Editor, Ceres Courier,

Gov. Newsom is acting like an extortionist. His threat to withhold university funding unless schools publicly oppose President Trump’s demands is political coercion. Public universities should not be strong-armed into adopting the governor’s preferred positions. Their mission is education and open inquiry, not serving as instruments of partisan pressure.

What makes this especially troubling is the hypocrisy. Newsom built his political brand by criticizing Trump for using federal funds as a political weapon. Yet now he is employing the same tactic, undermining the consistency and credibility for which he once claimed to stand.

The state’s future depends on universities that foster debate, discovery and diversity of thought, not on leaders who use financial leverage to demand conformity.

I teach corporate leadership, and I know credibility and consistency are cornerstones of effective governance. Newsom’s two-faced approach erodes confidence in his judgment and his ability to lead.

Curtis Panasuk