Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the public for help designing a new $1 coin to honor the state’s innovations. However, many of the answers were negative, pointing out things the state used to be proud of.
Most people outside of California think of Silicon Valley and the tech boom when they think of creativity. California has also been a leader in protecting wildlife.
But lately, companies are leaving the “blue state” because it doesn’t do anything about crime, hunger, and the rising cost of living.
A lot of people are angry at Newsom and the state legislature for not doing anything about the $73 billion budget gap. Some people say the problem is the state spending too much.
Some people are mad at the governor because he is focusing on a national campaign in support of abortion instead of problems in his own state, such as an insurance crisis, an affordability crisis, rising crime, wildfire risks, and skyrocketing energy costs.
As if he wasn’t already too busy with the problems in his state, Newsom took time on Thursday to hear what his voters thought about a state coin.
He wrote on social media, “Calling all members of the Tortured Coin Designers Department.” “CA is getting its own $1 coin to honor innovation. It will be released in 2026.”
In a letter shared by the California Globe, Jim Stanley, the press secretary for the State Assembly Republicans, told Newsom about his plans and praised the governor’s work while in office.
“Under your brave leadership, California has created a method of burning money that can’t be beat,” Stanley wrote in the letter. “While most people would think it impossible to spend $24 billion on homelessness only to see the problem grow rapidly, you have proved the naysayers wrong.”
Then Stanley gave his ideas, which included pictures of homeless camps and fires.
Stanley wrote on X, “I think these do a good job of capturing things.”
One user put a picture of Harvey Weinstein on top of the coin form that Newsom gave them and said, “When people think of California, they think of Hollywood.” That would be great.
Then someone else told the governor, “A coin contest seems totally out of touch and ridiculous.” They then listed many of California’s problems. The same person advised that Newsom talk to Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, about how to run a successful state.
On X, more ideas for putting a homeless camp on the coin were given. Another idea was for a coin with the state of California, batteries, and a mask on it to represent how the governor handled the COVID-19 pandemic. “In Newsom we trust” is written on the bottom of the coin.
Others said that illegal aliens, high gas prices, or someone using drugs should be on the coin.
