Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif). He can spout platitudes full of buzzwords and government-speak, and he can bloodlessly lock down Californians while lying about the latest emergent pandemic. But that doesn’t equate to intelligence or smarts.
It’s just another example of his clueless default to authoritarianism as his leadership style of choice. And his latest antics inform his subjects why their cutthroat, thin-skinned governor locked down the state and then blithely went to dinner at the French Laundry.
Newsom was part of a health care panel via Zoom recently and regaled his fellow Democrats with a story about going to a nearby Target store where he spent $380 on a bunch of stuff.
Watch and see if you can spot where the arrogant governor’s story took a wrong turn.
In a Zoom call about a mental health proposition, Gov. Gavin Newsom says he was at a Target and saw someone walk out without paying.
He asked a worker why the person steals and they blamed the Governor before looking at him twice and recognizing him.
“I was like, why I am… pic.twitter.com/zpLFtNwiSZ
— Gabriel Lorenzo Greschler (@ggreschler) January 31, 2024
Newsom was purchasing his $380 worth of merchandise when the clerk noticed a thief, with his arms full of stolen merchandise, had dropped an item. Newsom said the clerk told the thief, “sir, you dropped this.” The thief rushed back to get the stolen item.
Newsom claims to have been surprised by the scene. “As we’re checking out, the woman says, ‘Oh, he’s just walking out. He’s not paying for them.'” Newsom told her, “Why aren’t you stopping him? And she goes ‘the governor.’ Swear to God, true story.”
The clerk then supposedly told him, “The governor lowered the threshold, there’s no accountability.” He replied, “That’s just not true.” He then explained to the clerk that a thief can steal $950 worth of merchandise without committing a felony “and that’s the tenth toughest [law] in America.” He repeated the claim to her again because he thinks saying it twice will make this point land better. “She didn’t even know what I was talking about,” he exclaimed.
Well, maybe she doesn’t “know” because in real life where the rest of us live, there are entire branches of stores closing down in San Francisco, for example, that have so much organized retail theft they leave. Maybe he doesn’t “know” that the state’s law enforcement is letting criminals out of jail at record rates while importing more criminals from across an open border.
Maybe he doesn’t “know” that the cost of retail theft to every individual in America is $500 a year. Maybe he doesn’t “know” that if the clerk stops someone he or she can 1) get fired or 2) get sued if the perp gets hurt because criminals get more support from District Attorneys than victims do.
This is Gavins California. Stores looted in broad daylight pic.twitter.com/EbtUN3tQoS
— Red_Headed_Rebel (@SJurach) January 31, 2024
Then he said the clerk blamed “the governor” again for why they could do nothing about the massive retail theft. Newsom obviously has done nothing to change the laws with his super-majority to stop this madness.
And then he says he told her, “Why am I spending $380 when everyone can walk the hell right out?”
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There was the lesson. And he missed it. The state’s mayors on the Zoom call guffawed and laughed along with his duncery — if we’re allowed to still use this word without getting thrown in the clink.
Instead, this is what he said happened. “She looks at me [again] and freaks out,” suddenly realizing that Newsom is the governor. “And all of a sudden she calls everyone over and wants to take a picture! And I said, “No, I’m not taking a photo. We’re having a conversation here. Where’s your manager? Why are you blaming the governor?”
And then he refused to take a photo and complained to her manager about her. Classy guy.
— Julie Hamill (@hamill_law) January 31, 2024
Newsom’s the shadow mayor of San Francisco and has learned nothing, apparently. Speaking of shadows, Newsom, the shadow Democrat presidential hopeful if/when Dementia Joe gets out, only this month even suggested new laws to crack down on “professional thieves” who are “profiting on retail theft and auto burglaries.”
But even those suggestions don’t change Measure 47 which, along with Measure 57 and AB 105, caused this onslaught of crime pushed by Newsom and the Democrats and woke DA’s. Even Politico found out that Newsom’s ideas “sidestep” Measure 47.
He just talks about it but will do nothing to fix it. So yes, Gavin Newsom, we’ll blame the governor.