Without criticizing the tremendous efforts that are already being made, here are some additional steps that California Governor Gavin Newsom could take to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Some of these recommendations may run counter to the political momentum of California’s one-party state, but perhaps in these extraordinary times, they should be considered based solely on their efficacy.

If one might search for a common theme to the policies of the one-party state that defines Gavin Newsom’s California, it would be that whatever big business and big labor want, big business and big labor get. Small businesses often fail because they cannot to adhere to the overdone laws and regulations that apply in California. 

When it comes to housing, apart from very high end luxury condos and mansions, California’s home builders can no longer profitably build housing without subsidies. The high cost of living and the decimated middle class are consequences of giving big business and big labor everything they want.

Another common theme embodied in California’s political culture is “protecting” the rights of every “marginalized” individual and every “marginalized” group no matter what the cost. This is seen everywhere, from keeping disruptive students in K-12 classrooms to permitting intravenous drug addicts to pursue their “lifestyle” unencumbered and in full public view. It is seen in rules, formal and defacto, that require “proportional” representation for every ethnic and gender identity, across every student body, corporate workforce, government bureaucracy, or government contractor.

All of this benefits big business, big labor, and big government (which in California is now merely a subsidiary of big labor). California’s one-party elites rely on leftist billionaires and public sector unions to fund a relentless public relations campaign assuring Californians that the one-party regime is fighting for them. But it isn’t. Rather the result of the one-party regime in California is high taxes, ruined schools, lawless streets, a crippling cost-of-living, and punitive regulatory obstacles to small businesses and independent contractors.

One of the great ironies of California’s political economy today is that California’s public servants could afford to earn less, if they earned less. Paying excessive pensions means fewer employees can be hired which means paying more overtime. Meeting these ever escalating personnel costs means there isn’t public money left anymore to fund infrastructure, which means home builders now have to pay infrastructure fees that add hundreds of thousands to the cost of homes. It also means fewer homes get built, reducing supply, which adds additional hundreds of thousands to the cost of homes. It is time to reverse this entire costly cycle, and public sector unions might cooperate in the process, if they truly care about all of California’s workers.

Governor Newsom, his ultra-rich compatriots, and California’s big labor bosses have done very well for themselves. And with every law they pass that only the wealthy and financially resilient can weather, their power and their profits grow. It is time for them to abandon their hypocrisy. It is time for them to either stand up for all of California’s workers, or admit the truth at last, that they are the party of privilege and wealth.

At a time like this, California’s one-party regime – along with fate itself – remind us how little power we often have over our own lives. But unlike the cruel fate of this pandemic, Governor Newsom can choose the course he sets for the rest of us. Perhaps he might consider this list, and extend some practical steps of mercy to millions of ordinary Californians.

This article originally appeared on the website California Globe.