The best way California can prepare for Trump? Fix its state government
Bob Stonebrook
November 25, 2024
For a great many Americans, the November election results elicited an intense reaction. These responses, played out in real time on election newscasts and social media timelines, included everyday working people, media celebrities, television and movie stars, and even past and present politicians, including our own Gov. Gavin Newsom, who very quickly announced his plans to “Trump-proof” the state through all necessary legal and legislative means.
His plan would theoretically aim to shield California’s progressive policies from any federal manipulation by bolstering resources for the Attorney General’s office and other state agencies in preparation for long, drawn-out legal battles with the Trump administration. The problem is that this is an exclusively defensive approach to solving a grassroots problem that will outlast Trump’s second term.
A far better and proactive approach — and one that would significantly increase the benefit to all Californians over the long haul — is to improve the effectiveness of our state government.
