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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Once a politician has the stench of failure on them, it’s hard to get washed clean. (And I am not talking about Joe Biden’s farewell address tonight. There is nothing that can be placed on the teleprompter in front of him that will change the public perception that his four years in office have been a disaster.)
I’m talking about California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Not only is the smell of burning rubble thick in the air, but the stench of failure is upon both of them. Governor Newsom, who is a totally political creature, realizes that his presidential ambitions are going up in smoke. Why else would he send out a national news release yesterday saying that a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth gets out of bed? The public has already decided about this story. Voters in California called for new reservoirs and water storage. Newsom dragged his feet. The state’s tanker plane fleet has been halved in a decade. It’s completely reasonable to ask why Florida, a state that is prone to hurricanes, has vastly superior levels of preparedness and response than California, which has always been prone to wildfires. One state, of course, has red leadership and no income tax; the other is deep blue and pays the highest state tax in the nation. Voters must wonder why they are subsidizing failure.
LA Mayor Karen Bass, if she was capable of shame, should resign immediately. She was on a political junket to The Ghana when the fires began. She did not expect a reporter to question her when her plane landed. She refused to speak… long 20 to 30-second moments of silence to basic questions about thoughts for the burned-out homeowners and cuts to the city fire department. She’s already lost support from the Beverly Hills crowd, who wonder aloud why they’re being soaked on their property tax bills by a city that can’t keep the fire hydrants from running dry.
Of course Gavin Newsom should be recalled. Of course Karen Bass’ political career should be over. Every time we turn on the TV, their failures are on full display. The images won’t be forgotten if their names are on the ballot again.
Chris Conley
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