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‘The arsonist and the fireman’: Newsom clears out homeless camp in shameless photo op

August 9, 2024 | | Print Article

California Gov. Gavin Newsom participated in what was widely seen as a shameless photo op when he helped clear a homeless encampment in Los Angeles.

According to a 2023 Department of Housing and Urban Development report, California has the nation’s largest homeless population. This is in large part due to policies that Newsom has pushed throughout his political career.

“No more excuses. You’ve got the money, you got the flexibility, you got the green light, you got support from the state, and the public is demanding it of you,” Newsom said at the time, according to Crossroads Today. “I’m here on behalf of 40 million Californians that are fed up. I’m here because I’m one of them. I want to see results.”

Fox 11 Los Angeles reporter Matthew Seedorff shared a video of Newson clearing debris on X, adding: “California Governor @GavinNewsom is in Mission Hills, CA helping clear-out a homeless encampment. About 2 weeks ago Newsom issued an executive order telling state officials to take down homeless camps. He tells me cities need to have more urgency.”

The Democrat governor issued an executive order in July in response to the Supreme Court ruling in favor of an Oregon city that ticketed homeless people for sleeping outside, directing state agencies “to urgently address homeless encampments while respecting the dignity and safety of Californians experiencing homelessness,” according to Newsom’s office.

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Suddenly sounding much like a Republican, Newsom cited the conditions homeless people live in as a reason to shut down the sprawling encampments when he issued the executive order.

“[It is] imperative to act with urgency to address dangerous encampments, which subject unsheltered individuals living in them to extreme weather, fires, predatory and criminal activity, and widespread substance use, harming their health, safety, and well-being, and which also threaten the safety and viability of nearby businesses and neighborhoods and undermine the cleanliness and usability of parks, water supplies, and other public resources,” he said.

Keep in mind that some areas of the state provide guaranteed income to the “unhoused,” as Democrats like to call the homeless. An incentive that is sure to exacerbate the problem.

Gavin posted the following message Thursday on his official X account: “The homelessness crisis must be addressed with urgency, dignity, and compassion. The state has provided unprecedented resources for local governments to address dangerous encampments — and provide individuals with the care and services they need. No more excuses.”

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Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:

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