Gavin Newsom’s California: A cautionary tale, not a national blueprint

Gavin Newsom would like the rest of America to believe that California is the model for the nation. And in a way, he’s right. California is a model — of how poor leadership, broken promises, and ideological arrogance can take a state from prosperity to dysfunction.

Let’s start with homelessness. California has had the highest per capita homeless population in America since 2005.

Nearly one in four homeless Americans lives in California. This didn’t start yesterday. Back in 2004,...