Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a proposal that seeks to defund California’s police and prisons in an effort to tackle “climate change.”
Newsom proposed major budget cuts regarding public safety, such as prisons and law enforcement as the state grapples with an eye-watering deficit.
The governor is pushing for measures to defund the justice system in order to meet “climate change” goals relating to the Democrats’ Marxist “equity” agenda.
The California leader’s proposed budget notes that “difficult decisions” are necessary to address the estimated $27.6 billion deficit.
The massive deficit is projected to continue for years to come.
In order to allocate more taxpayer money to meeting Newsom’s “global warming” targets, the budget includes a $97 million cut to trial court operations.
It also slashes $10 million from the Department of Justice’s Division of Law Enforcement and more than $80 million that would have gone to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Newsom’s office initially claimed there were “no cuts to law enforcement.”
“The budget proposes numerous ways to make government more efficient and reduce costs for taxpayers, including cuts on inmate spending,” a Newsom spokesperson said in a statement.
“Since Governor Newsom took office in 2019, the state has made record investments in law enforcement, including $1.1 billion to tackle crime, support police, and hold criminals accountable.”
However, an official from the Department of Finance acknowledged a 1.6% reduction in the state’s Department of Justice’s overall proposed budget.
“What’s happening in California is just the greatest disrespect of taxpayer’s resources in the history of America,” Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy T. Patronis, said in a statement.
“They’re in a panic. They’re in a free fall.
“They’re looking for money to make up this enormous budget deficit they’ve got right now.”
Patronis argued that an exodus from California has helped fuel the budget deficit.
The Golden State experienced the largest net loss of one-way movers, according to a United Van Lines study published earlier this year.
Moreover, California’s green energy policies have caused blue-collar businesses to suffer from stagnation and decline, a Chapman University study published in April found.
Soaring home prices in California, exacerbated by environmental regulations, are also causing historically white middle-class people to join the exodus, according to the study.
Nevertheless, Newsom proposed shifting money from the general fund.
He is offering $1.7 billion to pay for radical climate goals, particularly those related to “equity programs.”
Patronis also said California’s deficit was partially due to businesses fleeing the state because of high crime.
Newsom’s proposal to cut public safety funds will only fuel the “vicious cycle,” he added.
Florida, on the other hand, has had budget surpluses.
“Ultimately, this vicious cycle where you’ve got a weaker prison system” will cause “weaker incarceration, which has been kind of the narrative that’s been coming out of California now,” Patronis said.
“San Francisco has been kind of like the poster child for businesses fleeing a once-prosperous city.”
Since the beginning of the year, there have been 8,686 thefts in San Francisco, according to the latest available crime stats.
However, this figure does not include 1,962 burglaries and 2,298 motor vehicle thefts.
This year alone, retailers such as Aldo, J.Crew, and Madewell announced they were closing their stores at the San Francisco Center.
This follows a trend of major stores that have fled the Northern California city.
Malls have been left with major vacancies, according to a report.
The North Face and Macy’s also closed down at the beginning of 2024.
Zara is also expected to follow suit in 2025.
The governor’s office pointed to violent and property crimes being down in the first quarter of this year when compared to last year.
The $80 million cut from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is intended to eliminate 4,600 beds across 13 prisons.
Newsom also proposed slashing law enforcement training and cutting $4.4 million from county probation departments.
The California State Legislature, meanwhile, is pushing against some of the proposed cuts regarding public safety, particularly a $15 million decrease from the DOJ, Department of Finance deputy director for external affairs H.D. Palmer said in a statement.
“These proposed reductions are unallocated reductions, meaning that it would be up to the department as to how they would be implemented,” Palmer said.
The legislature has until June 15 to approve the budget, which would go into effect in July.
Patronis attributed Florida’s financial success, in part, to Newsom’s failures as governor to ensure Californians feel safe.
“The one that you have to hold responsible is Gavin Newsom,” he said.
“When you create a safe environment, people want to relocate their businesses.”
“You created an environment [in California] where … you are defunding the police and defunding law enforcement,” Patronis continued.
“So look, in the state of Florida, we’ve taken advantage of their poor governance.
“We have offered incentive bonuses.
“We’ve actually recruited law enforcement officers for the state of Florida with a $5,000 recruitment bonus.
“And we have gotten law enforcement officers from all 50 states.”
Patronis also raised concerns about Newsom’s future ambitions.
“I think he would love to be president one day,” he said.
“He could just lie straight through his teeth like nobody I’ve ever seen on camera.
“I would hate to ever see somebody with that type of a deliberate mindset to be in charge of our country’s economy.”
https://slaynews.com/news/gavin-newsom-defunding-police-prisons-fight-climate-change/
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