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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 8 January 2019

California’s Newsom rebukes White House in inaugural

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE, As- out a separate path from
sociated Press the fiscal restraint Brown
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) made a hallmark of his last
— California Gov. Gavin eight years in office. Brown
Newsom was sworn in Mon- sometimes angered legisla-
day and immediately drew tive Democrats by reject-
sharp battle lines with Presi- ing big-ticket social spend-
dent Donald Trump, pledg- ing items.
ing to enact “progressive, Newsom, meanwhile, al-
principled” policies as ready has pledged to ex-
the antidote to the White pand access to early child-
House’s “corruption and in- hood education, reduce
competence.” the cost of community
“People’s lives, freedom, college and extend fam-
security, the water we drink, ily leave. He suggested
the air we breathe — they Brown’s method of resisting
all hang in the balance,” more spending in favor of
Newsom, 51, declared to a saving needed rethinking.
crowd of hundreds packed “For eight years, Califor-
into a tent outside the Cap- nia has built a foundation
itol. of rock,” he said. “Our job
Newsom took the helm as now is not to rest on that
California’s 40th governor foundation. It is to build our
with a speech laced with house upon it he said.
bold pronouncements More specifics on New-
about California’s values som’s plans — including a
and the direction he envi- “Marshall plan” for afford-
sions for the nation’s most able housing, a reduction
populous state. in drug prices and crimi-
But there were few specif- nal justice reforms — will
ics on how he’ll get there. be outlined in the coming
He never mentioned Trump days.
by name, but said the When he introduces his first
president’s administration budget on Thursday the
is “hostile to California’s California Governor Gavin Newsom his family wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, waves after public will get a chance to
values and interests” and taking the oath office during his inauguration as 40th Governor of California, Monday, Jan. 7, see how he plans to pay
blasted plans to build a 2019,Sacramento, Calif. for his plans while keeping
wall along the nation’s bor- Associated Press his promise to maintain the
der with Mexico. A church choir from Comp- dragging a blanket, draw- represent you with pride. state’s healthy reserves.
“The country is watching ton got the crowd on its ing laughs from the crowd While touting the California Newsom’s inaugural ad-
us, the world is watching us. feet with upbeat renditions until Newsom’s wife took Dream and strong econo- dress and celebration high-
The future depends on us, of popular songs to kick off him off stage. my, Newsom also acknowl- lighted California’s diver-
and we will seize this mo- the event, reflecting the Even as he needled Trump, edged the state has prob- sity. His wife, Jennifer Siebel
ment,” he said. younger, flashier style New- Newsom offered an over- lems, from a homelessness Newsom, delivered open-
Newly installed U.S. House som will bring compared to ture to voters in rural Cali- crisis to a gulf between ing remarks in Spanish and
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a his 80-year-old predeces- fornia, millions of whom the state’s wealthiest and a Mexican-American band
San Francisco Democrat, sor, Jerry Brown. voted for Trump and John poorest residents to fail- from Richmond, California,
was among those in at- In another sign of the gen- Cox, Newsom’s Republican ing schools, all of which he performed. Throughout his
tendance for the inaugural erational shift, Newsom’s rival in November. called “moral imperatives.” speech, Newsom sharply
address. She got a stand- 2-year-old son Dutch wan- “I recognize that many Beyond Trump, he pledged contrasted Trump’s rhetoric
ing ovation when she en- dered on stage during the in our rural communities to take on drug compa- on immigrants, saying Cali-
tered, an affirmation of the speech. Newsom, who has believe that Sacramento nies, the gun lobby, pollut- fornia will not have “one
strong backing her opposi- four children, picked him doesn’t care about them ers and payday lenders. house for the rich and one
tion to Trump has in Califor- up and continued deliv- — doesn’t even really see Newsom praised Brown, a for the poor, or one for the
nia’s Democrat-controlled ering his speech. The boy them,” he said. “I see you. longtime family friend, but native-born and one for
capital. then walked around stage I care about you. And I will indicated he would strike the rest.”q