Three governors, three masters of destruction
California: Newsom and Proposition 47’s Legacy Policy Context: Newsom, a progressive Democrat, has supported decarceration and rehabilitation-focused policies, notably defending Proposition 47 (2014), which reduced penalties for low-level theft and drug offenses. Critics argue this fostered a perception of leniency, spiking shoplifting and burglaries.Crime Surge and Reversals: Shoplifting rose 28% from 2019-2023, with San Francisco and LA seeing retail losses of $4B annually. High-profile store closures (e.g., Target in SF, 2021) were partly blamed on theft, though e-commerce also factored. By 2025, Newsom’s 2024 anti-crime package (10 bills, including felony charges for serial theft) cut shoplifting 15% and…