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Post News Group Exclusive Interview with California Governor Gavin Newsom

Newsom toured Beastmode Barbershop and Graffiti Pizza, both Black-owned businesses and held a press gaggle with the business owners, local politicians and community business leaders.

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  Editor-in-Chief Kiki and Governor Gavin Newsom/ Photo Credit: Kiki

Editor’s note: This article was edited for brevity and clarity.

On Thursday, June 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom came to Oakland to talk about small businesses and the “largest small business relief program in the nation.” Dubbed California Roars Back, it’s the governor’s $100 billion “comeback plan”.

Newsom toured Beastmode Barbershop and Graffiti Pizza, both Black-owned businesses and held a press gaggle with the business owners, local politicians and community business leaders.

The Post News Group was granted an exclusive one-on-one sit down interview with Newsom. 

Post:  “Thank you for your time. Why was it important for you to come to Oakland to talk about the comeback plan?”

Newsom: “ Oakland has been described by some of my  San Francisco friends as what San Francisco used to be. It’s a compliment(since) many aspects of San Francisco have been lost to sort of a universal same-ism in certain neighborhoods where you see the same eight nine chains, and the neighborhoods begin to lose their sense of community.

“You come to Oakland, and you see this thriving small business network, just remarkable diverse creative artists who happen to be entrepreneurs, literally in some cases, not just figuratively. 

“And so for me it’s really .. the manifestation of a vibrant small business community. It’s also a manifestation of what we want to highlight, which is, while the economy in the macro is recovering from a GDP perspective in the aggregate, we don’t live in the aggregate. There are people who have been disproportionately impacted.

“I want to make a point that we have your back, we want to be there for you when the lights turn off (and) the cameras go away. When we turn the page (on the pandemic), we want to make sure we’re there for the medium- and long-term so everyone’s back on their feet.”

Post: “ I heard you speak earlier about not only helping the businesses that have been struggling, but what about the businesses that have gone out of business. What are your plans for them now that we have reopened?”

Newsom:  “We’re working on the final proposal of a billion dollars in grants that allow people to utilize the training dollars to make entrepreneurial investments, meaning to actually use the money in a way where they can start up their business again. 

“We’re trying to be very creative. . ..  I read this case study about a model, … tripartite agreements of labor, business, and the Singapore government, and there’s these portable accounts that they created, tax free accounts that can be used across the spectrum. 

“They also have partnerships with business and small business loans and credit enhancements, and people are able to leverage (them) on the basis of their own skills and where they are in terms of their own workforce development. 

“We took a version of that idea. And that’s now currently in the final phases of negotiation with the Legislature. In addition, we’re waiving fees for new startups. We are providing opportunities in terms of loans and grants and credits.

“We have a new credit capacity of close to a billion dollars…. We’re doing micro loans, not grants, for those that have no access to credit or traditional banking institutions. We call it the California Dream fund, emphasis on ‘dream,’ because it also doesn’t regard your immigration status. 

“We’re writing these micro loans and grants across the spectrum for that subset of our entrepreneur population. We’re trying across all these spectrums to create more support.

“We have all these regional Small Business Centers, 86 of them that are fully staffed, fully functional, more engaged, more dynamic than ever. . .  and supporting a lot of the Black chambers.”

Post:  “I understand why (you picked) Oakland. Thank you for taking time to speak exclusively with the Black press. But why was that important to you to specifically speak to the Black press and reach out to Black businesses in particular?”

Newsom:  “I think, one of the things that kind of ticked me off a little bit –  I don’t know if that’s not gubernatorial language, but it’s more personal – I’m sick of the picture that’s painted on some of the networks around the BLM Movement, around the Black community generally, the exploitation, and it doesn’t tell any story. It’s not even interested in telling a story. It connects to manufactured reality.

“And so for me, this is also an opportunity to counter that (artificial) reality and talk about the entrepreneurial spirit. Yes. talk about creativity, talk about just the culture identity and the competency. What makes life worth living is that diversity of expression, output and insight and meeting needs that you didn’t even know existed. 

“I think it’s just incredibly important we talk about Black entrepreneurs.  Democrats need to do that. I say, I’m a small business guy. We have such a divided country It’s not just do the right thing for Black-owned businesses in Oakland because, you know, we have a disproportionate number of Black-owned businesses in the Bay Area, but it’s also part of a larger national trust.

“I’m just sick and tired of what I’m watching on the national news. And I want to highlight what I think is really one of the most under-expressed and under-communicated stories in America, like innovation, like entrepreneurship. 

“Black excellence (exists) across all spectrums, it’s not just about criminal justice reform, it’s not just about police.  There are other things we need to include in that conversation without neglecting our responsibilities to solve those issues. “

Post: “And what importance does the Black press have in all that?”

