Californians Pan Newsom as Crime and Homelessness Explode

Romy Varghese - 3h ago



© Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom handily beat a recall election and is presiding over a multibillion-dollar surplus, but he can’t shake the growing perception that he’s standing by as homelessness and crime plague the state.

That’s the message from a poll released Tuesday by the University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. When it comes to the Democrat’s performance overall, 47% of the state’s registered voters disapprove, up from 42% in September, when he faced a rare recall election.
Two in three voters say Newsom, a first-term governor running for re-election in November, is doing a poor or very poor job handing homelessness, and 51% say the same for crime and public safety. That’s a double-digit percentage point increase for both issues since 2020.
California has the most people experiencing homelessness among U.S. states -- 161,548, according to the latest figures -- and they have become even more visible during the pandemic with encampments lining sidewalks and parks. Video and images of smash-and-grab retail thefts have gone viral.

Video: Newsom Moves To Dismantle San Quentin Death Row, Create ‘Positive, Healing Environment’ (CBS SF Bay Area)

Newsom Moves To Dismantle San Quentin Death Row, Create ‘Positive, Healing Environment’

Last month, Newsom proposed a record $213 billion budget for the next fiscal year, with a $20.6 billion cushion he could use for any purposes. He allocated $2 billion in homelessness-related proposals, which the legislature’s nonpartisan adviser characterized as his continuing focus on “one‑time, rather than on‑going, funding” for one of the state’s most significant challenges.
See also: Flush With Cash, California Has Problems That Are No Quick Fix
“Governor Newsom has decisively guided California through historic and unprecedented crises. His actions saved lives and provided real help to families as they faced uncertainty,” Nathan Click, Newsom’s political adviser, said in a text message Tuesday. “He remains 100% focused on providing solutions to California’s most vexing challenges -- from the pandemic and climate change to homelessness and public safety.”
Newsom, 54, had the strongest ratings for his handling of Covid-19 and climate change. About as many voters gave a positive response for those issues as those who had a negative assessment.
The poll, conducted online in English and Spanish, surveyed 8,937 registered California voters Feb. 3-10.

Californians Pan Newsom as Crime and Homelessness Explode (msn.com)