
Brother, the amount California takes from individuals and businesses in taxes and fees is honestly insane. If the state actually wanted to address its problems, it could do so without resorting to a wealth tax. Don’t fall for the anti billionaire propaganda. Bad government policies are the root cause
See the great thing about arguments like that is you can just make these hand wavey statements about how we just need lower taxes across the board and “good government policies” without making any concrete suggestions about how to provide health insurance for the millions of Californians who can’t afford it or support underfunded schools, like the wealth tax is intended to do.
No, the argument still holds true today. A wealth tax will likely end up hurting the very people it’s meant to protect, especially when millionaires and billionaires start leaving the state. California’s real problem is overspending on bullshit that doesn’t matter. Fix the spending problem first, then fund the programs people actually need. Otherwise, they’ll just waste the extra revenue and eventually push for another tax increase.
Look at California’s homelessness spending, its high speed rail project, and billions allocated to programs that struggle to deliver results or even spend the money properly. The state auditor has repeatedly raised concerns about accountability and effectiveness. Why should taxpayers be asked to pay more before the state proves it can manage the money it already collects?