LA Times Very Confused Why Republicans Make Fun Of California
It's no secret that California's become a punching bag for the political right, especially in the past few years.
Out of control taxes, authoritarian lockdowns, extremely high cost of living thanks to progressive policies, a massive budget deficit, and of course, the deteriorating quality of life and rapidly increasing crime and homelessness in major cities.
It's obvious to anyone making the comparisons between California and similar states like Florida and Texas that California is lagging far behind in many objective metrics. As well as subjective ones.
But the Los Angeles Times somehow remains confused as to why the conservative right criticizes the state, all while they employ far-left extremists like Michael Hiltzik who once said we should mock the deaths of "antivaxxers."
The criticisms lobbed at California, are "often overstated," says the Times. Really? So San Francisco doesn't have a map of human feces on the streets?
The real problem for the Times is that Gavin Newsom, their golden boy, saw his 20-year old, 10-year plan to solve homelessness in the state go up in an encampment street fire worth of flames. As just one example of Californian incompetence.
OAKLAND - California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a bill signing ceremony at Nido's Backyard Mexican Restaurant on February 9, 2022. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
LA Times Confusion Is About Ignoring The Failure Of Progressive Ideology
The Times quoted Alex Padilla, a state senator from Los Angeles as underscoring what they really believe is the explanation for conservative criticisms of California. And who would have ever guessed that a far-left politician would trot out their favorite deflection of all: racism!
"Above the surface it's pointing to California's policy leadership," Padilla said. "But I do think subliminally it is pointing to diversity."
"Policy leadership?" "Diversity?"
Many of the right-leaning states in the modern U.S. are incredibly diverse. Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada all have massive Latino populations, African American populations, or both. And what "policy leadership" is Padilla referring to with California?
The country's highest gas prices, created by excessive state taxes and nonsensical policies that exacerbate already high cost of living problems? Refusal to prosecute crimes due to delusional progressive prosecutors leading to massive surges in retail theft? Anti-development and anti-housing policies that lead to business and residents fleeing in record numbers?
Padilla and the Times have no other card to play but racism, because there are no policy successes to point to.
Similarly, the Times quoted the queen of California's failure: Nancy Pelosi.
"Consider the source," Pelosi said. "They don't believe in science. They don't believe in governance. They don't believe in a woman's right to choose. They don't believe in LGBTQ rights."
"They don't believe in science," coming from one of the leaders of a state that closed schools for multiple years during COVID, mandated masks in defiance of science, and is attempting to ban gas cars when there's evidence electric ones may be worse for "climate change."
"They don't believe in governance," coming from a state where lawlessness and out of control homelessness continue to degrade what were once beautiful cities. It's absurd. But absurd is what California politicians do best.
The Times and the local authorities they quote have no options; they can't admit that their policies have failed. Because they have failed, comprehensively. Over a million people left California since 2020, and most of the state's major counties are still hemorrhaging residents.
READ: California And New York Counties Losing Huge Numbers Of People To Other States
People are voting with their feet. And they're voting against California. But accepting that would mean acknowledging that progressive politics don't work. So instead, they hand wave it as racism and "anti-science." As is all too often the case, they accuse others of what they're guilty of themselves.