GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis paid a visit to California on Sunday — and took the chance to knock Gov. Gavin Newsom on the Democrat’s residence turf.
DeSantis, who’s reportedly eying a run for the White Home, ripped Newsom for his state’s latest inhabitants decline because the Sunshine State continues to achieve residents.
“I knew you guys received numerous issues out right here, however your governor may be very involved about what we’re doing in Florida, so I figured I needed to come by,” DeSantis quipped as he started a speech he delivered on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley to advertise his new ebook, based on Fox Information.
The GOPer mentioned the previous 4 years have served as a litmus check for the nation’s completely different political ideologies.
“And for those who look over the past 4 years, we’ve witnessed a terrific American exodus from states ruled by leftist politicians imposing leftist ideology and delivering poor outcomes, and also you’ve seen large beneficial properties in states like Florida, who’re governing based on the tried and true rules that President Reagan held expensive,” DeSantis mentioned.
The Florida gov mentioned instances are altering for California, which noticed individuals shifting to the state from throughout the nation all through historical past. Now, he mentioned, the other is true.
“From the start of this state’s historical past, all the way in which till the final 4 or 5 years, individuals beat a path to California,” he mentioned. “You didn’t beat a path away from California. And but now, you see the state hemorrhaging inhabitants.”
California’s inhabitants declined by greater than 500,000 individuals from April 2020 to July 2022, with many residents shifting to different states, based on US Census knowledge.
The state’s lack of inexpensive housing is partially guilty for the mass exodus, based on consultants and knowledge.
DeSantis blamed Democrats similar to Newsom and their governance for the decline. Democratic states similar to New York, Illinois and Louisiana even have skilled inhabitants dips.
The Florida pol known as California a “biomedical safety state” due to its strict coronavirus pandemic restrictions, whereas Florida was way more lax in requiring measures used to guard towards the infectious virus.
Folks moved from the West Coast to Florida for the liberty it gave to residents throughout the pandemic, DeSantis claimed.
“I can inform you, we had households transfer from the Pacific coast only for the truth that we had colleges open in Florida once you didn’t have them open in lots of different states,” he mentioned.
Florida additionally banned vaccine passports that required proof of vaccination to patron completely different companies.
“We mentioned that’s none of their enterprise. Everybody has a proper to take part in society,” DeSantis mentioned. “That’s a private alternative that you just make whether or not to take that or not, and we’re not going to allow you to be excluded.”
In consequence, the Republican mentioned, Florida skilled a rise in guests from different states.
“Now, what ended up occurring as a result of we did that, one of many issues that ended up occurring was in 2021, Florida set a report for home tourism,” he mentioned. “If you happen to evaluate the change in tourism in California from 2019 to 2021, California tourism declined by 22%.”
DeSantis has repeatedly touted Florida as a blueprint for the remainder of America, arguing that his governing type has led the state to nice success. He makes the argument in his lately launched ebook “The Braveness to Be Free,” which he was selling on the California library.
However not all People consider DeSantis would steer the nation in the suitable course.
Forward of his speech, critics of the Florida governor graffitied “Ron DeFascist” on the library’s entrance indicators, police advised the native station KTLA.
Library staffers had been capable of scrub the message away earlier than the occasion.
