XPost: alt.california, alt.politics.republicans, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh   
   XPost: sac.politics, ucb.politics.progressive   
   From: leroysoetoro@americans-first.com   
      
   https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2026/02/02/gavin-newsom-vs-californias-   
   progressive-idiots-n3811473   
      
   Gavin Newsom is definitely progressive but he's also not a complete   
   dimwit. The same can't be said for a majority of people living in the   
   state of California. A story published yesterday by the NY Post reports   
   that 60% of Californians support the wealth tax proposal which has already   
   driven some of California's wealthiest people out of the state.   
      
   A staggering 60% of California voters back the billionaire wealth tax   
   proposal, even though they admit it will spark businesses to flee the   
   state and kill jobs, a new poll found.   
      
   Even when presented with a “full battery of economic and political   
   arguments” against the wealth tax, Californians still back it by 54%,   
   according to the poll of likely voters by public affairs firm Nestpoint.   
      
   The voters who support this tax believe it will push wealth people and the   
   jobs they create out of the state, and yet they don't seem to think this   
   will matter long term.   
      
   A firm 52% of likely voters admitted that the tax will push entrepreneurs   
   and jobs out of the Golden State, but only 48% agree that there are   
   concerns with long-term revenue from a wealth tax, while 42% had concerns   
   about Silicon Valley getting damaged, the poll found.   
      
   Sure, money and new industry will flee the state but it'll be fine. That   
   seems to be the thinking of a bare majority of Californians at this point.   
   Meanwhile, Gov. Newsom, despite being a progressive, knows how addition   
   and subtraction work. He is once again warning that there will be   
   consequences if this thing passes.   
      
   “The fact is it actually will reduce investments in education,” he said.   
   “It will reduce investments in teachers and librarians, childcare. It will   
   reduce investments in firefighting and police.”   
      
   The wealth tax will eventually lead to a decline in the state’s tax base,   
   which would in turn reduce revenue meant for social services, Newsom   
   explained.   
      
   The Wall Street Journal frames this as Newsom basically begging voters not   
   to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs for the golden state.   
      
    “The impact of a one-time tax does not solve an ongoing structural   
   challenge,” the Governor said Thursday. “You would have a windfall one   
   time, and then over the years, you would see a significant reduction in   
   taxes because taxpayers will move.”   
      
   By “structural challenge,” he means recurring budget gaps caused by   
   excessive spending. The state Legislative Analyst’s Office in November   
   forecast a $18 billion deficit in the coming fiscal year with shortfalls   
   growing to $35 billion in future years. And this assumes there’s no   
   economic downturn—or a flight of high earners who pay the state’s bills.   
      
   Mr. Newsom said he is very “mindful” that “we rely on a very small number   
   of people that allows us to do historic things”—i.e., spend at historic   
   levels. His recently proposed budget includes $539 billion in spending, up   
   68% from 2019.   
      
   You really have to step back and appreciate the beauty of what is   
   happening here. The progressive governor of the state (who was formerly   
   the progressive mayor of San Francisco), finds himself fighting a ballot   
   initiative designed by progressive academics and supported by a   
   progressive union and a majority of progressive voters with the goal of   
   progressively taxing the crap out of a couple hundred progressive   
   billionaires.   
      
   And let's face it, there's only one reason Newsom is admitting the reality   
   of what this will do the state. He wants to be president and he knows this   
   won't work for most people outside California. That's why he's hesitating   
   to support a national version of this tax even though it would solve the   
   problem of billionaires fleeing from one state to another. So on this one   
   occasion, instead of going with the socialist flow Newsom is swimming   
   against the blue tide to preserve his electability by acknowledging how   
   dumb this is.   
      
   Anyway, it must be occurring to Newsom that if this thing passes over his   
   objection he could get blamed for it. It's his state and he's the   
   governor, after all. So somehow he's got to try to teach at least 5% of   
   the blue bubble denizens of California, i.e. the people he usually counts   
   on for votes and support, how math and rational decision making works.   
      
   Good luck with that, Gavin. You might as well be talking to a brick wall   
   except the bricks are probably smarter than many California voters.   
      
      
   --   
   November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump.  We look   
   forward to America being great again.   
      
   We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that   
   stupid people won't be offended.   
      
   Every day is an IQ test. Some pass, some, not so much.   
      
   Thank you for cleaning up the disasters of the 2008-2017, 2020-2024 Obama   
   / Biden / Harris fiascos, President Trump.   
      
   Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the   
   The World According To Garp.  Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood   
   queer liberal democrat donors.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)