Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida may have been addressing an out-of-state audience, but that did not prevent him from pounding home his concerns.
At a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on Sunday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, pointing out that under Newsom, a large number of Californians are leaving the state for the freedom given by Florida.
DeSantis quipped at the outset of his address that Californians had many difficulties. He found it ironic that the Governor of California was worried about what he was doing in Florida, so he decided to drop by to address that.
He then contrasted Florida, which is booming in population and drawing retirees and working families, with California, which is disintegrating under the “leadership” of Newsom and his fellow Democrats in Sacramento.
DeSantis stated that Ronald Reagan’s knowledge that government has a crucial function but may be a “negative force if not applied properly” DeSantis said it was this comprehension that steered him during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeSantis added that he believes that if you look at the success of individual states over the last four or five years and compare Florida to California, New York, Illinois, and some of those other states, what you have is a tremendous experiment, “a fantastic test in governing philosophies,” DeSantis added. He said things are done quite differently in Florida versus what you guys are doing here and very differently than in New York and Illinois.
Last July, Newsom ran a campaign advertisement in Florida warning Floridians that “freedom is under attack” and encouraging them to go to California, “where we still believe in freedom.” It is still humorous when thought about.
DeSantis stated that people have flocked to California from the beginning of California’s existence until the last four or five years. That people use to beat a pathway to California, not away from it. DeSantis said that now that the state is hemorrhaging its population, you can observe its population decline.
DeSantis continued that if you look at the last four years, there has been a massive exodus of Americans from states governed by leftist politicians imposing leftist ideology and delivering poor results. In contrast, you’ve seen massive gains in states like Florida, which are governed according to the tried and true principles that President Reagan cherished.
The figures do not lie. During DeSantis’ leadership throughout the pandemic, when he reopened the state’s schools in August 2020 and kept other public facilities open while focusing safeguards on the most vulnerable people, Florida’s population increased from around 21.5 million in 2020 to over 22 million in 2022.
According to the Los Angeles Times, California, which kept its citizens in lockdown for a far longer time, had a population decline of 500,000 during the same time. That was the first time in the state’s history that the population fell.
DeSantis and Newsom are considered potential presidential candidates, although Newsom has stated he will not oppose Biden if he decides to run for reelection.
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