Governor Gavin Newsom has finally said the quiet part out loud: he’s running for president. For anyone paying attention, this isn’t news, it’s confirmation.

While he’s been busy building a national brand and rehearsing for debates that haven’t yet been scheduled, California has been left to manage the wreckage of his failed policies.

The governor continues to tout the so-called “California Way” as a model for the nation. But let’s be honest. If this is the model, America should run the other way.

Behind the glossy sound bites and slick campaign videos lies a state that’s increasingly unlivable for working families.

Only 15% of Californians can afford to buy a home. If you can scrape together a down payment, good luck finding affordable insurance, as major insurers are fleeing the state.

Gas prices remain the highest in the nation, electricity bills higher than nearly every other state, and more than 7,000 Californians lost their lives to fentanyl overdoses in 2023, more than in any other state.

These are not signs of success. They’re signs of systemic failure.

California was once the land of opportunity, the place where anyone could chase the........

© Santa Clarita Valley Signal