Gavin Newsom Gets His ‘Facts’ Wrong Again
Gavin Newsom must be actively trying to get things wrong.
That's the only explanation for the latest in a long series of bewildering, nonsensical claims he's made over the past few years as his record and political future deteriorates. Newsom, for example, once claimed that Ron DeSantis was actually the true lockdown governor; that he, as the leader of the most locked down state in the country, was a champion for freedom.
He also once posted a staged photo of him reading "banned books to figure out what these states are so afraid of," ignoring that some of those books were banned by school districts in his own state.
That's Newsom for you.
He's also been the governor of California for the first decline in population in the state's history. An impressive feat, considering the natural advantages the state has enjoyed for 100+ years of growth. Part of the motivation for those fleeing the state is the exceptionally high cost of living, thanks in no small part to Newsom and his party's policies. Including the high cost of electricity.
In a rare moment of adversarial press questioning, at a recent news conference, Newsom was asked about the high cost of electricity in California. And he just straight up lied.
When defending his atrocious record, he said he can "lay claim to this fact," even telling PolitiFact to check it as well. "California has lower electricity bills than states like Texas, states like Florida, that tout, or mislead you with information that, with respect, should not be in evidence."
There's just one problem: his fact is wrong.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 09: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a bill signing ceremony at Nido's Backyard Mexican Restaurant on February 09, 2022 in San Francisco, California. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to extend COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave for workers. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Gavin Newsom Gets His ‘Facts’ Wrong
Newsom's claim is factually inaccurate in every possible interpretation.
The average cost per kilowatt hour in California at 35 cents is more than double that of Florida or Texas, who are both around 14 cents. That means homeowners or landlords spend roughly 143% more than they do in those states to use the same amount of electricity. That's bad enough, but he claimed that the "bills" would be cheaper in California too. That's not true either.
According to EnergySage, the average residential electricity bill in California is $327 per month. Texas is $233 per month, Florida is $265 per month. No Gavin, bills are not lower in California either. They're 23 percent higher than Florida and over 40 percent higher than Texas. Newsom's facts were wrong. We checked.
Even if he'd been right, that the bills in California were lower than Florida or Texas, that would have nothing to do with his disastrous policies, and everything to do with the difference in climates. California has plenty of locations with high summer temperatures and cold winter temperatures, but the vast majority of its population lives in generally temperate areas near the coast.
Texas and Florida's population centers though, deal with extreme summer heat, and in some parts of Texas, significant winter cold. And their bills are still lower.
Had Newsom been accurate, which he wasn't, he'd have been trying to take credit for naturally occurring climate differences that have nothing to do with him. And ignoring that if he and his party had sane energy policies, bills in California could actually be signficantly lower than those other states.
If Californians were paying the same rate as Floridians, the average residential electricity bill would be $189 per month, compared to $265. Saving $76 per month adds up over time, but instead, Californians pay $62 per month more than Floridians. On top of paying some of the highest taxes, highest gas prices, highest home prices, and have some of the highest property tax bills, even with low rates, because of the extreme home prices.
For all that, the roads and infrastructure are poor, schools are bad, and every summer sees rolling blackouts as the state doesn't produce enough power to meet demand. Even with the highest rates.
That's Newsom's real legacy; high cost of living, poor results. And it's why he's so unpopular, even in one of the most liberal states in the country. There is one positive to his reign of incompetence though: he's so bad, Republicans are actually making voter registration gains…in California.
Thanks Newsom!