California cop says Newsom recall driven by small business owners, working people

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A California police officer urged his city council on Thursday to sign a petition to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom because his administration represents the culmination of years of bad policy decisions that are hurting the state.

Adam Garcia, who has worked in law enforcement for nearly 20 years, cited failed policies that have made the state a "safe haven for criminals" and caused violence to skyrocket – problems that have been made worse by the pandemic and Newsom’s response to it.

Garcia told Fox News on Sunday he felt compelled to speak out because of how bad things have gotten.

"It’s getting bad out there. We are starting to see the culmination of a bunch of bad policies and state laws that have been in place for the last 10 years now," Garcia said. "Now it’s being combined with bad leadership in terms of how the governor is running California."  

Garcia downplayed the idea that the recall against Newsom is being driven by partisan politics, and is instead being driven by small business owners, and working people who Newsom’s administration has failed to help during the pandemic.

"Newsom’s job was to help us return to life as normal as possible, while safely maneuvering through COVID. And he just shut everybody down," Garcia said. "And so I think what you’re seeing right now is the totality of everything. Business owners have a different reason not to trust him. Schools have a different reason not to trust him. If you look at everybody throughout California, all have a different type of background that is leading to their decision to want him recalled."

Garcia said the state’s policy of using COVID-19 to kick inmates out of prison was responsible for rising crime and a homelessness crisis.

"I see what’s taking place out there, and nothing is being done about it. Not from the governor’s stance to the smallest portions of government. Nothing is being done and something has to be said."

FILE: California Gov. Gavin Newsom outlines his 2021-2022 state budget proposal during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif.  (AP)

Organizers of the campaign to recall the governor said on Saturday they have collected 1.5 million signatures – more than the required number needed to qualify for a ballot. The campaign told Fox News on Saturday they are aiming to collect at least 1.8 million ahead of the March 17 deadline to compensate for invalidated signatures.

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Voters will be asked two questions: should Gavin Newsom be removed from office? And, if so, who should be his replacement? If Newsom survives the recall, he will merely finish his term in office, which ends January 2023.

Garcia predicted that even if Newsom were to survive the recall, it would not be a "wake up call" to change the state’s failed policies.

"If he remains in office, I don’t think that it’ll be a wake-up call for him at all. And I think you’re going to see a greater exodus out of California," Garcia said. "If he is recalled, I think it could be a great movement in the right direction – not just for California, but the rest of the country."

That "movement," Garcia said, has less to do with being either Republican or Democrat, and more about people being able to live in safe communities and safe schools.

"I think it would be a good message to send to the rest of the country that’s so divided right now. Ultimately we all want the same thing, but we can unite under this. I think it’ll show that with a state as large as California, we can work together and we can go ahead and accomplish great things."

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Fox News has made repeated attempts to contact Newsom’s press office with a request for a comment on the recall campaign but has received no response.