COVID-19 mask. (Photo: Wikipedia)
State Scientists Say Gov. Newsom Isn’t Using Science in Lockdown Decisions
‘The Governor’s continued disrespect and blatant science-based hypocrisy has far reaching implications’
By Katy Grimes, January 8, 2021 10:52 am
The State of California employs more than 4,000 scientists in various agencies: Department of Public Health, CalEPA, Dept. of Natural Resources, and many more. However, the Globe interviewed some of these scientists after learning that Governor Gavin Newsom has not consulted with them throughout the nine-month duration of the coronavirus lockdown.
“What we do in the state is protect public health,” one scientist said. “We keep food, water, and buildings safe. And as scientists, we don’t often speak up.”
The scientists agreed to talk with the Globe anonymously out of fear of retaliation from Governor Newsom or his staff.
“We are toxicologists, epidemiologists, and trained problem solvers. But we haven’t been engaged.”
The scientists said what Gov. Newsom has done by not using science to make his decisions, is undermining public confidence in science. “Next time we have a science crisis, the public won’t have confidence,” they explained.
They also want to know what science is being applied in the governor’s COVID decisions. They expressed frustration and dismay that the California media is not questioning the science Newsom claims he is using.
The scientists contacted the Globe after reading our article about Public Health ‘Science’ Destroying California, saying they are likely very unusual allies. “That’s because I actually am a scientist that works for the state and I think the answer to the question you pose of ‘why do California residents distrust the information’ is relatively simple: Newsom and officials are not making science-based decisions,” they wrote in an email. “In fact, Newsom has explicitly chosen to ignore his own scientists, they said. “The California Association of Professional Scientists (of which we are members) offered to work with him and his staff early in the pandemic.”
“In response to our offer, we received only silence.”
Pay Inequities not addressed
They say this is not the first time Newsom has turned a blind eye to science. According to the scientists, California has been struggling to recruit and retain scientists because the State refuses to pay its scientists a fair and competitive wage. “There are about 4,000 of us across the state and while many of us do the exact same job as our engineering coworkers, we make about 50% less. Even after a lawsuit made clear that like work requires like pay, this administration is still ignoring this egregious issue and is violating its own government codes.”
“Many would-be career state scientists take federal, county, or city jobs instead, given the disrespect this administration has shown us,” they said. “This, more than anything, is compromising Newsom’s ability to make informed leadership choices. And, thus, the public trust in not only Newsom, but also science, is being eroded. This of course is compounded by Newsom’s own unwillingness to listen to the army of experts he has at his disposal.”
The Legislative Analyst’s Office issued a report about the pay inequities which concludes: “We advise the Legislature to monitor these changes in salaries and try to maintain appropriate differentials between rank-and-file and managerial classifications.”
Sound science would not have produced the outcome today in California
The scientists said the empirical process, and information gathering is what they do every day. “We should be aware of the data and science the governor claims to be using,” they said. “Science is difficult and takes time. We get the feeling that it’s almost as if science can’t work with Gov. Newsom’s time frame.”
“We pay attention to what he does, not what he says,” they said. “Sound science would not have produced the outcome today in California, or at least effectively communicated with the public, what exactly was needed.”
The scientists say they tried to make noise about this, “but everyone was told to stay in their own lane.”
“The big question on everybody’s mind is, ‘is Governor Newsom willing to change course and invest the time and resources into science that are necessary to produce a better outcome for California?'” they said.
“Newsom says science is his priority, but we were nowhere involved,” the scientists explained. “The Governor’s continued disrespect and blatant science-based hypocrisy has far reaching implications. Namely the health and safety of not only California’s citizens, but also its food supply and natural resources.”
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July 18, 2020
Damn right we’re not going to “trust the science” ever again. Or the scientists. Or the doctors. Or the nurses. And especially the politicians.
The “science” allowed Newsom to impose a totalitarian government. Science like all other liberal causes like free speech will be discarded for raw power now that they think they have no restraints. Welcome to communist red Kalifornia.
