Father to Newsom, "Don't Do It"

"Don't Do It Gavin"

When I first started talking to friends and family about running for Governor, I was excited at how much enthusiasm there was for the idea.

It's not a decision I'm going to take lightly - but of course it's nice to hear friends say they support the concept.

That's why I was a little taken aback when I asked my father what he thought. Without hesitation the man whose opinion I value most came out and said it:

"Don't do it Gavin."

I think my father must have seen my face - because he immediately said - "Of course I think you would do a great job - it's just that nobody is going to be able to solve the state's problems. I don't want to see you fail in a job that's impossible to do right now."

I hope all of you get a chance to meet my dad. He is the smartest, toughest and most caring person I know. He is at once a small town judge, an activist jurist and the product of a rough and tumble San Francisco political culture. He knows what he's talking about.

I agree with him - changing California is going to be the toughest job imaginable. And my dad's right - one person alone can't do it. In struggles as big as we face today, we must all be activists if we are to succeed.

But what about 1,000 people? What about 30,000? What about 100,000 Californians who come together to make change?

I can't do it. But we can do it.

And that's why I'm asking you to join me on GavinNewsom.com or Facebook.

I'm putting together an exploratory campaign for Governor to see if we can take the hard-learned lessons from the many reforms we've made in San Francisco and apply them to the State of California. Making big changes wasn't easy in San Francisco, and it won't be easy in Sacramento. But together we can make the changes the state demands.

San Francisco is the only city in America that is making universal health care a reality. If one small city can do it, together we can do this for the entire state. Like California, San Francisco has weathered historic deficits, but we have learned we cannot build for the future with business as usual. We have made sustainable long-term budget reforms to successfully balance a multi-billion dollar budget and save for tomorrow in our "Rainy Day Fund." If San Francisco can, then California can. We have made our city a national model for recycling and greenhouse gas reduction and a center for high-wage green jobs. If we did it here, then together California can do all this and more.

But it's going to take tens of thousands of us coming together to make the big changes we need. As important as a strong grassroots and netroots army is going to be in order to win the campaign, it will be even more vital if we're going to win these much-needed reforms once we get to Sacramento.

That's why I hope you will join us. On Facebook. On GavinNewsom.com. And in person, as we travel around the state to make this vision for a better California a reality.

Sincerely,
Gavin Newsom