Okay, here’s a breakdown of the criticisms leveled against Gavin Newsom’s policies as presented in the provided text, categorized for clarity:
1. Immigration Policy:
* “Safe adn Welcoming Border” Rhetoric: The article points out Newsom praised a “safe and welcoming border” despite potential issues.
* Medicaid Expansion: Expanding Medicaid to cover undocumented immigrants is criticized as perhaps contributing to a “border surge” and undermining the rule of law by providing benefits to those who have broken laws.
* Policy Unpopularity: The policy is described as very unpopular nationally, ranking near the bottom in a large-scale policy preference survey (only slightly more popular than abolishing prisons or police).
* Budgetary Issues: The state is suspending enrollment for new undocumented applicants due to budget shortfalls, suggesting the policy is financially unsustainable.
2. Education Policy:
* De-emphasis on Academic Rigor: California schools, under Newsom, are said to have moved away from traditional academic standards.
* Ethnic Studies curriculum:
* The initial draft of the mandated Ethnic Studies curriculum was controversial, teaching concepts like “cisheteropatriarchy” and framing capitalism as akin to white supremacy.
* Newsom quietly defunded the implementation of the curriculum without explanation.
* UC admissions & Test Scores:
* The University of California system, with Newsom-appointed regents, eliminated test scores from the application process to increase diversity.
* This decision is criticized as research suggests test scores are the least biased part of the application.
* UC San Diego has seen a notable increase in students requiring remedial math courses after this change, suggesting a decline in preparedness.
3. General Governance/Approach:
* Lack of Transparency/Explanation: The article repeatedly notes Newsom’s failure to explain his actions or the reasoning behind policy changes (e.g., defunding the Ethnic Studies curriculum, not addressing the border surge impact of Medicaid expansion).
* Moral Justification Without Practical Consideration: Newsom defends the Medicaid expansion on moral grounds (“I believe in worldwide health care”) without addressing practical consequences or public opinion.
In essence, the article portrays Newsom as a governor who prioritizes progressive ideals and policies, sometimes to the detriment of practicality, public opinion, and potentially even the quality of services (like education). It also suggests a pattern of implementing policies and then quietly reversing course or avoiding public explanation when problems arise.
