While California faces a $13 billion deficit and the halls of the state capitol are filled with politicians who can't seem to balance a budget, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's $700 million deficit and his questionable spending habits may be too much for voters to overlook as they decide on the next Governor of California.  

When Newsom got married this past summer, he decided to use his police escort and his $58,000 state of the art hybrid SUV (purchased with tax dollars), to drive him to his wedding in Montana. The police escort bill, including hotel stays, meals, regular pay, overtime pay, and gas all went on the city credit card at a cost of $15,000.  

Earlier this year, as the City of San Francisco was facing a $233 budget deficit, Newsom called for the hiring freeze of several city department, but he still hired 17 new city directors while having various city agencies pay for his staffers.  

The 17 directors would cost the city more than $500,000 over the next 18 months, including his new transportation point-man who is being paid nearly $32,000 more than the law allows, $203,814 a year.  

With his current budget deficit, last week, Newsom called for the firing of nearly 400 city employees, cuts of $17 million to public health, $3.9 million to the Fire Department, and he is having other city employees take pay cuts.

How many jobs could have been saved had Newsom just decided to fly commercial to his own wedding or had he decided to be frugal and mindful of the people's money?