Staff Reports
In a jaw-dropping twist of events, the sleazy saga of California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) just got juicier. The governor has been up to some fishy business regarding a massive bump in the state’s minimum wage, and it all leads back to one of his deep-pocketed donors.
The new California law, which would normally raise the state’s minimum wage from a whooping $16 per hour to an outrageous $20 per hour, apparently has a convenient exception baked in. That clause conveniently comes to the rescue of Glenn Flynn, a big wig who owns a plethora of Panera Bread joints throughout California. But here’s the kicker: Flynn has buttered up Newsom with a whopping $220,000 in campaign donations since 2017. Coincidence? We think not.
We’re calling on AG Bonta to investigate PaneraGate.
The appearance that campaign donations influenced an official action impacting the livelihoods of countless Californians is deeply troubling.
The public deserves to know the truth about the allegations of Governor Newsom’s… pic.twitter.com/MrLyR1z0uZ
— Brian W. Jones (@SenBrianJones) March 1, 2024
Assembly Republican Leader, James Gallagher, pulled no punches calling out Newsom’s shenanigans. He proclaimed, “Californians deserve answers about Gavin’s crooked PaneraGate deal. Newsom’s got no business lecturing anyone about democracy when he’s using his power to do favors for his special interest donors.” Preach, Gallagher, preach!
But hold on to your croissants, folks, because Newsom’s office is cooking up a spicy defense. They’re trying to convince us that the exemption has nothing to do with Flynn’s dough… er, donations. They claim Panera wouldn’t even qualify for the golden exemption because their bread isn’t completely made on-site as required. Yeah, we’re not buying it either.
The sizzling tale doesn’t end there. The new law’s loophole apparently came about after “countless hours of negotiations with dozens of stakeholders over two years,” according to Newsom’s office. Yeah, right. If you believe that, we’ve got a bridge to sell you in the Mojave Desert.
To add more fuel to the fire, it turns out that Flynn and Newsom have been in business cahoots since their high school days. In 2014, when Newsom was still just a lowly Lt. Governor, he pocketed some sweet cash from Flynn’s company, which then went on to snag a resort managed by Newsom’s hospitality company. It seems these two have been thick as thieves for quite some time.
Now, hold onto your 10-gallon hats, because there’s an even bigger nugget of scandal to chew on. Flynn Properties and the Flynn Group manage a jaw-dropping 2,600 restaurants and fitness centers across the country, and we’re not just talking about Panera Bread. We’re talking Applebees, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, and Planet Fitness. It seems Flynn’s got his fingers in more pies than just the ones at Panera. Color us shocked!
And if you thought this was the end of Newsom’s doughnut of deceit, think again. Lawmakers in the Golden State are toying with the idea of dishing out even more exemptions to the minimum wage law. The latest proposal would carve out a loophole excluding fast food joints in unique locations like airports, hotels, theme parks, and museums from the painful wage hike. Because apparently, making the minimum wage climb to $20 per hour just ain’t enough for these guys.
Folks, every time we think we’ve hit the bottom of the barrel with Newsom, he just digs himself a deeper hole. It’s clear that this is just another example of the swampy, pay-to-play politics that continues to plague our great nation. So, grab some popcorn, buckle up, and get ready for the next episode of “The Newsom Chronicles: A Tale of Two-Faced Governance.” It’s bound to be a wild ride!
