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Tags: dystopian | green | newsom
OPINION

Progressive Arrogance, Failures Set California Ablaze

wildfires in the golden state of the united states

The remains of a scorched structure amidst the rubble in Malibu, California: Jan. 12, 2025. The California wildfires have collectively scorched nearly 38,000 acres, with Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., describing them as among the most severe in U.S. history, and damages projected to exceed $135 billion. (Sahab Zaribaf/Middle East Images via AFP via Getty Images)

Judd Dunning By Thursday, 23 January 2025 11:41 AM EST Current | Bio | Archive

Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., possesses political ambitions shining brighter than the fires consuming the Golden State.

Mr. Newsom epitomizes everything wrong with progressive governance.

Once again California's 40th chief executive passed the buck, as historic wildfires ravage the Golden State.

Newsom’s response to these catastrophes would make professional escape artists jealous.

On a recent appearance on the podcast "Pod Save America," Newsom audaciously claimed he wasn’t "getting straight answers" from local leaders.

This means, the man who has held the reins of power for years somehow believes the crisis is everyone else’s fault.

Seemingly ever the opportunist, Gavin is a master of distraction.

Why address California’s crumbling infrastructure, failed energy policies and regulatory overreach when you can point fingers instead?

California’s wildfires are not a freak accident.

They are a predictable result of decades of progressive mismanagement, pseudo-green virtue signaling, and bureaucratic red tape.

Newsom has doubled down on these policies in his quest to transform California into his dystopian utopia.

His governorship remains a case study in misplaced priorities.

His California has become the shining jewel of progressive failure.

Skyrocketing homelessness, mass exoduses of businesses, and decaying public safety are Newsom’s legacy.

California’s woes are particularly damning regarding wildfires.

California’s forest management processes are neither golden, or green.

California is home to nearly 33 million acres of forest, yet state policies discourage responsible logging, thinning, and controlled burns.

Newsom and his ilk prefer to appease radical environmentalists who insist on "letting nature take its course."

Spoiler alert: nature doesn’t negotiate with climate platitudes.

As fires rage through once-thriving communities, remember Newsom’s infamous budgetary sleight of hand.

Despite boasting about billions earmarked for wildfire prevention, a 2021 investigation revealed that he overstated fire prevention efforts by 690%.

His administration claimed credit for projects that were either unfinished or non-existent. Newsom spent precious state resources fighting oil drilling instead of addressing the ticking time bomb in his forests.

Newsom’s disastrous reign is most visible in Los Angeles, a city choking on its own liberal policies run amok.

The so-called "City of Angels" is now a fiery hellscape.

Newsom’s environmental regulations have left the state’s power grid in shambles, unable to handle numerous volatile weather events.

Rolling blackouts and skyrocketing energy costs are the new normal, yet Newsom’s solution is to pour billions into green energy initiatives that can’t keep the lights on.

Nero’s equal and sequel, Newsom fiddles with climate nonsense as California burns.

Newsom’s true talent lies not in governance, but in spinning disaster into political capital.

His latest tactic is to blame climate change for everything, a convenient scapegoat that absolves him of responsibility.

"We’re in a climate emergency," he declared, as if global temperatures are the sole reason why California’s forests are kindling waiting to ignite.

Newsom ironically preaches about carbon neutrality while his policies actively exacerbate the crisis. California’s overregulation has driven businesses and jobs out of the state, leaving fewer resources for essential services like fire prevention.

His administration’s hostility to private industry means less innovation in wildfire management and more reliance on bloated state agencies that can’t get the job done.

As I wrote in my Newsmax piece "American Brexit Would Halt Growing Globalist Elite Class," "Progressivism isn’t about solving problems — it’s about signaling virtue while the rest of us pay the price." Newsom embodies this ethos. He prioritizes appearances over outcomes, speeches over solutions, and self-promotion over public service.

Beyond a natural disaster, California’s wildfire crisis is a man-made catastrophe fueled by progressive arrogance. The solution isn’t more empty promises from Sacramento, but a return to common sense.

California must restore responsible logging, thinning, and controlled burns to reduce fuel for wildfires. California needs to overhaul the state’s power grid to ensure reliability during extreme weather events. California has to demand transparency from state leaders who misrepresent their accomplishments and divert funds from essential projects.

In “No Second Amendment Would Render Us Powerless,” I wrote, “Power belongs to those who are willing to take responsibility for it.” Newsom consistently fails to take responsibility for crises under his watch, choosing instead to blame climate change, local leaders, or anyone but himself.

Newsom’s failures should serve as a warning to the rest of America. His policies are a blueprint for disaster, a roadmap to ruin that prioritizes ideology over practicality. As California burns, the rest of America should note what happens when progressive elites run amok.

Newsom has presidential aspirations, but his record is a perfect campaign ad for conservative reform. The fires engulfing California are symbolic of everything wrong with liberal governance.

Newsom is his own story’s villain, but millions of Californians tragically pay the price for his hubris. It’s time to extinguish the flames of progressive failure and rebuild a state that puts its citizens before its politicians.

A host of "Unapologetic with Judd Dunning" on KABC AM790, and host of his own show "Unapologetic with Judd Dunning", Judd Dunning, is a political author, host, pundit and producer. He has created and hosted a multitude of political media projects. Judd is a Newsmax regular guest commentator. As an author, he wrote the bestselling Humanix/Newsmax Book "13 1/2 Reasons Why NOT To Be A Liberal: And How to Enlighten Others." He's presently in the production of his next book, "13 ½ Reasons to Love America: How to Stop the Angry Woke Left and Preserve the America We Love." He is represented by Karen Gantz Literary Management (www.karengantzliterarymanagement.com) and for radio & Public relations by Sandy Frazier (www.SandyPundits.com) — More Here.

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JuddDunning
California’s forest management processes are neither golden or green. California is home to nearly 33 million acres of forest, yet state policies discourage responsible logging, thinning, and controlled burns. Nature doesn’t negotiate with climate platitudes.
dystopian, green, newsom
918
2025-41-23
Thursday, 23 January 2025 11:41 AM
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