To listen to Gavin Newsom tell it, California is “not only dominating but paving the way for the future of jobs and the American economy.” If only it were true.
He continues to brush off bad press – and even worse data – that tells a much different story about the state of California. But Newsom’s repeated attempts to gaslight the public are catching up with him.
Perhaps most egregious is Newsom’s claim that his ill-advised $20 fast food minimum wage law has been a “win-win-win” for the state. He claims it’s “not only lifting up working families but also strengthening our economy. Let’s fact check that.
For months, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown job losses in our state’s fast food sector. Multiple surveys also found that fast food establishments across the state slashed workers’ hours, drastically increased prices, and even shuttered completely. The most recent report from the Berkeley Research Group shows the state lost over 10,000 jobs from June 2023 to June 2024.
Newsom has tried to defend his bad law, calling these government statistics “fake numbers.” (It’s worth noting Newsom himself has cited this same data.) Despite his denials, the data shows that workers have suffered due to his law. No amount of PR spin will pull the wool over the eyes of employees who find themselves with less hours or out of work entirely.
Unfortunately, this is far from the only time Newsom has denied the facts to better fit his own narrative. When a media storm kicked up surrounding President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Newsom jumped into the press noting that “California’s been a leader in [the government efficiency] space.” He couldn’t be further off.
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