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Carl Higbie didn’t mince words on Newsmax when he joined Bob Brooks and Ike Wingate to skewer Gov. Gavin Newsom’s boast that California is a “model for others.” The hosts treated the remark as the kind of out-of-touch spin that comes from a political class insulated from the real lives of working Americans, and they framed the claim against the parade of failures Californians actually live with every day.
Newsom’s own State of the State speech leaned heavily on the idea that California’s policies offer a blueprint for the nation, a message he repeated as he left office for a run at higher ambitions. That line sounds confident in Sacramento ballrooms, but it rings hollow in parking lots where people sleep in tents and in neighborhoods where small businesses are closing under the weight of taxes and regulation.
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has warned that the state’s budget choices leave California “ill‑prepared” for the next downturn, and Sacramento press outlets have flagged the use of one-time maneuvers and reserves to paper over persistent deficits. That is not the picture of a stable, repeatable model; it is the picture of a government trading long-term solvency for short-term PR.
On the ground, the homelessness crisis remains a national embarrassment despite spin about small statistical improvements; the governor touted a decline in unsheltered counts while watchdogs and local reporting make clear the problem is still widespread and costly. Californians see tent cities, overwhelmed shelters, and the human wreckage of failed policies, and many voters rightly ask whether proud platitudes in Sacramento changed anything for them.
The economic picture is no comfort either: independent researchers find that while some firms maintain a presence here, a notable share of corporate headquarters and talent have decamped for lower-tax, more business-friendly states — a trend with clear signals for future economic strength and tax base erosion. If “model” means a state that chases businesses away with punitive policies while promising more spending, hardworking Americans ought to question that prescription.
Conservatives like Higbie aren’t merely yapping; they are issuing a warning that Americans across state lines should hear: policies that produce flashy talking points are not the same as policies that protect families, jobs, and public safety. If California really wants to be a model, its leaders should start by balancing books honestly, clearing the streets, and creating an environment where employers want to stay — until then, the rest of the country should treat Sacramento’s boasts with healthy skepticism.