Newsom:  “I’ve been so inspired by how Black press perseveres. Talk about resiliency. We have gone to great lengths in the pandemic to support Black press in terms of our COVID efforts, testing efforts or vaccination efforts. 

“(We have) partnerships in terms of trusted messengers and outreach. But we can always do more. I know right now, particularly in the Black  press, there’s some anxiety that we’re moving from the investments we made in partnership with the federal government, CDC, because of the pandemic. And how are we going to be there now post-pandemic, and so we’re trying to work that through as well.”

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Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

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Juneteenth: Celebrating Our History, Honoring Our Shared Spaces

It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

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Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans
Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

By Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

Juneteenth marks an important moment in our shared history—a time to reflect on the legacy of our ancestors who, even in the face of injustice, chose freedom, unity, and community over fear, anger, and hopelessness. We honor their resilience and the paths they paved so future generations can continue to walk with pride.

It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

As we head into the weekend full of festivities and summer celebrations, I want to offer a friendly reminder about who is not invited to the cookout: litter.

At Clean California, we believe the places where we gather—parks, parade routes, street corners, and church lots—should reflect the pride and beauty of the people who fill them. Our mission is to restore and beautify public spaces, transforming areas impacted by trash and neglect into spaces that reflect the strength and spirit of the communities who use them.

Too often, after the music fades and the grills cool, our public spaces are left littered with trash. Just as our ancestors took pride in their communities, we honor their legacy when we clean up after ourselves, teach our children to do the same, and care for our shared spaces.

Small acts can inspire big change. Since 2021, Clean California and its partners have collected and removed over 2.9 million cubic yards of litter. We did this by partnering with local nonprofits and community organizations to organize grassroots cleanup events and beautification projects across California.

Now, we invite all California communities to continue the incredible momentum and take the pledge toward building a cleaner community through our Clean California Community Designation Program. This recognizes cities and neighborhoods committed to long-term cleanliness and civic pride.

This Juneteenth, let’s not only celebrate our history—but also contribute to its legacy. By picking up after ourselves and by leaving no litter behind after celebrations, we have an opportunity to honor our past and shape a cleaner, safer, more vibrant future.

Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about Clean California.

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OPINION: California’s Legislature Has the Wrong Prescription for the Affordability Crisis — Gov. Newsom’s Plan Hits the Mark

Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.

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Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook. Courtesy of Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook.
Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook. Courtesy of Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook.

By Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook

As a pastor and East Bay resident, I see firsthand how my community struggles with the rising cost of everyday living. A fellow pastor in Oakland recently told me he cuts his pills in half to make them last longer because of the crushing costs of drugs.

Meanwhile, community members are contending with skyrocketing grocery prices and a lack of affordable healthcare options, while businesses are being forced to close their doors.

Our community is hurting. Things have to change.

The most pressing issue that demands our leaders’ attention is rising healthcare costs, and particularly the rising cost of medications. Annual prescription drug costs in California have spiked by nearly 50% since 2018, from $9.1 billion to $13.6 billion.

Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.

Some lawmakers, however, have advanced legislation that would drive up healthcare costs and set communities like mine back further.

I’m particularly concerned with Senate Bill (SB) 41, sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), a carbon copy of a 2024 bill that I strongly opposed and Gov. Newsom rightly vetoed. This bill would impose significant healthcare costs on patients, small businesses, and working families, while allowing big drug companies to increase their profits.

SB 41 would impose a new $10.05 pharmacy fee for every prescription filled in California. This new fee, which would apply to millions of Californians, is roughly five times higher than the current average of $2.

For example, a Bay Area family with five monthly prescriptions would be forced to shoulder about $500 more in annual health costs. If a small business covers 25 employees, each with four prescription fills per month (the national average), that would add nearly $10,000 per year in health care costs.

This bill would also restrict how health plan sponsors — like employers, unions, state plans, Medicare, and Medicaid — partner with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to negotiate against big drug companies and deliver the lowest possible costs for employees and members. By mandating a flat fee for pharmacy benefit services, this misguided legislation would undercut your health plan’s ability to drive down costs while handing more profits to pharmaceutical manufacturers.

This bill would also endanger patients by eliminating safety requirements for pharmacies that dispense complex and costly specialty medications. Additionally, it would restrict home delivery for prescriptions, a convenient and affordable service that many families rely on.

Instead of repeating the same tired plan laid out in the big pharma-backed playbook, lawmakers should embrace Newsom’s transparency-first approach and prioritize our communities.

Let’s urge our state legislators to reject policies like SB 41 that would make a difficult situation even worse for communities like ours.

About the Author

Rev. Dr. VanHook is the founder and pastor of The Community Church in Oakland and the founder of The Charis House, a re-entry facility for men recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.

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