As Newsom pushes for greater state control, California cities should be cautious
As Newsom pushes for greater state control, California cities should be cautious
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Original Article in thumbnail cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/26780505
Newsom launches statewide task force to clear homeless encampments
The announcement follows Newsom’s 2024 executive order, which directed encampment cleanups after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling granted state and local governments more authority to remove them.
Then there was also this headline from 2 days ago: Newsom says he’ll increase CHP presence in major cities, touts progress on crime
A lot of what Newsom is doing lately sounds an awful lot like what has been happening in Louisiana for the last 2 years...
Relocation begins: Jeff Landry's administration clears New Orleans homeless encampments
Louisiana coerced unhoused people into an unheated warehouse – and paid $17.5m for it
Our homeless sweeps started out as needing state intervention to clear everyone out (allegedly for security reasons) bc of the Bourbon street attacks and the Superbowl, but everyone assumed Gov Landry was just trying to slap a coat of paint on the city for tourism money. Then it happened again when there was a big Taylor Swift concert, now it's like every time "we have company" we should just understand Landry will be rounding up homeless people to make the city more presentable.
People keep saying Newsom is just doing this kind of shit to prove he's a centrist Democrat but I'm kinda starting to worry it might be a little more sinister than that.
Word of advice for California, be very cautious about allowing any state police or task force to permanently or semi permanently set up in your cities. If it gets proposed push back as loud and hard as you legally can, no matter what your local government might indicate about it.
Homeless sweep ahead of Taylor Swift concert reveals conflict between city, Troop NOLA
Troop NOLA: What we know about the new Louisiana State Police troop in New Orleans
Mayor LaToya Cantrell 'in alignment' with Gov. Jeff Landry's crime plan for New Orleans
And if you can't stop it from happening make sure your city hammers out even the most obscure details in a contract. If you're not sure if you need to bother with getting it in writing, you do.
I changed the original headline bc it's misleading. It makes it sound like the contract was something city council wanted bc they wanted homeless sweeps. The city pushed for a formal contract bc State police were just doing it without any say from the city on how they rounded people up or where they took them.
The governor also began pulling in other very random agencies from around the state to help with the homeless sweeps in the city: La. wildlife, transportation officials tasked with relocating New Orleans’ unhoused
Eventually, Landry announced an executive order called Operation Geaux which officially allowed some of the same state agencies to voluntarily partner with ICE
A week after Gov. Jeff Landry signed Executive Order “Operation GEAUX,” which calls on Louisiana law enforcement agencies to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), five state agencies have entered into agreements.
According to ICE, Alcohol & Tobacco Control, Wildlife and Fisheries, the National Guard, the State Fire Marshal, and the State Police have all joined ICE’s 287(g) program under the task force model.
Since then a new state law created in the Louisiana Senate has passed which makes hindering, impeding, or refusing to cooperate with ICE potentially a crime of obstruction for both civilians and law enforcement, punishable with jail time.
Louisiana clergy may face state obstruction charges under immigration bill
In final days of session, legislature advances Landry immigration agenda
I understand California is not Louisiana. You have way more reasons to trust your governor than we do, but just be cautious. Make sure everything is in writing and as changes are being proposed, try to bring as much local attention as possible to every issue, and demand public input be taken into account.
Even if you believe someone is on the "right" side of the aisle and doing everything with the best interest of Democrats in mind, they may be having their hand forced using a strategy that is also very common in Louisiana. Blackmail.
I've wondered many times over the last few years why Cantrell would so willingly allow a conservative like Landry to come in and take control of a Democratic city.
New Orleans mayor indicted over allegations of trying to hide relationship with bodyguard
She's definitely not the first New Orleans mayor to be indicted, but she's the first one to be indicted while in office. Her term is up in January and we're supposed to be getting a new mayor.
None of these charges are new, but the FBI must have been sitting on them for a long time before indicting her with just months left in office. Even after Katrina, they waited 13 months until Ray Nagin was out of office to indict him. Why couldn't they wait just a few more months to indict Cantrell? Jeff Landry was the Louisiana AG before he was governor, so maybe he would know the answer.
I tend to think that Newsome is cynically exploiting the opportunity Trump has given him to appear, by contrast, to be a champion of the people, and a leftist, and that he is in fact neither of those things.
Idk I would say that is actually the less cynical explanation, bc it assumes he's doing these things by choice.
New Orleans has always been a Democratic city attacked by conservatives (similar to Chicago). We had a centrist Democrat as a governor for 8 years, and he did some stuff I didn't like, but he actually left the state much better than he found it, got us through COVID very well all things considered, and made the state a decent place where quality of life wasn't perfect but it was actually not an awful place for poor people in comparison to states like MS and TN.
Since Jeff Landry became governor in 2024, the entire state has taken a nose dive. He is a very strategic and manipulative individual, and I have to give him credit for his success in somehow always managing to get whatever he wants. Is an ethics board asking too many questions? Just restaff it with your friends. If a law gets in the way, just change it. If people didn't vote for your constitutional amendments just rewrite them, and make them vote again. It's pretty fucking scary.
I have no idea if he did something like blackmail our mayor to get her to cooperate with all the changes he made to the city in less than 2 years. I do know:
A. Landry always does whatever it takes to win, no matter how unethical, and he is pretty cozy with Trump and obviously Mike Johnson
B. During her time as mayor, Cantrell had some very vicious and public battles with just about anyone that ever dared to go against her or step on her toes. But for some reason, even after years of conflict when he was AG, she welcomed Landry in the city with open arms to help "tackle crime." Now she's being indicted with just months left in office after an investigation that first began when Landry was still AG.
If I'm being completely honest, this stuff has me hoping that there is some by the book stickler for detail lawyer in California that has really been double checking every potential consequence that could possibly result from how Newsom redraws those voting districts.
When I say I am warning people in California to dot every single "i" and cross every single "t," I mean it. Leave nothing to precedence or how things have traditionally been done. If there is any tiny loophole to exploit, there are some very sleezy and dangerous people working with Trump right now who will figure out how to exploit it. And they will do it with a completely straight face while selling you trademarked "I <3 public accountability and the rule of law" merchandise. Do not underestimate any of these people.