Don't Believe The Hype: Being Better Than Trump Or Kristi Noem Is Too Low A Bar-- Newsom Is As Bad A Leader As Cuomo Is

I only spoke with him once, but I don't like Gavin Newsom at all. He seemed very smart but utterly devoid of authenticity or even sincerity. He was trying to persuade a roomful of bloggers to back him for governor instead of Jerry Brown. I may have been the only one in the room that was revolted by his smarmy dissimulation. I haven't been impressed since.

I heard him on the radio this week. I normally wouldn't want to listen to a self-serving, overly-ambitious politician like Newsom; he makes my stomach turn. But he was on the only radio station I listen to and I was alone in my car. Halfway through his spiel, he realized he was so full of shit that he laughed at himself and said if anyone wasn't confused by what he had just said, they were being dishonest with themselves. That's because-- ever the greasy politician-- he was speaking out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand, the rebel counties-- Yuba, Sutter and Modoc-- ignoring his orders were endangering the rest of the state and on the other hand, they had the right to enact their convictions. Even he realized he sounded like an asshole.

He said "They are putting our progress at risk. These are exceptions. The overwhelming majority of Californians are playing by the rules, and doing the right thing... We believe in ready aim fire, not ready fire aim... They put those businesses at risk and the health of their communities at risk" The 3 counties are allowing dine-in restaurants, retail stores and shopping malls, gyms, hair and nail salons, barber shops, spas, massage parlors (as you may have read, the city of NYC says swallowing semen doesn't transmit COVID-19), tattoo parlors.

It seems like just a week or two ago that California was boasting that there were just 800 cases per million. As people in the Republican parts of the state realized there was no price to pay for ignoring Newsom's orders, the numbers have ticked up. By this afternoon, California had 59,698 confirmed cases and more new cases (1,073). That 800 cases per million is a long-gone figure. Yesterday it was 1,489 up from 1,433 on Monday. So far today it is 1,525. Tick, tick, tick... and Newsom is too weak and too eager to do the bidding on the corporate interests that have financed his career to standup and be the leader California requires at this moment.

He says he's partially reopening the state's retail business, probably on Friday. He says he'll allow curbside pick-up for clothing stores, bookstores, sporting goods stores and florists. Ordering online makes more sense if you can't even go in the store and browse (and he's correct in not allowing that).

Newsom said the state would also allow some counties to begin easing social distancing restrictions even further if they can prove they have the ability to institute proper sanitation practices, ensure adequate testing and tracing and provide security to those who are most vulnerable, including the homeless community, older citizens and the incarcerated.

“We will allow additional movement through phase two, and that includes the prospect of restaurants with modifications opening, hospitality more broadly opening, again, with modification,” Newsom said.

Phase three of the state’s reopening plan includes businesses such as hair and nail salons, movie theaters and events with live audiences, although the state is not at that phase yet.

Newsom’s announcement comes after San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced on April 27 that the city would extend its stay-at-home order through May.

When asked about the order, Newsom said the city has guidelines that are “a little more strict” and they have the right to not come into compliance with the state’s guidelines.

However, he said more rural parts of the state that meet the criteria set forth may want to go even further with their reopenings, which they would be allowed to do with conditions and modifications.

The 6 Bay Area counties got this right, while Newsom was still dragging his ass and doing nothing but trying to sound good. Compared to L.A. (27,815 cases), Riverside (4,454 cases), San Diego (4,020 cases) and Orange (2,873 cases) counties, the Bay Area counties that ignored Newsom's timid approach to go their own much stricter and quicker response have done much better:

• Santa Clara- 2,255
• Alameda- 1,809
• San Francisco- 1,728
• San Mateo- 1,315
• Contra Costa- 969
• Marin- 243

Thanks to Newsom's poor leadership, California is well on the way to becoming the Singapore of America-- good start quickly followed by a pathetic and tragic  downward trajectory.