Calif Gov Gavin Newsom says “Conditioning aid for American citizens is wrong”

[Melensdad]

Gavin Newsom posted on his social media that “Conditioning aid for American citizens is wrong”
This in response to President Trump saying that he's happy to give aid to California for the wildfires IF 2 conditions are met. 1- Voter ID laws be put in place in California. And 2- water flow to the south of the state to keep reservoirs full rather than flushing it out to the ocean.

So I have to ask, why is it wrong for President Trump to ask for "conditions" in exchange for aid?

Do we not have "flood insurance" conditions set on all homeowners who build in a flood plane?

Do we not have special insurance for properties built on the coastal areas that are subject to hurricanes?

So if we have those, then why not have some condition on California to make sure their own water, which they control (some might say squander) is actually available for use in fires?


STORY FROM The Hill news website:

Trump cites voter ID, water flow as conditions for LA wildfire aid

President Trump on Friday said he wanted to see two actions taken in California before he offered federal support for Los Angeles as it grapples with wildfires. “I want to see two things in L…

thehill.com

Trump cites voter ID, water flow as conditions for LA wildfire aid​

01/24/25 11:52 AM ET​

Administration ​

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President Trump on Friday said he wanted to see two actions taken in California before he offered federal support for Los Angeles as it grapples with wildfires.​

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“I want to see two things in Los Angeles. Voter ID, so that the people have a chance to vote, and I want to see the water be released and come down into Los Angeles and throughout the state,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina, where he was touring hurricane recovery efforts. ​

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“Those are the two things. After that, I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen,” he added.​

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Trump is slated to visit Los Angeles later Friday to view damage from the fires and meet with local officials.​

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office responded to Trump’s comments with a fact-check about its voting laws, noting several other states do not require voter ID. Newsom’s office also said it is currently able to pump as much water as it could under Trump’s first-term policies.​

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“Conditioning aid for American citizens is wrong,” the governor’s office posted on social media.​

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Lawmakers in Congress are debating how to proceed with federal assistance to Los Angeles, where wildfires have killed dozens of people and destroyed communities.​

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Republicans have floated tying aid to a debt ceiling increase or changes to California’s fire-mitigation policies. Democrats have vehemently opposed placing conditions on federal assistance to Los Angeles, arguing it would set a dangerous precedent.​

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Trump has fixated on the claim that California officials could provide additional water flow to Los Angeles from the northern part of the state by simply switching on a valve. But experts have pushed back, arguing the state’s water supply issues are not that simple, and that fire hydrants ran dry in recent weeks because of a surge in demand.​

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The president has also for years pushed for the implementation of voter identification laws amid unproven claims of widespread fraud in elections. ​

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California passed legislation that would take effect in 2026 that blocks municipalities from requiring voter ID in elections, a move made in response to one city passing a voter ID requirement.​

 

[Melensdad]

Looks like the budget fight may already be heating up in the US Senate.

There is a Mid-March budget deadline and we are getting closer and closer to the deadline.

PARTIAL STORY from Politico:

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/01/24/congress/what-were-watching-00200415

. . . Democrats are widely opposed to pairing the debt limit and wildfire aid — two key parts of a spending proposal GOP leaders are circling behind closed doors. But unless Democrats are willing to flirt with a government shutdown or a potential debt default, they’re likely stuck with the deal, or one similar to it.​

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One House Democrat says his party isn’t willing to make those threats.​

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“The one thing that has united Democrats, in my entire career here, is a commitment to do what's necessary to govern, to keep the government open and to work to improve the lives of the people we all represent, whether that's lowering costs or helping them in a time of crisis,” said Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois, chair of the centrist New Democrat Coalition. “So that's what we're always going to do.”​

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And in more than a dozen interviews with House Democrats, none were willing to suggest that their party would allow a government shutdown or debt default if Republicans don’t play ball on spending negotiations . . .​

 

[FrancSevin]

It would seem to me that not one dime of federal money should go to California that doesn't have certain conditions. The two mentioned may or may not help solve the structural problems inherent with California government. But certainly, someone else besides the current leadership, should be impowered to see that the Federal money is spent to not only rebuild what was lost but install common sense solutions to prevent the catastrophe for being repeated.