Governor Gavin Newsom launched a new website, CaliforniaFacts.com, designed to counter what his team calls “misinformation” about the state’s performance under his leadership. It’s a slick site, packed with graphics, bullet points, and carefully selected data aimed at convincing Californians
that things aren’t as bad as they seem. But here’s the problem: for millions of Californians, no website, no press release, and no cherry-picked statistic will make their rent more affordable, fill their gas tank, or put groceries on the table.

Yes, California is the fourth-largest economy in the world. But what good is that when more than a third of our households, according to the United Way’s Real Cost Measure, can’t afford basic necessities? What good is global economic prestige when one in eight California households remains food insecure, per the Public Policy Institute of California?

Newsom’s new site offers “fact checks” while ignoring the lived reality of families priced out of homeownership, working adults lining up at food banks, and students losing hope in their future. It’s not just about income gaps, it’s about a growing generational divide where young Californians have stopped dreaming of buying a home and now aim for something far more modest: surviving in a rental.

According to PPIC, programs like CalFresh, WIC, and universal school meals are helping. But even with more than $12 billion in nutrition support, 1.8 million households still lack reliable access to food. United Way's report makes it worse: nearly 60% of households with children under six are falling short of what it takes to live with dignity, even when 97% of them have at least one working adult.

It’s not that we don’t have programs—we have plenty. But the state can’t or won’t say whether $37 billion in homelessness spending has actually helped because the crisis has only grown.

Meanwhile, Sacramento continues to push policies that raise costs. New housing bills are tangled in bureaucracy or gutted by infighting. Energy mandates are crushing the oil and gas industry, adding more than $2 per gallon to California’s fuel costs compared to the national average. This isn’t just about gas; it’s about everything connected to energy, including food production, transportation, construction, and the price of nearly every consumer good.

This is why Californians are frustrated—not because they don’t appreciate good intentions, but because those intentions rarely translate to results. The government congratulates itself on “historic” investments, launches flashy new websites, and forms “select committees” that don’t meet for months. But none of that brings relief.

What we need is not another study or another carefully worded statement. We need action with accountability. We need lawmakers who follow the money, not just when they allocate it, but after. If a program isn’t delivering measurable results, it should be restructured or shut down. If legislation increases costs without solving the core problem, it’s a failure, plain and simple.

Governor Newsom’s website is a defensive maneuver. It’s not leadership. Californians don’t want a digital rebuttal; they want a government that functions, understands their reality, and takes action. The facts are clear.

Now, it’s time to fix what’s broken.