Newsom Says San Francisco Will Be Just Fine

Going to spring training

​In a brief interview this morning on KGO, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom first bragged about going to spring training and then responded to Jerry Brown's "austere" budget proposals that, as of late, call for a hiring freeze.

Brown's executive order bars state agencies from hiring new workers, transferring employees, and giving part-time workers a full-time gig. That came after Brown slashed state-funded cell phones and cars for state workers.

His budget plans have upset his own supporters on the left, who say his $12 billion in proposed cuts would cripple vulnerable populations.

But Newsom defended the governor, saying these draconian measures -- hiring freezes and cuts to cell phones -- are exactly what the state should be doing. 

"It's a different kind of leadership, his experience is coming into play," Newsom said. "The Assembly and the Senate need to take similar leadership."

And for those who thought the lite gov role is irrelevant, Newsom said today that he and the governor are drafting a whole new statewide plan for economic development, which will be released in the next few weeks.

Of course, Newsom managed to drop the "when I was mayor" phrase several times throughout the 10-minute conversation. It naturally led to the question: Is San Francisco facing bankruptcy, as Mayor Ed Lee has said?

"You could have said that five years ago and we aren't bankrupt today," Newsom said. "San Francisco will be fine."

He then left the station, to go meet President Barack Obama at the airport.

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