Tim Anaya, Senior Director of Communications and PRI’s Sacramento Office
Winner: Gov. Gavin Newsom – With Washington sending $42 billion in state aid to California in the $1.9 trillion stimulus package signed by President Biden on Thursday, Gov. Newsom will get to channel his inner Oprah in the upcoming state budget, telling legislative allies and advocates for his pet causes – you get a million, you get a million!
Loser: California’s Convention and Hospitality Industry – Californians will soon get to see baseball games in person and even go to Disneyland. But despite the allowance of these mass gatherings, California’s convention and hospitality industry remains shuttered. Industry leaders this week demanded that their industry receive official reopening guidelines from the state health officials – the first step toward reopening.
Evan Harris, Media Relations and Outreach Manager
Winners: Stimulus Supernova – With the expected signing of the third COVID-19 stimulus bill, the US has shelled out $5 trillion in 12 months. The FED’s balance sheet, or assets, ballooned to 36 percent of the US GDP due to COVID-19 strategies to keep the market afloat. Fans of the “spend your way out of a recession economy theory” are having their day in the sun.
Loser: Microsoft – Last week Microsoft announced that it’s widely-used Exchange email servers were being attacked by Chinese hackers targeting “defense contractors, schools, and other entities in the U.S.” The company sent an update to stop the hacks, but it appears the coding issue has been around since 2010.
Rowena Itchon, Senior Vice President
Winners: California State Government – The latest Covid-19 “relief” plan is raining dollars on state government and the powerful special interests that support it, despite a $15 billion budget surplus. For the specifics, check on Tim Anaya’s blog on Right by the Bay.
Loser: Andrew Cuomo – It’s tough to choose between blue state governors Newsom and Cuomo. Newsom has a recall effort underway while Cuomo is dealing with his own party’s calls for resignation and even impeachment. For this week, I think Cuomo has the edge.
Kerry Jackson, Fellow, Center for California Reform
Winners: Students and their parents – The momentum to open schools is accelerating.
Losers – Californians, who will have to deal with whatever world Gov. Gavin Newsom – who’s not letting a crisis go to waste – says they have to live in after the pandemic is over.
McKenzie Richards – Development Associate
Winner: California Theme Park Enthusiasts – Starting April 1st, California theme parks such as Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Universal Studios will be open exclusively to California residents at 15% capacity.
Loser: Clearview AI – A case against the tech company was recently filed in Alameda County Superior Court which is in the San Francisco bay area. The company’s unique technology combs the internet to create a “facial footprint” using biometrics like eye shape. The lawsuit alleges that Clearview has gathered information on over 3 billion individuals without their knowledge and then provides that information to both government and private entities.
