Some questions about California’s liberal reputation

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In its collective wisdom, the East Coast newspaper decided that Gov. Gavin Newsom used his veto power to keep California from embarrassing Kamala Harris. For Democrat Harris to win the presidency, so the theory goes, it was important that her home state steer clear of its reputation as home to a bunch of pointy-headed liberals.

And so it was that Newsom vetoed bills that would have regulated artificial intelligence, handed out condoms in high schools and placed warning labels on gas stoves.

“Newsom tacks to the middle with California in the spotlight,” declared the New York Times, discounting the liberal bills Newsom did sign.

Far be it from me to question the wisdom of people who work at the New York Times and other temples of penetrating analysis, but some might say Newsom decided some of these measures were nothing more than examples of government overreach.

Newsom, after all, is the owner of successful businesses. He is aware of government’s capacity to get in the way of success.

“Mr. Newsom, a business owner, often governs more from the middle than his critics acknowledge,” admitted the Times.

Also, whatever the outcome of these bills, it’s not as if conservative politicians and right-wing news outlets were going to go easy on California. They’ve got their narrative in place, and they’re not letting go.

You know how this goes: When they aren’t smoking dope or waxing their surfboards, those flaky California liberals are plotting to destroy the country. End of story.

Does California deserve its liberal reputation?

Compared to Ohio or Mississippi, it probably does. Most Californians think women should be able to make their own health care decisions and government should do something about the human-fueled climate changes contributing to the catastrophic weather events in the southeastern United States.

Is California the hell on earth portrayed by its critics? Be serious. There are critics who vacation in California when they think no one is looking.

As liberal states go, California won’t be getting perfect scores.

Most people agree, for example, that the state’s system of taxation is a mess.

Local governments remain dependent on a regressive sales tax, paying their bills by taxing the school shoes purchased by low-income families.

Meanwhile, Proposition 13 remains untouchable, despite its built-in inequity and its place in the conservative pantheon.

Californians who move to Texas express surprise — and not in good way — about the property taxes they’re obliged to pay there. (The financial website WalletHub reported that a median-income family in Texas pays more in local taxes than a median-income family in California.)

It remains that no one expects those so-called California liberals to reform the sales tax or Proposition 13 anytime soon. It’s not happening because legislative Democrats know there would be hell to pay if they tried.

Attacks on California are most effective, of course, among people who are either (a) envious or (b) have no idea what California is like.

If they know that California is home to the fifth-largest economy on Earth and more Fortune 500 companies than any other state, they’re not letting on. (There’s a reason conservative politicians parachute into California to raise campaign money.)

If they know California leads the nation in farm production and encompasses some of the most beautiful places on Earth — mountains, beaches, deserts, redwood forests and vineyard valleys — they’re keeping it to themselves.

When Republican candidate Donald Trump says, “We cannot allow comrade Kamala Harris and the communist left to do to America what they did to California,” we’re left to ask, is he kidding? We are talking about the home of Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Wine Country, Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles and (name your favorite place here).

People want to live in California. If they didn’t, housing wouldn’t be as expensive as it is.

Housing is where state and local governments are most deserving of criticism. Notwithstanding their recent efforts, governments have been slow to do what they can to advance new construction.

As a result, young workers are leaving California because they can’t afford the price of housing, and many cities are struggling to deal with the number of people living on the streets.

The promise of California always began with a job and a place to live. Now it’s in doubt, not because of liberal ideology but because people can be shortsighted and selfish.

The state’s shortcomings speak to a generation slow to recognize that every generation carries the responsibility to share its good fortune with those who come later.

California was always imperfect, but it remains a state blessed with energy, a spirit of innovation and a gentle climate.

People who want to live elsewhere are free to go. There’s always Ohio or Mississippi.

Me? I’ll take California, hoping for a return of the attitudes that made California the place everyone wanted to live — the place where dreams and imagination provided a doorway to the future.

Pete Golis is a columnist for The Press Democrat. Email him at golispd@gmail.com.

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.

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