There are two stories out of California that define why the state is in a slide and needs to refresh before more residents say Hasta La Vista.

The first story is of an immature Congresswoman who cannot accept responsibility for her own actions; which, in itself, is a sign of immaturity. While she is pointing fingers at everyone but herself, members of the press enable her by ignoring the real reason she resigned.

The Congresswoman said, “I’m leaving, but we have men who have been credibly accused of intentional acts of sexual violence and remain in board rooms, on the Supreme Court, in this very body and — worst of all — in the Oval Office.” And your point is? And the relevance of this statement is? The only thing I can think of is that you are a child and everyone else is responsible except for you.

Let’s start with the obvious. How stupid can you be to have anyone, ANYONE, take nude photos of you? Didn’t we judge Anthony Weiner an idiot for sending pictures of his genitals? We tell our children not to write outrageous things on Facebook as their postings might be seen by college administrators or potential employers. Yet we should accept a member of Congress who was naïve enough to be photographed au naturel.

Then there is the fact she is bisexual. Supposedly she gets a pass because she let us know that upfront. I am sorry but there is no defense for this. She was married. Claiming she is bisexual gives her license to have sex with anyone other than her spouse? If she were married to a woman and she was having an affair with a man, would the press be so forgiving? Here is the bottom line – pick a team. I could not care less whether you are having sex with men or women but pick one. Claiming you are bisexual does not give you a lifelong pass. Sorry (not sorry).

This is not in the end about nude photos or revenge porn. This about campaign finance violations. It is also about abuse of power. She does not get to say it was consensual when she is having sex with a subordinate any more than a man does. Think McDonald’s CEO.

The totality of this story is how in God’s name did this child get elected to Congress in the first place? She beat a real grown-up, incumbent Steve Knight. Just another sign Californians have lost their minds.

The bigger story is that no one wants to take responsibility for the mess going on here in California. How have we come to having constant infernos and power outages? What’s happening here might make California a national joke but for the serious consequences.

Admittedly Governor Newsom was not in his current position when this mayhem started, but he was Lieutenant Governor for eight years. He has been in elected office for over twenty years. Newsom has stated “I own this.” Then he turns his cheek and attacks the utility companies.

Just pointing his finger at power companies that are controlled in so many ways by the government does not absolve him or his government from responsibility. As stated by Steven Greenhut “Public utility companies are the antithesis of the free market. They combine the worst of both worlds – a profit motive married to complete government regulation and control.”

The result of bad corporate decisions forced upon PG&E by government is now the government rallying cry is to take control of the utility. Mayors in the area served by PG&E are calling for the takeover. This is validation that California has become a socialist banana republic.

Does Newsom really think we are that ignorant just to accept his story that utility companies are responsible and government is innocent? You can’t be innocent when you tell people that they must get electric cars to save the environment and then shut down the power so they cannot charge those cars.

Politicians have never been particularly good at accepting the failings of government. These days they just change the terminology and think that will remedy the matter. Mayor Eric Garcetti came forward with a new one when talking about the fires in the Los Angeles area. Last year a major fire was started in the very affluent area of Bel Air by homeless allowed to camp in the Santa Monica Mountains. When a fire broke out near the same area this year, Mayor Garcetti let us know that the fire was not started by the “unhoused.” Voila, we no longer have a homeless problem. They are just unhoused.

Does anyone wonder why the rest of America (except New York state and Chicago) thinks we are out of our minds? Are the elected officials getting a hint why people are leaving this once-glorious state in droves? We used to laugh at the people who lived in other states. Now they laugh at us.

Isn’t it obvious that government is not doing its job? A fire breaks out in the Sonoma wine country. But again the next year? That makes no sense. In 2018 there was a fire in Bel Air shutting down the single busiest freeway in the United States and paralyzing traffic throughout the city. A year later the same thing happens. Yet, Mayor Garcetti and Governor Newsom are not run out of office. Ten fires blazing throughout the state and government has nothing to do with it. It is global warming; it is the Dodgers not getting to the World Series; it is Trump — of course Trump. (Actually, Trump released water that helped to stem the fires.)

In the end who is responsible? It is the residents of California who keep voting for these incapable souls we put in office who are more interested in transgender education for seven-year-olds and outlawing shampoo bottles at hotels than actually doing the basic blocking and tackling of running the state.

Can’t blame Republicans here. The Dems are in charge of everything. The Repubs are just fleeing the state. How about going back to a two-party state where the legislature can be refocused on the priorities necessary to maintain the state?

Unless the electorate wakes up and replaces these elected failures soon then there will not be anyone left to turn out the lights on the way out the door. That is of course if there is any power to turn the lights on in the first place.