By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – August 16, 2021 Governor Newsom and California's wildfires are like two ships passing in the night…in opposite directions. It must have been the connection with an environmental activist/lobbyist at the French Laundry Restaurant earlier in the spring where Newsom hatched the idea to go all in on Climate Change as the reason for the uptick in wildfires since he ascended his throne. Of course, it doesn't take much to steer Newsom off on the wrong track as there clearly aren't many brain cells inhabiting his empty suit. Seems the governor is fascinated as well as fixed on the recent high temperatures in California and is blaming them for the dry fuels that have accumulated. No mention of the fact that summer is usually always hot in California, especially in July and August. Must have not gotten the memo before his recent pronouncements. California, at least according to Newsom, has never experienced high temperatures and nothing like what we are experiencing over the past three years. Unfortunately for Newsom, the data he is using only extends back to 1984, where as California has historically experienced similar conditions for centuries. It is well documented that yearly prior to the 1800's four million acres of wildfires was a fairly typical year. California has also been prone to wide spread drought on many previous occasions, in some cases lasting for decades, climate change you know. Most of this climate activity is well documented and precedes any substantial human activity in California. Unfortunately for Newsom, he cannot restrict the affects of climate to only California and the Western United States. There is another rather large portion of the United State that is hot, dry and forested. It is just that part does not seem to experience the same level of wildfires that are experienced in the Western half of the Country, California included. In 2018, Newsom did recognize that there might possibly be another explanation for wildfires, lack of forest management. Early on he pledged to make millions of dollars available to do a better job along those lines and encourage the federal government to do their share as well. The Federal Government owns 46% of California's total acreage. It appears at 53 years of age Newsom has trouble remembering his promises and promptly went back to proclaiming "Climate Change" as the culprit. Once again facts served to bite Newsom in his posterior as he first lied about how much money that was budgeted for fire prevention, a bit over 11,000 acres actual instead of the 90,000 acres he claimed. Then hard on the heels of that revelation came the news that as environmentalists stifled timber harvesting in California, the acreage of wildfires increased substantially. Newsom could do as promised and behave in a responsible manner by simply doing as promised, but as long as he can spout "Climate Change" no one is going to think twice about the reason wildfires are a problem and will continue to be a problem, not because of Climate Change, but environmental activity that prevents proper land management. Something Governor Newsom could certainly do something about, executive order anyone? Clamoring for solar and wind projects similarly effects the inclination for electric companies to maintain the 2500 miles of transmission lines in California that have resulted in some of the recent large wildfires. By shifting the blame on Climate Change, Newsom only serves to hide his lack of leadership. Once again it becomes the people of California that suffer the consequences in yet another area of Newsom's responsibility to look after all Californians. Next up, Newsom on Crime in California. Newsom 0, Crises unresolved 9