Senator Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach) has released the following statement in reaction to Governor Newsom’s final State of the State address:
“Was that a State of the State address, or the opening act of a campaign speech? Californians want honesty and accountability, not more rhetoric from a governor with a failing record of leadership.
“First and foremost, public safety must be the top priority. That means fully funding Proposition 36 to restore the rule of law and make crime illegal again in California.
“Sacramento must stop wasting money. Families are struggling with soaring electricity costs, the rising cost of living, and high gas prices. The governor should call a special session to tackle gas prices immediately, and the Legislature should tighten its belt. Start by scrapping costly projects, like the high-speed rail. It’s an embarrassment that after years of missed deadlines and massive overruns, not a single track is connected.
“The governor also touted a decline in homelessness under his leadership, but that claim doesn’t hold up. After spending tens of billions of taxpayer dollars, the reduction is minimal at best and hardly a return on investment Californians can be proud of. When I served as mayor of Huntington Beach, we reduced homelessness by 45% through accountability, enforcement, and real solutions. California doesn’t have a money problem with homelessness. It has a leadership problem.
“And hanging over all of this is an $18 billion budget deficit. Californians deserve to know how the governor plans to address it, without raising taxes or driving more families and jobs out of the state.
“California has real challenges, and we need a real leader who will deliver real results.”