Plus ça change, plus c’est le même chose.
Endorsements of gubernatorial candidates by Sacramento’s establishment are ramping up. Below is an updated list of the major Sacramento political organizations engaged in “rent-seeking,” which means they seek to manipulate public policy to boost their wealth without creating new wealth, and the candidates they have endorsed:
That group of rent-seekers comprises the principal beneficiaries of more than $500 billion of annual state spending and ~155,000 statutes in California’s 29 legal codes. Eg, ATU, which has endorsed Katie Porter and represents public transit employees, seeks to increase spending on public transit because the vast majority of that spending goes to employees and to protect and expand statutes that limit competition to its members. Ditto CPF (Eric Swalwell) and CSEA (Tom Steyer), plus CSEA led successful efforts to underfund pension promises, which has led to reduced pay for current employees and strikes. CHA (TBD), CMA (Swalwell) and CNA (Steyer) together lobby for more money for healthcare providers and then individually lobby for laws that favor their share of that money plus other laws that limit competition.
In all cases the rent-seekers beard themselves as protectors of the public interest but in reality it’s just a business for them. That’s why they all endorsed Gavin Newsom when he ran for governor and who likewise excels in bearding himself as a protector of the general interest while doing the bidding of rent-seekers. Spending under Newsom has exploded and will reach more than $3.7 trillion — overwhelmingly in favor of rent-seekers — by the time he leaves office next January, plus Newsom has signed nearly 6000 new laws, yet the public is worse off than when he took office in 2019.
Campaign experts tell me that of the candidates on that list, Porter, Steyer and Swalwell have the best chance of advancing to the General Election. (Others not on that list with a good chance to advance are Democrat Matt Mahan and GOP candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco.) It will be interesting to watch Porter, Steyer and Swalwell battle for the remaining rent-seeker endorsements. Whoever gets those endorsements, one thing is clear: If you’re a voter who wants more of the same, you should support Porter, Steyer or Swalwell.
