Californians will not be fooled by Governor Newsom’s finger-pointing and blame transferring on homeless issues.

Homelessness is a national crisis, and California continues to face the most severe challenges. In 2021, Governor Newsom created a new state agency to decide and report back to the state the results of California’s investment of over $24 billion over five years in state and local government homeless program spending. Their mission was simple. Decide where the money went, the effectiveness of the programs that were funded, and how they should be changed if appropriate. Three years later, in mid-2024, that program’s report became available. Conducted by the independent state auditor, it found that $15 billion of the 24 billion could not be accounted for, and the other $9 billion could not be evaluated since no one had developed a plan and criteria to assess the effectiveness of these programs. Little has come of this report. The Governor and the legislature even ignore its recommendations on reporting and evaluating homeless programs.

Locally, the Turlock City Council was recently asked to support a $267,000 grant application for We Care, a local homeless shelter that relies on state and federal funding to cover nearly half its annual budget. However, we had serious concerns: over 40% of We Care’s budget is spent on administrative costs - far above the national nonprofit standard of 10–15%.

Additionally, by their own reports, We Care provides overnight shelter and meals up to 59 men each evening. Yet more than one-third of those they serve are not Turlock residents. Since services are only available during evening hours, homeless individuals are left without access to bathrooms or resources for most of the day. This has created legitimate concerns from local businesses and nearby residents regarding public urination, defecation, and loitering—issues that negatively affect commerce and public health.

It makes little sense to have a program in which the 59 participants can only stay at night and must move during the day. Where do they go? The local park? Hang out at a local restaurant?  Where can they address their personal needs?

In response, the Council majority requested a simple, reasonable condition: that We Care expand access to bathroom facilities 24 hours a day. In exchange, the Council would provide the required $1 contribution and a support letter for the grant. Despite multiple discussions where We Care appeared amenable to this condition, they refused to make the commitment. Instead, they chose to attend two Council meetings and publicly attack the Council majority, believing public pressure and threats would override thoughtful decision-making.

As Mayor, I have always prioritized practical solutions that serve Turlock residents first. While we respect the efforts of We Care in addressing homelessness, it became clear that a change in direction was needed. We could not, in good conscience, support a grant that did not address core community concerns or deliver greater accountability.

It is especially ironic that Governor Newsom criticized our decision, even as his administration continues to funnel billions into homeless programs with minimal oversight or measurable results. Simply throwing money at a problem—without reform, accountability, or strategic changes—does not work.

The Governor and legislature are currently considering asking California voters to incur another $10 billion in debt to finance housing expansion and other programs for the Homeless. This is on top of the $10 billion passed by the voters in March of 2024 to finance homeless programs. Does it make sense to keep funding more money to the same leaders and institutions who have repeatedly proven to be inept at addressing the housing crisis? This is a state emergency, but one that has had the state’s attention for years. It’s time for the State powers to find real solutions, instead of pointing fingers and criticizing others for not going along with the ineffective status quo.

We thank the overwhelming majority of Turlock residents who have expressed their support for our decision. Our community deserves solutions that are effective, responsible, and focused on the long-term well-being of our city.