO middle men hand selected by gov’t to spend taxpayer dollars while skimming off enough to underwrite their own grift and provide a little something for campaign donations to the political class which handed them the contract.
I wonder how much of this Newsome can take before he becomes a Walz like non viable candidate for any national office.
If Newsom made even a token effort to address the indescribably massive fraud in CAs health and wealth systems, he’d have more than enough money to buy enough diapers to fill 20 landfills once they’ve served their purpose.
That was meant to be “welfare” not “wealth.” Well played spell check. Well played.
fjb also sold newsom some of his own supply
Just think, the entire country could look just like California–without the glorious weather, of course, should this degenerate run for and win the presidency. Do not get any of your hopes up that California residents will come to their senses this next election. Even if AMERICAN CITIZENS woke up after voting these fools in for so long, it’s far too late to combat ILLEGAL ALIENS, double voters, the dead, and every other corrupt way they’ve controlled and manipulated the voting system. God, help us!
Not very relevant to this topic exactly, but currently no better article on which to offer it:
It’s scary how realistic AI videos are becoming:
Vote for Karen Bass.