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Lorena Gonzalez, the foul-mouthed California State legislator notorious for insulting billionaire investor Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump, in addition to destroying countless Californians’ livelihoods, is finally packing it up and taking a hike, albeit voluntarily.
The legislator, a member of the California State Assembly since 2013, announced on Monday that she intends to step down this Wednesday and begin a new job with the California Labor Federation union.
She made the announcement during a floor speech, according to San Diego station KSWB. Not noted by the station was that her speech was a complete rewrite and whitewashing of who she really is.
“As a legislator and as a labor leader, my top priority has been to create opportunities that lead to more jobs, better jobs, and better lives for working people,” she said.
“It’s been an honor to serve the people of San Diego County and the entire state as a lawmaker who tried to accomplish the most amount of good for the most amount of people.”
Yet Gonzalez has a history of profanely insulting actual job creators.
Speaking at a rally for then-presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren in February of 2020, she yelled, “F–k Donald Trump.”
Listen (*Language warning):
@LorenaAD80 needs new 👓.
Freelancers showed up a an @ewarren event w/@JulianCastro in Barrio Logan & she confused us with Trump supporters!
I mean we had BIG SIGNS saying #fixAB5 & #freedom2freelance .
She must have been quite confused cause she even yelled “F*ck Trump!” 🙈 pic.twitter.com/2fSHJdtTxL— Gloria M. Rivera (@BlueUrpi) February 24, 2020
Three months later, she tweeted something similar about Musk after he announced that he was considering relocating his company’s headquarters out of California because of the state’s business-crushing COVID restrictions.
Look:
F*ck Elon Musk.
— Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (@LorenaSGonzalez) May 10, 2020
The stunning irony of her rhetoric past and present is that, unlike Trump and Musk, she has a history of destroying jobs, not creating them.
Gonzalez is the author of California Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), a bill signed into law in 2019 that completely decimated the state’s gig economy, leaving an estimated 75,000 freelance workers, at minimum, out of a job.
According to California State Rep. Mike Garcia, the number is likely much higher.
“Initial estimates said AB5 would force as many as 75,000 people out of work. We now know that number is much higher,” he wrote for the Los Angeles Daily News in mid-2020.
Here are just a few examples of the jobs the outgoing California lawmaker’s bill destroyed:
Kathryn relied on freelance income to supplement her fixed retirement income. Now, she won’t be able to pay her bills or afford to live. #AB5 is taking its toll on retirees, single parents, students and families. #AB5stories pic.twitter.com/YpE6vZYsxj
— Andreas Borgeas (@SenatorBorgeas) February 26, 2020
#AB5stories, Mary: “I am a legal transcriptionist and lost my job with SpeakWrite almost 3 weeks ago because of #AB5. I depend on this income to supplement my Social Security benefits and help pay for my insulin as I am a diabetic and the cost of insulin is constantly rising.”
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) February 29, 2020
#AB5stories, Jan: “I’m an older woman in a small county and can’t find employment outside of online teaching jobs. One company already announced they’ll no longer contract with CA teachers. I care for a disabled husband. I’ll lose my home if I can’t work for these companies” #AB5
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) January 18, 2020
Is this how #AB5works? These are the real #AB5stories: Termination letters, contracts cancelled. We can’t let AB5 go national, we can’t even let it continue here in California. Too many industries are hurting pic.twitter.com/ot2ZBLFIPP
— Angelic Girl (@aairal) February 3, 2020
Can we stop putting women, disabled, elderly, and minorities out of work with #AB5?
Why are you hanging up on people?#Ab5stories pic.twitter.com/7yLgE9um5Q
— Faces of AB5 (#PROAct is #AB5) (@Ab5Of) March 5, 2020
Thank you for speaking up for middle class families, women, single moms, minorities, seniors, veterans, ppl w/ disabilities/invisible illnesses etc in CA who are being harmed Badly by #AB5.
Pls continue to raise awareness about our #AB5Stories ??https://t.co/mGR1GFjFX6— Jeff #AB5Hurts My Family (@beefy_jeffy) February 29, 2020
The bill essentially outlawed freelance work by making it so that any company that paid independent contractors to complete gigs (writing gigs, driving gigs, teaching gigs, etc.) had to begin treating those gig workers like full-time employees.
This meant that companies were suddenly forced to offer paid vacations, benefits and more to their contractors. Most companies couldn’t afford this, and so they made the unavoidable decision to drop their contractors.
This left an untold number of Californians without work, including even establishment press “journalists.” This, ironically, turned out to be good news. “Journalists” possess power and influence, and so once they got hit by the law, they joined the growing efforts to reform it.
I kinda hate this meme but this is too perfect
Shot / Chaser pic.twitter.com/quAPTaG3w7
— Eric Boehm (@EricBoehm87) December 17, 2019
These efforts eventually led Gonzalez to reluctantly agree to add a litany of exceptions/waivers into the bill in late 2020, including for freelance writers, photographers, videographers, doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.
While this has stymied some of the destruction, AB 5 is still reeking havoc, particularly because there are still no exemptions for truckers, even amid the current supply chain crisis.
It’s for all these reasons and more that Gonzalez’s resignation is being met with great joy from everyday Californians (*Language warning):
Exciting news! Many thousands so happy you are stepping down and your profane, community-damaging self will be out of government. You still seem committed to hurting businesses and California, which is in line with Democratic labor views. Buh bye
— Gregory Giagnocavo (@conexiant) January 5, 2022
You could best serve the people by getting a job in the private sector. It’s unfortunate that our most mediocre people can’t hack a real job so they get into political positions and hurt the people who just want the freedom to work & raise a family.
— Kevin Whisler (@DanCaswil) January 5, 2022
Getting Californian Companies to move out, one at a time. Great job…
— JoeJoeMonkey (@JoeJoeMonkey2) January 5, 2022
Bye bye bit*h
— Rich Coltharp (@malepride59) January 5, 2022
You destroyed enough
— Jake Matthews (@JakeMatthews5) January 5, 2022
As for Twitter’s blue check brigade, they’re too busy praising Gonzalez to take note of all the lives that she’s destroyed …
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