Gray Davis talks coronavirus + Cannabis industry asks for help + Newsom gets a new look
Happy Monday morning, California. We hope you caught some fresh air responsibly this weekend. Keep up the curve flattening!
GABBIN’ WITH GRAY
Hannah Wiley here...
I caught up with former Gov. Gray Davis to chat a bit about the coronavirus, his role on the economic recovery task force and what he thinks of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s job handling the pandemic so far.
Interview has been edited for clarity and length.
HW: You’re part of Newsom’s new task force to reignite the economy. How’s it going so far?
GD: “From Tim Cook to Bob Iger and community activists, this is a good, bipartisan group. If every meeting produces one good idea, that would be a success. Let’s say it goes on for three or four months, seven or eight months, we could get a list of anywhere from five to 20 ideas.”
HW: Newsom has a Legislature he can rely on, along with his own advisers. Why does he need a task force?
GD: “When I was briefed by my staff or the Legislature, it was fine, but it was what Sacramento thinks. If you’re just talking to people in Sacramento, or people in government in Sacramento, you’re not getting the complete picture.”
HW: Do you think legislators concerned with not having a seat at the table right now are valid in their frustrations?
GD: “The emergency powers rest with the executive for the duration of the emergency. That’s just the nature of the process. I understand and empathize with them and they’re definitely going to be part of the process particularly as it relates to the adoptions of the budget. I think this problem will solve itself by virtue of the May 15 deadline.
HW: Speaking of those emergency powers, is there a time when that’s a dangerous way to govern?
GD: “Wisely used, the emergency powers not only solve an immediate problem, but can help people 10 to 20 years down the road. One of the problems I had was the power plant, the system was so ancient. I used the powers to not only license but put online and operate 32 plants. Those plants are now 17 years old and they are keeping the electrical grid alive today.”
HW: How’s Newsom doing so far?
GD: “Newsom has done a fantastic job at encouraging people to shelter in place, when appropriate wear masks, keep social distancing at least six feet apart. California, knock on wood, hasn’t experienced the surge. It’s possible that might happen in the future but two or three weeks ago people were saying it was going to happen for sure.”
HW: What’s to be learned of this?
GD: “It’s really an embarrassment to the whole country that our public health system is in shambles. We have no emergency supply of masks, gowns, ventilators. This is deemed to be the third coronavirus we’ve had in the last 20 years. There’s nothing in storage, the shelves are empty, there’s no real funding or emphasis on public health. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this experience and I hope we learn from them.
CANNABIS TAX RELIEF
A coalition of groups, including the California Minority Alliance, the California State Conference of the NAACP, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches and the Southern California Coalition sent a letter to Gov. Newsom, calling on him to help out the beleaguered California cannabis industry, which is being rocked by the COVID-19 emergency.
“While we understand that several pressing issues are before you and the Legislature, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, legacy cannabis operators and the legal cannabis industry are at a critical juncture,” the letter reads in part. “We are concerned about the devastating impact that the coronavirus will have on our state’s legal cannabis businesses and our social equity efforts. While we applaud you for deeming cannabis businesses as essential, our industry and its social equity license holders and applicants are only seeing the illicit market thrive under the shelter in place orders.”
The letter calls for tax relief to help the struggling licensed market, which includes many social equity licensees, compete against the illicit market.
“Our argument is that these programs are basically set up to fail if these businesses can’t compete against their illicit competition,” said Adam Spiker, of the Southern California Coalition.
NEWSOM BOBBLEHEAD
And finally, Gov. Newsom is being “honored” with his very own bobblehead.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, recently unveiled the Newsom bobblehead, noting that California’s 40th governor “has been at the forefront of efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, earning him significant praise both within the state and nationally,” according to a statement from the hall of fame.
The governor might appreciate that his bobblehead is going to a good cause. They sell for $25, with $5 of that going to the American Hospital Association’s Protect the Heroes Campaign to support the 100 Million Mask Challenge.
According to the hall of fame, the seven-inch bobblehead depicts Newsom “wearing a suit and standing at a podium as he makes an announcement during a press briefing.”
You can see a picture of it here.
The website notes that the bobblehead is “not affiliated with, endorsed or approved by the governors and were selected based on customer requests. They do not represent an endorsement or reflect any political affiliations by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.”
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