In A State

I have heard it said that the State of California under Gov. Gavin Newsom has been in a state of emergency since he declared it during COVID. Though I am not a Newsom fan, I questioned the statement. This is what I found on CalOES, the official website of the State of California: “Issuance: Within 10 days after the actual occurrence of a disaster if assistance will be requested through CDAA (Govt. Code section 8685.2). Ratification: If issued by official designated by ordinance, must be ratified by governing body within 7 days (Govt. Code section 8630(b)). Renewal: Reviewed at least once every 60 days by the governing body until terminated (Govt. Code section 8630(c)). Termination: At the earliest possible date that conditions warrant (Govt. Code section 8630(d)).”

I did learn that the state of emergency that was issued during COVID extended to Feb. 28, 2023. From what I understand, this was so the governor could take actions that were directly related to the pandemic; for example, issuing mask mandates, stay-at-home orders, etc. It also enabled access to federal financial and product resources to battle COVID-19. 

According to CalOES, in addition to specific locations (Santa Cruz, Los Angeles and Ventura counties, for example) there is only one open statewide emergency proclamation as of April 14. This is a statewide proclamation on March 1 titled Wildfire Prevention Projects. 

I was also curious as to what exactly happens when a state of emergency is declared. What I read on CalOES, “The purpose of a local emergency proclamation is to provide extraordinary police powers; immunity for emergency actions; authorize issuance of orders and regulations; activate pre-established emergency provisions; and is a prerequisite for requesting state or federal assistance.”

I also poked around the governor’s website (https://www.gov.ca.gov/priorities-and-progress/priorities/) regarding the state’s (and governor’s) priorities. These include “tackling homelessness and building more housing.” Hmmm – this is in addition to the estimated $20 billion to $37 billion spent on addressing homelessness since 2019. Hey, I’ve got an idea! Why not tap into the money set aside for the high speed rail? That boondoggle has projections of an estimated $89 to $128 billion to complete! And the “beloved” Merced-to-Bakersfield segment alone has an estimated financial gap of at least $6.5 billion. I understand that $4 billion in federal money is earmarked for the project and the $6.5 funding gap takes that amount into consideration.

If indeed California is facing a financial deficit (estimated by the Legislative Analyst’s Office at $73 billion and $38 billion by the governor’s office) then let’s can that debacle, which was supposed to be completed in 2020 at a cost of about $33 billion. Remember way back in 2008 voters approved a $10 billion bond to complete this mess. Well, it’s far from being completed – and Californians are left to ponder who will pay the bill.