Gavin Newsom Just Lied With A Straight Face About ‘Fixing’ California’s Fiscal Nightmare

“Really, the only way the budget proposal before you is balanced is by relying on reserves,” Ehlers said. “Under the governor’s proposal, both withdrawals from reserves, as well as suspended requirements to put money into reserves, totals $20 billion.”

That isn’t fiscal responsibility. It’s a shell game dressed up as budgeting.

Newsom raided California’s emergency reserves, suspended the rules requiring the state to replenish them, and then tried to market the result as a “balanced budget.” In the real world, if a CEO drained contingency funds and changed the accounting rules, it would be fraud.

In California politics, it earns a polished press conference and applause from the media.