From Surplus to Crisis: California’s Decline Under the ABC Governor

Gavin Newsom has officially earned a nickname that’s sticking.
The ABC Governor. Anywhere But California.

While California wrestles with collapsing trust, runaway spending, and unresolved crises, its governor appears more focused on the global stage than the state that elected him. From international forums to elite summits, Newsom seems eager to weigh in on everything except the job directly in front of him.

Let’s be clear. This is not about travel alone. Governors travel. Presidents travel. That’s not the issue.

The issue is priority.

From Surplus to Deficit

California went from a $100 billion surplus to a $30 billion deficit in a remarkably short time. That kind of reversal does not happen quietly, and it certainly does not happen without decisions being made at the top.

Yet instead of confronting how this happened, Californians are met with silence. No clear explanation. No public reckoning. No ownership.

Leadership is not about borrowing someone else’s political style or chasing national headlines. Leadership is about accountability when the numbers stop adding up.

$24 Billion Spent. Crisis Worse Than Ever.

Over the last five years, California spent $24 billion on homelessness. Today, the state has the largest homeless population in the country.

That outcome alone demands serious questions.

Then came the arrest. A man was taken into custody for allegedly stealing over $23 million that was supposed to help the homeless. Money meant for tents, shelters, services, and treatment. Money that vanished while the problem grew.

Has the governor addressed this directly?
No.

No emergency press conference.
No hard questions.
No visible urgency.

Minnesota Gets a Response. California Gets Silence.

Contrast that with Newsom’s response to unrest in Minnesota. When federal officers confronted rioters there, Newsom had time to publicly attack them. He found his voice quickly. Loudly. Decisively.

But when it comes to billions lost at home, systemic failures in homelessness programs, or alleged theft of public funds in California, that same energy disappears.

That contrast tells you everything you need to know.

Global Posturing. Local Silence.

Newsom appears far more comfortable positioning himself as a national or global figure than governing a state in crisis. Traveling alongside figures like Alex Soros, appearing at events tied to the World Economic Forum, and attempting to mimic the political theater of Donald Trump, all while California’s problems compound at home.

California does not need a brand.
It does not need a performance.
It needs a governor who is present.

Anywhere But California

The ABC label sticks because it reflects what Californians are seeing in real time.

A governor who comments on everything.
A governor who campaigns everywhere.
A governor who avoids answering the hardest questions at home.

Until those questions are answered, the title remains.

Anywhere But California.