This week it was revealed that California governor Gavin Newsom had spent $200,000 of tax-payer money to hire a personal photographer.
The governor of America’s most populous state hired Charles Ommanney for a photo op as he seeks to maintain a high-profile in US politics.
Who is The Photographer?
Charles Ommanney is a former war photojornalist who has since gone on to take photos of Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg.
He is now an official photographer for the California Governor, earning $200K annually (almost as high an income as Newsom).
Newsom Defends Photographer’s High Salary
A spokesman for Newsom said that Ommanney “plays an instrumental role in communicating the work of state government across visual platforms.”
Ommanney began his work for the governor by taking photos of Newsom picking up litter at a homeless encampment. Last year, he photographed Newsom’s trip to China.
Newsom’s National Ambitions Take A Hit
Following a shaky debate performance by Joe Biden earlier this year, many in the media speculated that Gavin Newsom could replace the 46th President as the Democratic nominee.
However, Newsom’s national image has been damaged by a number of issues in California, including the state’s multi-billion-dollar deficit.
The State of California’s Economy
While Ommanney gets paid over $200K annually, California faces an estimated budgetary shortage of $46.8 billion.
To address this shortage, Newsom has scaled back a number of spending plans – including delaying a planned pay rise for healthcare workers.
Social Media Responds to Ommanney Pay Check
On X/Twitter, many criticised Newsom for paying Ommanney over $200K. “Modern politics is completely devoid of any substance. It’s just all managed photo ops. Sick of it,” Tweeted one person.
However, some jumped to Newsom’s defense, with one person commenting, “Visual communication professionals are just as important as a speechwriters, media relations specialists and other parts of a communications team.”
Californians Still Back Newsom
After first being elected in 2018, Newsom has faced heavy criticism from conservatives, both in California and nationally.
However, California voters have thus far stuck with Newsom – electing him in landslides in a 2021 recall and again in 2022.
Businesses Leaving California
While voters may be sticking with Newsom through his scandals, including the Ommanney one, his policies have led some businesses to leave the state.
Recently, Chevron announced it would be relocating its headquarters from San Ramon, California to Houston, Texas before the end of 2024. The company, which was sued by the state in 2023, said that Newom’s policies had raised costs and discouraged investment.
Newsom Condemned as Elitist
Stephanie Finucane of the Sacramento Bee said, “Gavin Newsom already comes across as elite. Hiring his own photographer made it worse.”
She added, “the expenditure seems like a bit of an extravagance when you consider that California just had to face down a $47 billion deficit.”
What Do Californians Think of Newsom Now?
A poll conducted earlier this year found that Californians were evenly divided on the Governor, with 46% approving of his job performance and 47% disapproving.
However, the Governor’s political future still looks bright despite recent scandals – with the California politician still widely considered a promising future Presidential contender among Democrats.