Thank you again Katy. With articles like this we learn more and more what Newsom is all about. http://www.recallgavin2020.com
Excellent article!
I hope the candidates for governor reach out to this California Association of Professional Scientists, and vice versa, for their position on public health. It sounds like this Association has members in a wide range of fields that could actually offer a holistic approach to future crises. I feel the current approach governments are taking regarding public health, especially California, are too narrowly focused, and can only be hailed as “successful” by turning a blind eye to the collateral damage. The cost is too high. People need to know huge swaths of science are being downright suppressed by the government, media, and big tech to the detriment of the public health.
The same Newsome science book that says “ If my Aunt had balls she could still be my Uncle”
I have yet to put on a mask or social distance. I can read, I trust the doctors that have no monetary incentive covid is nothing more than the flu in fact the “flu” disappeared this year…..IF WE STOOD together and everyone took off their masks it would end in one day, store won’t let you in without a mask? If everyone said no mask they would reverse course…China is HERE we had the election stolen what else do we have to lose at this point?
Terrific article, Katy. Really appreciated this angle on Newsom’s phony “science” —- interviewing the State scientists readily at his disposal but completely ignored! Some of us know real science when we see it, thus know that Gavin and the Gang have been blowing smoke (and killing us) for all of these many months, but these real scientists are absolutely right that Gov Gav’s nonsense has been diluting what real science is and its purpose and importance. And has been using it for totalitarian and dictatorial purposes, as CW said above.
The scientists’ response to Katy Grimes previous article demonstrates once again how important she and The Globe are. Who else has been doing the necessary, truthful reporting on COVID (and other vital issues in CA) and thus resonating with the public and the state’s real scientists? It’s a bright spot in this darkness.
Not surprising
Physicians across the state know shelter in place is not a viable response to the virus and it does more harm than good— by a significant margin—- yet they too are generally afraid to speak up for fear of retribution. But it is time, healthy people are literally dying from business closures, and business closures do not lower hospital census.
Sure he does…
POLITICAL science…
The more this grinds on, and he constantly changes the definitions of the situation, makes me surmise that he’s being remunerated by either Sore-ass or the CCP…or both…
There is something REALLY nefarious going on here though…
As a recently retired state scientist (Senior Industrial Hygienist), I concur with the points made in this article. The entire state response has been one botched act of political panic after another. Newsom has had access to state industrial hygienists, professionals who understand how to deal with hazardous environments while developing procedures (often in close cooperation with employers) for employees to work under such conditions with negligible risk (there is no such thing as truly “safe” this side of the grave). But has he called on these safety professionals? Nope, just turning to doctors and virologists and epidemiologists. Smart folks, to be sure, but would you let them repair your transmission? They’re not trained for it, nor do they consider real-life trade-offs for their recommendations. It’s all been safety theater, with little understanding of real world conditions and the use of real-world targeted mitigation measures. One size fits all, the hell with ventilation controls or simple barriers, or effective portable isolation (i.e. fit testing and training seniors how to really wear a real filtering facepiece respirator, not a piece of untested, unproven, ill-fitting fabric) of the at-risk.
Thank you very much for your insightful comment!
Thank YOU for your journalistic integrity and unmasking (pun intended) of the failed California leadership response to the CCP virus…
The one with the 99%+ survivability rate…
Terrific comment.
We need wholesale turnover in California’s government: the legislators that went home and ceded all authority to the governor and the governor and his health secretaries who seized control and have refused to relinquish it.
We need more outspoken people like you, the authors and signatories of the Great Barrington Declaration and the people at the reopen California now conference to speak up and save this state.
Not only is Newsom not using science to help solve the Covid problem, he is ignoring population growth data in the housing problem. California population growth is just about to go negative after years of dropping. Last year growth was about 0.1%. He and the legislature are under the delusion that we need over a million new dwelling units in Southern California in the next few years. The number is closer to 150,000 from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. Not only that, there is huge push for massive apartment buildings. The Baby Boomers are looking for houses. What a mess.