I miss moonbeam.

Yes, I just wrote that. I actually miss Jerry Brown as governor of my state. No, I did not vote for the man, and yes, I hated the vast majority of his policies, but at least he was able to dredge up some common sense a few times. Not Goofy Gavin. This creature marches, shambles, always and incessantly, to the brainless beat of leftist ideology.

Brown vetoed several bills during his tenure, most of which either so severely violated Americans' rights, especially our right to keep and bear arms that they would not have survived a Supreme Court challenge, or which would have obliterated large segments of California's economy.  Not Gavin. He was in such a hurry to sign all those rehashed bills that Brown vetoed (and a few hundred new ones to boot), he must have given himself carpal tunnel syndrome. Ignoring the idiotic gun and ammunition control bills that will serve only to create a thriving black market, and sticking to the highlights, the big ticket items that I'm aware of at this point were AB 44 and AB 5.

AB 44 bans the trade in fur and fur products. It doesn't ban ownership of furs, just selling of new furs (rich liberals will still be able to pick up that chinchilla coat for wifey's birthday in Las Vegas), and makes exceptions for some, such as cowhide, sheepskin, and deerskin. I have to think that last one was thrown in over concerns about losing revenue from hunting licenses, and therefore funds for wildlife conservation, but it's a very small nod. a whole host of furbearers, such as rabbits, coyotes and raccoon (not bobcats, Gavin signed a hunting ban), are still legally hunted and trapped here, but the law isn't too clear on whether or not you can wear the fur of something you shot and skinned yourself, only that you can't sell those hides in California. There are still people who make their living that way here. No word on how the law will affect taxidermists either. What is very clear is that whatever is left in California of a nearly 2 billion dollar industry and the jobs it supported is heading out the door, never to return.

AB 5 is more troublesome. It will basically erase most of the gig economy in California by forcing businesses that use gig workers to reclassify them as employees. It's nothing more than a self serving gift to special interests and labor unions, another sickening example of Sacramento's usual pay to play games. It's also about 7 billion in payroll taxes the state doesn't get to collect, but the state's "solution" will kick over a million Californians, including independent truckers, squarely in the teeth. The only cost that any business can control, is payroll. It's a given that Uber and Lyft, who's business model is based on the gig economy, will have to cut their workforce and raise prices, and might have to leave the state altogether. So will businesses that rely on independent drivers, such as grocers and other retailers, Amazon, and food delivery services such as Instacart. The result is that we'll be paying more for everything from transportation to food.

This is no mere inconvenience for a lot of people. I know a few seniors who depend heavily on Lyft and Uber, without which they'd be shut ins. Most medical plans, including my Mother's, use Lyft to offer non-emergency rides to medical appointments. We don't have a car right now, so this is important to her. If the price goes up, the service may go away. We also have to use Instacart quite a bit in order to stay on the organic diet we need. Instacart sucks, truth be told, but they're the only option around here. If they go away, we're in trouble.

I think it's safe to say that AB 5 is going to cost Californians billions in higher prices and lost income, not counting the costs from people who were making ends meet having to go on food stamps to make up for the drop in income. It's already begun to happen to freelance writers, and the law hasn't even gone into effect yet.

Way to go, Gavin, way to go. And he isn't even halfway through his first year.