Why do California’s Democrat Politicians Fear Voters?

Leaked emails from California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office proves what we’ve known all along – “Democrat politicians care more about playing politics to score points than do what’s right for the People,” Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Riverside) Tweeted Monday, following the leaked email scandal. “Newsom is so afraid of letting the People vote to fix Prop. 47 he sends his thugs to threaten supporters into smoke-filled rooms to cut a deal—no wonder he’s such a fan of NDAs. But it won’t work—we will vote to #FixProp47 on the ballot this November.”

Whoa. Essayli is talking about the voter initiative that just qualified for November’s ballot to reform Proposition 47, and make serial theft, organized serial theft, and hard drug crimes illegal again.

However, the Legislature is engaging in political gamesmanship by adding poison pill amendments to their package of retail theft bills, designed to mislead the public and sabotage the commonsense ballot measure that amends Prop. 47 to hold repeat retail theft and drug traffickers accountable.

Their bills would do very little to help drug addicts or crack down on shoplifters not part of crime syndicates.

Democrats have had 10-years since the passage of Proposition 47 to legally address the crimes Prop. 47 turned into misdemeanors from felonies, and ushered in a decade of serial retail theft, homelessness, drug trafficking, sex crimes, sex trafficking and other violent and terrible crimes. And every legislative attempt at reform was summarily killed or never even given a hearing. Democrats merely want to appear as if they are doing something about crime without passing real fixes.

Monday, it was reported that the Governor was holding secret negotiations in Sacramento as budget and ballot deadlines loom.

“The Governor’s Chief of Staff would not negotiate to strengthen a Democratic package of crime bills unless a coalition of crime victims, retailers, and law enforcement leaders would agree to postpone their ballot measure until 2026,” an email chain obtained by CBS News California Investigates reveals.

Here’s the damning story:

Democratic leadership has publicly agreed to negotiate with the initiative coalition to strengthen its package of bills.

However, based on these emails – first obtained by CBS News California – it appears negotiations have stalled and the Governor’s Office would prefer Californians not vote on reforming Prop. 47 this year.

In one email, the Governor’s Chief of Staff Dana Williamson tells the coalition’s lead negotiator, Greg Totten, that leadership is willing to negotiate on its package of crime bills, which would take effect immediately, clarifying “As far as an initiative, we are open to something in 2026.”

Totten replies, “As I noted previously, our focus is on amending Proposition 47 on the 2024 ballot.” adding, “If the administration is prepared to consider an amendment of Proposition 47 on the 2024 ballot, then we are happy to meet.”

Williamson responds, “If that’s your position then I agree, there’s nothing to talk about. She adds, “It’s really amazing how you are incapable of taking a win. And the consultants you’re working with haven’t won anything in a decade. Good luck.”

“Separately, the state Supreme Court last month heard arguments in Mr. Newsom’s lawsuit to remove the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act from the November ballot,” the Wall Street Journal reports today. “The initiative would require a majority of voters to approve taxes adopted by the Legislature. Both the Legislature and voters would have to approve regulatory action that increases state revenue. Charges for specific government services or products like fishing licenses would have to reflect the actual cost of providing the service or product. The initiative would also raise the threshold for localities to pass all special taxes to two-thirds.”

“Democrats say the initiative would harm essential services and the ability to respond to emergencies—by which they mean budget shortfalls caused by excessive spending. California faces a $45 billion deficit while many localities bleed red ink owing to ballooning pension payments.”

“Mr. Newsom last month pledged not to raise taxes, but his regulators are advancing a refinery tax and tightening climate mandates to increase revenue. The initiative would forbid this. Democrats sued to block it because they are scared of a voter revolt a la Prop. 13 in 1978, which capped property taxes and required a legislative super-majority to raise taxes.”

This is all taking place as “Less than half approve of Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California legislature, and their own legislators, a new Public Policy Institute of California poll finds,” the Globe reported Saturday.

Six in ten Californians say the state is going in the wrong direction.

Californians also disapprove of the state legislature and the legislators representing their own assembly and senate districts, with a majority of adults and likely voters disapproving and about four in ten each approving.

Close to seven in ten (68%) expect bad economic times in the next year.

Forty-two percent of Californians say that the state’s budget situation is a “big problem.” Fifty-four percent of residents favor the May revision of the governor’s state budget plan.

“Gavin Newsom is by far the most unpopular Governor in America,” California Congressman Kevin Kiley noted in a blog post. “Newsom’s approve/disapprove rating is fully 10 percent lower than any other Governor in the latest data. Among Independents, his rating is negative 34 percent; even 28 percent of Democrats disapprove. And just this week, we got a very clear demonstration why.”

The Wall Street Journal sums this mess up perfectly: “Californians are fed up with the state’s high taxes, which has bought them nothing but government dysfunction. Instead of trying to dupe and disenfranchise voters, how about listening to them?”

Democrats must have Californians living in fear in order to continue in power, or so they think. Why else would they oppose Prop. 47 reforms to effectively address the fentanyl/drug, retail theft and homeless crises?