The Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has gone on “personal travel,” leaving thousands of residents in snow-bound mountain villages without help from the National Guard.
Newsom declared a state of emergency one week after a snowstorm slammed California, trapping thousands of people in Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, and other communities in the San Bernardino Mountains. This occurred on March 1st, his birthday.
Even after waiting for three days, the California National Guard was nowhere to be seen in Crestline on Saturday. according to the Los Angeles Times:
On Saturday, residents of San Bernardino County were eager for news of the arrival of the National Guard. Locals have reported seeing hundreds of people waiting in line at distribution events over the past three days to get food, dog food, and firewood. Many people, according to residents who spoke with The Times, left with nothing.
In this society, food and medicine are quickly becoming scarce. Several foot-high snowdrifts have prevented several residents from leaving their houses. Concerns regarding access to aid are growing among the public.
AP reports that some mountain communities have been without power for a week. Some individuals may be unable to depart for a week, according to the administration. AP reported on the issue, saying:
According to Shelah Riggs, her Crestline street hasn’t been plowed in eight days. Since they can’t leave their homes, the roughly 80 individuals who reside there will be stranded. When it snows, she explained, a snowplow would come every day or two.
Normally a fast excursion, Devine Horvath, who also lives in Crestline, said it took her and her son 30 minutes to travel down the street to check on a neighbor.
According to Horvath, she narrowly escaped death when the roof of a nearby grocery shop collapsed a few days ago. Since then, she has been stranded on her street.
The Times said that, out of fear for people’s safety, local officials called off a helicopter assistance mission organized by volunteers.
On Thursday, Newsom mysteriously vanished from California and headed to an unknown location.
Newsom maintained a strong social media presence, attacking Republicans in other states for their socially conservative stances on matters like abortion.
There was a food and medical shortage back in California since so many people were sick and starving.
According to the San Bernardino Sun:
After barely two weeks of therapy for breast cancer, Milika’a’s Running Springs house was devastated by a snowstorm. Several residents in the San Bernardino Mountains, including Milika’a, are stranded in the snow and cannot go to treatment on Thursday when it is scheduled to begin.
When she phoned the Sheriff’s Office, they told her about shuttle service from a neighboring shelter; however, she is unable to travel the distance due to her cancer treatment.
Rebecca Arrowood’s delivery of diabetic supplies to her Lake Arrowhead home was scheduled for this past Saturday. Nevertheless, they weren’t present.
Because of their inability to foresee the severity of the snowstorms, county officials have been overwhelmed by the disaster’s aftermath. At their wits’ end, some citizens have turned to the state for help. Yet, assistance has not always been provided.
Even while Newsom’s office tweeted about ongoing relief efforts coordinated by state agencies, those efforts haven’t been sufficient, and Newsom himself has been nowhere to be found.
When it comes to social matters, Newsom is fond of mocking Republicans like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). Nevertheless, in Florida, a state of emergency is declared days before a hurricane arrives rather than a week after. To top it all off, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving while others were still in pain.
Even though Newsom is positioning himself to run for president in 2024 or later, he receives little coverage from major news outlets.
Democrats aren’t the only ones who don’t want him to run for office in California, according to surveys.
Despite this, Newsom was re-elected with ease in 2022, following an unsuccessful attempt to unseat him in 2021. Newsom was pictured having dinner with lobbyists at the posh French Laundry restaurant, despite advising Californians not to go out to restaurants during the epidemic. Because of this, they were recalled.
When Newsom went on vacation to Montana last year, he was discovered breaking the law by leaving the state on state money, which was forbidden because of Montana’s extreme laws against abortion and transgender individuals.
The state received further snowfall during the weekend. According to Breitbart News, the massiveness of the snowfall can be appreciated from the air. This is because storms have finally put an end to California’s drought. Nonetheless, the situation on the ground remains perilous.
Voters in the state’s mountain regions skew Republican, a fact that gets lost in the shuffle when Democrats maintain their overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.