XPost: alt.hbo, rec.arts.tv   
   From: atropos@mac.com   
      
   On Jan 17, 2025 at 1:30:45 AM PST, "Ubiquitous"  wrote:   
      
   > Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher laid into Governor Gavin Newsom during a   
   > recent TMZ interview, arguing that if California leadership could cut through   
   >   
   > oppressive regulations and “red tape,” they should have done so before   
   the   
   > southern part of the state had burned to the ground.   
   >   
   > Maher argued that it wasn’t really a Left or Right issue, but one of   
   > accountability, telling TMZ hosts Harvey Levin and Charles Latibeaudiere that   
   >   
   > he’d had previous run-ins with California’s extensive building   
   regulations   
   > when he had tried to install a shed and some solar panels on his own   
   > property.   
   >   
   > “I always think there’s a middle of the road, actual practical solution   
   to   
   > everything and for this I would say, was California’s uber progressive   
   > politics the cause of this fire? Of course not. Did it impede them to some   
   > degree? Absolutely. That’s the margin of error that I’m saying we   
   can’t abide   
   >   
   > by anymore,” Maher explained.   
   >   
   > WATCH:   
   > https://youtu.be/fUBeo3CQ70A   
   >   
   > The comedian, who had previously detailed his own difficulties with the   
   > state’s excessive red tape on his own show — HBO’s “Real Time” —   
   said that he   
   >   
   > was in favor of holding all government officials accountable.   
   >   
   > “Now, as far as the red tape, I see that they’re all — Newsom, Bass   
   — they’re   
   >   
   > all saying, we’re going to cut red tape, as if they’re doing us a   
   favor,”   
   > Maher continued. “My question is, well, if you can do it now, why didn’t   
   you   
   > always do it? Obviously, it can be done. It’s not a favor to us to cut the   
   > red tape. Why do we live in this state, in this red tape nightmare the other   
   > times of the year when we’re not on fire?”   
      
   This is always the question. Whenever something catastrophic happens, they   
   always give us a 'break' on all the bullshit they heap on us during times of   
   tranquility, which begs the question as to why all this crap was necessary in   
   the first place.   
      
   My garage door broke. You'd think all you would have to do is call a garage   
   door company, buy a new one, and have them come install it. And that's they   
   way it would happen in 49 out of the 50 states. But here in California, I had   
   to have the city come and inspect it, then the county had to sign off on it,   
   then I had to get a permit from the *state* to replace my garage door. There   
   is no conceivable reason why the State of California had to be involved in any   
   way, shape, or form in me replacing a broken garage door.   
      
   If I had to go through all that bullshit just to fix a door, imagine what   
   these people on the West Side will be facing trying to rebuild their entire   
   homes.   
      
   The Democrats here are rushing to try to clear away all this red tape because   
   they're terrified that once tens of thousands of people run full tilt in the   
   wall of impenetrable bureaucracy that exists here, it will, at long last, be   
   the tipping point that motivates them to all start voting Republican.   
      
   > Newsom announced that he would slash red tape for residents who chose to   
   > rebuild in the aftermath of the devastating fires, and also promised to   
   > prosecute any developers who attempted to sweep in and buy up the land.   
      
   How can you prosecute someone for just offering money to buy property?   
      
   It's not illegal to offer to buy someone's land from them.   
      
   > Toward that end, the Democrat governor signed an executive order on Tuesday   
   > "barring opportunist and predatory investors from making unsolicited   
   > undervalue offers to families impacted by the firestorms to buy their land,   
   > taking advantage by offering fast cash for destroyed property."   
      
   Why does Newsom think he has the authority to do this? This is literally   
   writing new law. Only the state legislature has the authority to amend or add   
   to the California Property Code.   
      
   And what's the legal definition of "undervalue"? A piece of property's value   
   is whatever the market says it is. If people can't sell their burned out lots   
   for what they were worth pre-fire because no one is willing to pay that price,   
   then someone offering a lower price isn't making an "undervalue" offer.   
      
   At least Newsom isn't being as oppressive as the Hawaiian governor was after   
   the Lahaina fire. He didn't bar people from making offers, he banned the   
   *owners* of the properties from selling their land to anyone in the aftermath   
   of the fire, which seems like a bright-line violation of the 5th Amendment to   
   me.   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)