California Leaders’ Virtue-Signaling Is Mainly Gaslighting

California State Capitol building in Sacramento, Calif., on April 19, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Commentary

The Democratic Party has wielded a monopoly on power in Sacramento for some time and the results are obvious. One-party dominance can often lead to corruption, poor governance, and an erosion in quality of life indices. Let us count the ways how the ruling party talks a good game but delivers lousy results for Californians.

First, Gov. Gavin Newsom played up the fact that California had a large surplus in the state coffers, but then it suddenly morphed into a $30 billion deficit. Did the surplus really exist? One can only wonder. Plenty of state funds were spent ineffectively during the pandemic, and tax dollars are being wasted on a high-speed rail system that will be vastly underutilized. Excessive spending is a driver of persistent inflation.

Next, during the pandemic, several Democratic leaders, including Mr. Newsom, didn’t adhere to the edicts they forced on the public. Either the pandemic was more “pandemia” than pandemic, or they felt that they were superior to the masses and could flout their own mandates. Public policies inflicted colossal damage by shuttering businesses, houses of worship, and schools for many months.

We now know that the narrative of mask, lockdown, and vaccine effectiveness was dead wrong. Primarily, folks with comorbidities and the elderly needed care and protection. The COVID narrative was merely gaslighting from a nanny state that craves ultimate power over the people it is supposed to serve.

On Sept. 10, on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mr. Newsom said “we’re all geniuses now” in hindsight, and “I think we would’ve done everything differently” regarding COVID. But he failed to explain why some states made better choices while California did not. How will he know which choices to make next time?

Third, Mr. Newsom has put forth a proposal to alter the Second Amendment with a redundant 28th amendment to the Constitution. He claims that this new amendment would save lives by extending the age to purchase a firearm to 21, require a minimum waiting period, and improve background checks.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Sacramento on Feb. 1 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

This proposal likely will be a non-starter because the second amendment is time tested, and criminals don’t abide by gun laws. They either steal guns or buy them on the black market. Newsom ought to stick to crime prevention by supporting law enforcement. Once again, more gaslighting from a politician whose salary is paid with your tax dollars.

Fourth, several state leaders have tried to force school boards to implement a distorted Marxist version of American history into the public schools. They have also arm-twisted school districts to add transgender concepts into the health and science curricula, all in the name of protecting children.

This unscientific charade sows confusion among impressionable boys and girls by magnifying transgenderism and doling out diabolical advice that can cause irreversible suffering. This unscrupulous child abuse and coercion defies moral law and the biological laws of nature. Consequently, it is an example of gaslighting on steroids.

Moreover, some politicians and school board members treat parents as lepers when they question woke policies in public schools. Free speech is criminalized while actual criminal behavior receives a wrist slap. Parents with common sense and truth on their side are treated as extreme, while Orwellian policies are normalized. With rampant absenteeism and underwater student test scores, can schools afford to waste time by force-feeding Marxist theories into vulnerable young minds?

Parents in support of the Temecula Valley Unified school board's decision to terminate the district’s superintendent amid controversy surrounding critical race theory and other school curriculum attend a board meeting in Temecula, Calif., on June 13, 2023. Micaela Ricaforte/The Epoch Times

Fifth, Mr. Newsom talks a good game regarding democracy and the rule of law in California, yet at every turn he tends to undermine freedom, prosperity, and lawfulness. Similar to George Soros-backed district attorneys, he seems to view felonies as misdemeanors and enables homelessness. Yet he and other Democrats pretend that California doesn’t have an upsurge in crime and homeless statistics. Are they tone deaf? Denying that the state has these problems won’t make them disappear no matter how much they pass the buck. This is why so many folks are fleeing the state.

Sixth, state leaders claim that they care about minorities, yet they pressure their allegiance through addictive government programs that discourage individual initiative. They also gloss over border insecurity as if it’s a figment of our imagination. Progressive mayors take pride in their “sanctuary cities” yet start whining when unlawful migrants are sent to cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco. They only change their welcome tune when unlawful immigration impacts them directly. Otherwise, it’s someone else’s problem.

Seventh, California leaders often spout great American principles yet at the same time strive to intervene in every area of our lives. They initiate endless anti-religious culture wars and cry foul when called out for their absurd schemes and glaring hypocrisy. They can’t even get their own house in order, yet constantly boast to other states how great their policies are, as if Americans can’t govern themselves.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., on May 12, 2023. Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP

Finally, these politicians speak with a forked tongue by saying one thing and doing another. Denying or glossing over serious economic, security, and social challenges doesn’t get the job done. Is this statesmanship? Genuine statesmen don’t recklessly spend other people’s money. They labor to prevent problems from unfolding instead of reacting when it’s too late.

Our representatives are supposed to serve the public interest—not their own personal aggrandizement. Statesmen don’t blame others for their own self-inflicted blunders. Unfortunately, Sacramento leaders have turned gaslighting (virtue-signaling) into a fine art while Californians pay the price. To a degree, disinformation emanating from Sacramento is similar to that of the old Soviet Union under Stalin, delineated accurately in Rod Dreher’s book, “Live Not By Lies.” The Democrats should read it.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.