funneling the money to his buddies.
... It's a real talent.
It's not that other politicians can't push through absurd wastes of money, but Newsom does it with flair and an utter shamelessness that is, weirdly, almost a pleasure to behold. He's like a hypnotist who gets audience members to cluck like chickens, or a mentalist who convinces them he can read minds. But for the fact that people are being harmed and ripped off, it could make a good television show.