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.
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