Gardon, the director of communications for Governor Newsom, vehemently dismissed the budget cuts as a “ridiculous lie” in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Friday night. The official highlighted the significant investments made by the administration in bolstering the state’s firefighting capabilities, including the expansion of the firefighting force and the development of the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet. Gardon emphasized that the state’s efforts in forest management had increased tenfold since Newsom assumed office. In closing, Gardon underscored the importance of factual accuracy in the discourse surrounding the budget cuts.
Accompanying the statement were data points illustrating the overall growth in expenditure and personnel under Newsom’s leadership since 2019. The figures presented by the governor’s office aimed to provide context and perspective on the long-term trajectory of funding and resources, rather than directly addressing the recent budget reductions.
At the time of the report’s publication on Friday evening, Cal Fire had not issued a response to inquiries regarding the matter.
The original source of this information reported on Governor Newsom’s decision to reduce the fire budget by $100 million several months prior to the devastating wildfires that struck California.
