By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – August 16, 2021

Governor Newsom and California’s wildfires are like two ships passing in
the night…in opposite directions.  It must have been the connection
with an environmental activist/lobbyist at the French Laundry Restaurant
earlier in the spring where Newsom hatched the idea to go all in on
Climate Change as the reason for the uptick in wildfires since he
ascended his throne.  Of course, it doesn’t take much to steer Newsom
off on the wrong track as there clearly aren’t many brain cells
inhabiting his empty suit. Seems the governor is fascinated as well as
fixed on the recent high temperatures in California and is blaming them
for the dry fuels that have accumulated.  No mention of the fact that
summer is usually always hot in California, especially in July and
August.  Must have not gotten the memo before his recent pronouncements.

California, at least according to Newsom, has never experienced high
temperatures and nothing like what we are experiencing over the past
three years.  Unfortunately for Newsom, the data he is using only
extends back to 1984, where as California has historically experienced
similar conditions for centuries.  It is well documented that yearly
prior to the 1800’s four million acres of wildfires was a fairly typical
year.  California has also been prone to wide spread drought on many
previous occasions, in some cases lasting for decades, climate change
you know.  Most of this climate activity is well documented and precedes
any substantial human  activity in California.

Unfortunately for Newsom, he cannot restrict the affects of climate to
only California and the Western United States.  There is another rather
large portion of the United State that is hot, dry and forested.  It is
just that part does not seem to experience the same level of wildfires
that are experienced in the Western half of the Country, California
included.

In 2018, Newsom did recognize that there might possibly be another
explanation for wildfires, lack of forest management. Early on he
pledged to make millions of dollars available to do a better job along
those lines and encourage the federal government to do their share as
well.  The Federal Government owns 46% of California’s total acreage. 
It appears at 53 years of age Newsom has trouble remembering his
promises and promptly went back to proclaiming “Climate Change” as the
culprit.  Once again facts served to bite Newsom in his posterior as he
first lied about how much money that was budgeted for fire prevention, a
bit over 11,000 acres actual instead of the 90,000 acres he claimed. 
Then hard on the heels of that revelation came the news that as
environmentalists stifled timber harvesting in California, the acreage
of wildfires increased substantially.

Newsom could do as promised and behave in a responsible manner by simply
doing as promised, but as long as he can spout “Climate Change” no one
is going to think twice about the reason wildfires are a problem and
will continue to be a problem, not because of Climate Change, but
environmental activity that prevents proper land management.  Something
Governor Newsom could certainly do something about, executive order
anyone?  Clamoring for solar and wind projects similarly effects the
inclination for electric companies to maintain the 2500 miles of
transmission lines in California that have resulted in some of the
recent large wildfires.  By shifting the blame on Climate Change, Newsom
only serves to hide his lack of leadership.  Once again it becomes the
people of California that suffer the consequences in yet another area of
Newsom’s responsibility to look after all Californians.

Next up, Newsom on Crime in California.  Newsom 0, Crises unresolved 9