A Pattern California Voters Can No Longer Ignore
For years, Californians have watched their state drift from innovation powerhouse to a textbook case of bureaucratic dysfunction. Under Governor Gavin Newsom, that decline has only accelerated. And now, with national Democrats openly floating Newsom as a potential presidential contender, the rest of the country is being asked to ignore a long list of failures that have cost residents billions.
The latest: California has officially abandoned its $450-million upgrade of the statewide 911 system—a project Newsom once touted as a breakthrough modernization effort. Instead, it has become yet another high-cost fiasco in a state that can no longer deliver even basic governance.
From Bold Promise to Costly Collapse
In 2019, Newsom proudly unveiled the “Next Generation 911” project, promising Californians a cutting-edge emergency response system worthy of the state’s reputation. The old infrastructure dated back to the 1970s, and modernization appeared overdue.
But after six years, countless delays, ballooning costs, and deep internal problems at the Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the system has been scrapped. Officials now admit they need to start over entirely.
Taxpayers are left with nearly half a billion dollars wasted — and no functioning system to show for it.
Worse still, the replacement effort isn’t expected to be ready until 2030 at the earliest. Californians will have to continue relying on decades-old technology while navigating wildfire seasons, earthquakes, and other emergencies that demand reliability.
A modern state shouldn’t operate like this. Yet under Newsom’s leadership, it has become routine.
A State With a Repeated Pattern of Expensive Failures
The 911 shutdown isn’t happening in isolation. It belongs to a long list of high-profile disasters Californians have been forced to pay for.
Among the most infamous:
-
The $17 billion “Train to Nowhere”, a high-speed rail project that remains unfinished with no clear timeline for completion.
-
Over $30 billion in unemployment fraud during the pandemic, including payments sent to inmates, scammers, and organized crime rings.
-
The controversial Pacific Palisades wildfire fundraising push, where more than $100 million raised through ActBlue’s “FireAid” was routed to politically connected nonprofits instead of victims.
Time and again, the state pours billions into initiatives that either collapse, underperform, or disappear into opaque networks of contractors and political allies.
Actress and writer Justine Bateman summed up the frustration many Californians feel:
“The only triumph CA Gov Newsom has accomplished is losing billions of our tax dollars. If he runs for US President, don’t let him anywhere near that office.”
Her frustration reflects a broader truth: California government is the only place where mismanagement seems to guarantee more power, not less.
A 911 System Built to Fail
The core flaw in the scrapped emergency-response overhaul was its structure. California attempted to divide its 911 network into four regional sectors, intending to prevent a single point of failure. In theory, it made sense.
In practice, it was unmanageable.
Technical coordination failed, infrastructure was mismatched, communication hubs malfunctioned, and the entire system proved more fragile than the one it replaced. Cal OES eventually acknowledged that repair wasn’t possible—the only path forward is to rebuild from scratch.
Meanwhile, the state’s growing disaster risks make these delays even more unacceptable. Wildfires, earthquakes, and floods don’t wait for government to get its act together.
Residents Pay the Price for Political Ambition
California’s governing class continues to present itself as a national model. They talk about innovation, equity, climate leadership, and modernization. But the day-to-day experience for residents tells a very different story:
-
Soaring taxes
-
Persistent crime in major cities
-
Collapsing infrastructure
-
Continued population loss
-
Fleeing businesses
In short, a state that was once a symbol of American opportunity is steadily being pushed into decline.
And yet Newsom, the man presiding over these failures, is frequently mentioned as a future president.
That should concern more than just Californians.
The National Implications of a Newsom Presidency
Every governor leaves a legacy. Newsom’s includes:
-
Billions in wasted public funds
-
Major public-safety failures
-
A collapsing state infrastructure
-
Systemic incompetence in basic functions
-
A state whose population is shrinking for the first time in its history
If this is the track record he leaves behind at home, what happens if he takes that model to Washington?
For many Californians — and increasingly for Americans watching from afar — that question has become impossible to ignore.
Emily Johnson is a critically acclaimed essayist and novelist known for her thought-provoking works centered on feminism, women’s rights, and modern relationships. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Emily grew up with a deep love of books, often spending her afternoons at her local library. She went on to study literature and gender studies at UCLA, where she became deeply involved in activism and began publishing essays in campus journals. Her debut essay collection, Voices Unbound, struck a chord with readers nationwide for its fearless exploration of gender dynamics, identity, and the challenges faced by women in contemporary society. Emily later transitioned into fiction, writing novels that balance compelling storytelling with social commentary. Her protagonists are often strong, multidimensional women navigating love, ambition, and the struggles of everyday life, making her a favorite among readers who crave authentic, relatable narratives. Critics praise her ability to merge personal intimacy with universal themes. Off the page, Emily is an advocate for women in publishing, leading workshops that encourage young female writers to embrace their voices. She lives in Seattle with her partner and two rescue cats, where she continues to write, teach, and inspire a new generation of storytellers.
