Gov. Gavin Newsom walks through a homeless camp with a garbage bag.
Just as California’s homelessness crisis and retail crime become central focuses of the presidential race, with Kamala Harris’s record as attorney general and district attorney being grossly mischaracterized, Gov. Gavin Newsom is delivering an old-fashioned crackdown.
The timing is almost certainly coincidental. Like Harris, Newsom has never been particularly soft on crime. As mayor of San Francisco, he initiated controversial policies to deal with the proliferation of unhoused individuals living on his city’s streets.
The governor’s executive order two weeks ago, compelling state agencies to clear homeless encampments on state property and encouraging counties and municipalities to do the same, was consistent with positions that he’s held throughout his career.
The first sentence of the press release that accompanied the governor’s order stated that Newsom was “directing state agencies to urgently address homeless encampments with dignity and compassion.” As Chris Neklason points out below, Newsom has spent years laying the groundwork—and marshaling the money—to make such “compassionate coercion” possible.
‘Compassionate Coercion’ and Public Safety
Elected officials need to balance the competing needs of a variety of constituents. In two historic moves over the past several weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California legislature have enacted moves that have drawn harsh criticism from some civil-liberties groups, with California’s lawmakers advocating for individuals and businesses demanding civil order.
“I’m here on behalf of 40 million Californians who are fed up,” Newsom said of the camping ban, adding, “I’m one of them. I want to see results.” Tough talk that might seem like a political ploy if there was not a raft of recent legislation to back it up—and protect the vulnerable folks who will be affected.
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