Now, before the pitchforks come out from both sides: let's be clear about what we actually believe here at The Dissent. We're not reflexively anti-fossil fuel. Energy markets should be driven by competition, innovation, and consumer choice — not by politicians picking winners and losers. The problem with Becerra isn't that he's friendly to oil and gas. It's the hypocrisy.
This is a man who built political capital in one of the bluest states in the country by positioning himself as a champion of environmental justice. California voters — including a whole lot of San Franciscans — supported him partly on those credentials. But when the rubber meets the road on energy policy, Becerra has repeatedly shown that his real loyalty is to entrenched industry interests, not to the market competition or environmental outcomes he claims to champion.
And that's the fundamental issue with so much of Sacramento and D.C. politics: the branding never matches the product. Politicians slap a "green" label on their résumé while quietly ensuring the regulatory framework protects incumbents — whether those incumbents burn coal or collect solar subsidies.
What San Francisco and California actually need is an energy policy built on transparency, genuine competition, and letting consumers make informed choices. Instead, we get theater from politicians like Becerra who talk about the climate crisis at fundraisers and then govern like it's 1985.
Stop watching what they say. Start watching what they do. It's always more revealing — and usually more expensive for taxpayers.
