Bullshit from the Left of me, Bullshit from the Right, Stuck in the Middle with YOU!
Today’s Bullshit Corner Extra is a follow-up to yesterday’s bashing of Trump drug manipulations. When my jaundiced eyes read in this morning’s Wall Street Journal that California governor Gavin Newsom had concocted a “money-saving” plan of his own, I couldn’t resist jumping on yet more opportunistic populist posturing by the high-profile governor with presidential aspirations. Left or right of the aisle doesn’t matter — when politicians start meddling in markets, you won’t lose money betting on two things: prices will rise and supplies will be rationed.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, sit back and watch the Turkey shovel another load of bullshit!
Bullshit Corner Follow-Up: California Gets into the Drug Populism Act
Gavin Newsom has apparently been studying at the Trump School of Pharmaceutical Theater. The California governor now fancies himself a pharma baron, announcing the debut of state-branded CalRx insulin—the “affordable” generic that somehow costs more than what private companies are already selling.
The pitch: California will offer insulin pens at “no more than $55” for a five-pack. The reality: every major manufacturer—Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk—has already capped retail insulin at $35 per month nationwide. Patients who buy CalRx would literally pay a premium for Sacramento’s virtue signaling.
Newsom’s original vision was to manufacture insulin in-state. That fantasy ran aground on the rocks of regulatory complexity and budget math, so in 2023 he pivoted to contracting with Civica Rx, a nonprofit generic consortium founded by hospitals and philanthropies. He then claimed the partnership would slash prices by 90%. In practice, that “savings” appears to have vanished faster than a California budget surplus.
The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board called it what it is: marketing cosplay. The state is entering a market that capitalism already fixed. FDA-approved biosimilars and competitive price caps have driven insulin costs down dramatically, with most Americans now paying under ten bucks per prescription.
But why let facts spoil a good press release? Newsom’s rollout mimics Trump’s playbook perfectly: exaggerate the crisis, announce a government “solution,” and pose for the cameras while the private sector quietly keeps doing the heavy lifting.
It’s the blue-state sequel to TrumpRx—same populism, different hair gel. The left calls it “equity,” the right calls it “reform,” and both sides end up selling you the same bottle with a different label. Meanwhile, the free market did what neither could manage: lower insulin prices without a taxpayer-funded side hustle.
When California starts hawking overpriced insulin as a public service, you don’t need a glucose meter to spot the sugar-coated BS.
For an annotated catalog of all my Peptide Purgatory and Mounjaro commentary, visit my Mounjaro Update Catalog page.
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