Gov. Newsom sends The Voice a cell phone

Our governor has been busy trying to polish his record lately by being "out there" talking to people who disagree with him (he likes to call it "dialoging").  He started a second podcast that is offering guest appearances to such people as a sign of openness.  He's doing podcasts with other podcasters as well.  It's almost like the governorship is a part-time job.  His latest sign of "dialoging" came about as reported by the LA Times

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the governor has been mailing cellphones to chief executives of the top 100 California-based companies with his phone number programmed into the contacts since November in an effort to “connect more directly” with business leaders in the state.

Though many corporate chief executives probably did not need the governor to send a phone in order to reach him, his aides described his outreach as a gesture to get the attention of business leaders and show that he’s interested in their experience in California.

“Some CEOs have been surprised,” Salladay said. “Others we haven’t heard from yet and we’re heard from some who have communicated with the governor. It’s about information gathering about businesses in California and how they’re doing.”

That was last week.  The governor appears to be broadening his outreach again by reaching out directly to smaller media outlets.  Imagine my surprise when FedEx dropped off my very own Newsom burner phone pre-programmed with his number over the weekend!  It's a bare bones phone but it did come with a charger in case our conversations run longer than a cheap battery's life.  I won't get right on the horn with Gavin as I imagine the first 100 CEOs are taking up quite a bit of his time.  It will probably be best to wait a couple of weeks, but the "dialog" should be valuable.  Can you say High Speed Fail?  Reservoir?  What reservoir?  Stay tuned!

Comments

[Jennifer Pfaff]

Is this for real, Joe?? Oh yeah, April 1st, haha. Aren't you the clever one!?

I was going to tell you to Go for It:)

[Joe]

I'm not sure I'll ever top this one:

https://www.burlingamevoice.com/2011/04/major-announcement-burlingame-voice-to-merge.html

[Joe]

I made my first call to the governor on my Newsom phone. After reading about him "trying to loophole California out of Trump's tariff war" on SFGate. They write:

In a 35-second video posted Friday morning, Newsom announced his intention to insulate California from the fallout. “Donald Trump’s tariffs do not represent all Americans,” Newsom said in the clip on his personal X account.

The governor did not specify in any of his Friday morning missives how a separate trade deal would play out. It is not clear when his office will reveal more details. In a response to an SFGATE inquiry, Newsom’s office said it is “actively engaging” with international partners and said more information will be shared in the coming days and weeks.
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I had to remind the governor that he is acting like South Carolina did in 1832 which caused President Andrew Jackson to issue the following, per Britannica:

Pres. Andrew Jackson regarded the South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification as a clear threat to the federal union and to national authority. He reacted by submitting to Congress a Force Bill authorizing the use of federal troops in South Carolina if necessary to collect tariff duties. On December 10, 1832, Jackson issued his “Proclamation to the People of South Carolina,” asserting the supremacy of the federal government and warning that “disunion by armed force is treason.
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Better not poke the bear too much! :-)

[Joe]

In today's edition of "If I had a Newsom phone" we consider the brand new SSA portal:

Amid a wave of reported disruptions to Social Security services, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has launched a new online portal for residents to report issues related to accessing their benefits.

“Your Social Security benefits should not be impacted by President Trump and Elon Musk’s cuts to federal funding and programs,” Bonta said in a statement Tuesday. “If you experience any disruptions to your Social Security benefits, I want to know.”

Bonta emphasized that while the state cannot represent individuals in federal matters, complaints will help inform any future legal action.
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Great. We have a portal to report things Bonta can't do anything about, but if you are a) still waiting for your state income tax refund from the FTB that is months late, or b) hoping to get an answer on a straighforward question about a filing with the CA Secretary of State after a year wait, you just have to be patient. Patient as if you were at the doctor's office.......