Global Courant 2023-05-14 13:50:36
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is trying to pull himself out of a political predicament when it comes to slavery reparations proposed by his own task force.
Fox News Digital was the first to report Tuesday night that, after months of complete silence on the matter, Newsom declined to approve the cash payments — which can be as high as $1.2 million for a single recipient — recommended by its reparations task force, arguing that dealing with the legacy of slavery “is about much more than cash payments.”
It takes absurd mental gymnastics to demand California taxpayers, including new immigrants, low-income workers, and even some African Americans, pay for a mistake committed by other states more than 150 years ago, but that is the position Newsom put himself in,” Republican leader of the assembly, James Gallagher, told Fox News Digital.
“Whatever he does, he will anger some of his base,” he said. “This is just one more example of the governor’s tendency to make big promises he can’t or won’t keep, and people will soon learn that Newsom is all talk, not action.”
Newsom’s predicament – having to choose between passing checks that kill the budget or angering a key Democratic constituency – is largely a problem of his own making.
Following the 2020 George Floyd riots, Newsom signed legislation that made California the first in the country to embark on a large-scale socioeconomic experiment to create a governor-appointed majority group to explore possible reparations for black Americans.
The California Reparations Task Force proposal on Saturday, estimated to cost more than double California’s total budget, would risk bankrupting the state, but those likely to support it represent a significant bloc of the Democratic Party – a 2021 poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB thought that 64% of Democrats and 86% of Black Americans support reparations.
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While applauding the task force’s work in Tuesday’s statement, the Democratic governor declined to endorse specific recommendations, though he pledged to “continue to implement systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians.”
“Many of the Task Force’s recommendations are critical action points that we are already working hard on: breaking down voting barriers, strengthening resources to address hate, implementing sweeping law enforcement and judicial reforms to build trust and security, strengthening economic mobility – all while investing billions to eradicate inequalities and improve equity in housing, education, healthcare and much more. This work must continue,” he said.
“Following the submission of the Task Force’s final report this summer, I look forward to continuing to work with the legislature to implement systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians.”
In a reiteration of the statement announced by Newsom’s office and some media outlets for clarification, Newsom again stopped approving cash payments and said to wait for the task force’s final report.
California Governor Gavin Newsom discusses his plans to build 1,200 tiny homes across the state to reduce homelessness, during the first of a four-day tour of the state in Sacramento, California, on Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
The task force recommends giving just under $360,000 per person to about 1.8 million black Californians who had an ancestor enslaved in the US. Other factors would stack additional reparations on top of slavery-specific checks. In total, a black Californian who is 71 years old and has lived in California all his life could receive up to $1.2 million, according to an analysis by the New York Times.
The total cost of the program is estimated to be about $640 billion, more than double the state budget of nearly $300 billion, at a time when the state is facing a deficit for the first time in years.
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, California, Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Newsom declined to weigh in on his stance on reparations for months, even though the proposal has been more than two years in the making. However, his hand may soon be forced. The task force’s final recommendations will soon be presented to the California legislature, which will then decide whether to implement the measures and send them to Newsom’s office to be signed into law.
Critics argue that Newsom will use the lofty proposal to score political points, considering it a non-starter in the state legislature. Up to that point, CalMatters asked recently all 80 assembly members whether they supported the task force’s proposal, and only three said yes, while the rest declined to comment.
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But if the legislature fails to pass a bill, proponents have called for Newsom to use his authority as governor to unilaterally pass the bill. He probably sees it as a non-profit situation, hence the vagueness of his comments so far.
“This futile reparations exercise exposes the nonserious nature of Governor Newsom’s leadership,” Republican Councilman Bill Essayli told Fox News Digital. “Instead of doggedly tackling California’s problems, he prefers headlines and idle committees. It might work in a Democratic state with a supermajority like California, but the rest of America will see right through him.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom with President Joe Biden (Getty Images)
“Creating this committee was yet another half-baked vote and awards gimmick that has landed him in dangerous waters with no way to safety,” said Fresno County Republican Party chairman Elizabeth Kolstad. “What is clear is that if Gavin’s committee recommendations are implemented, CA will financially sink faster than the Titanic; only the Titanic’s lights were on when it went down.”
The debate comes as Newsom continues to be mooted as a possible Democratic alternative to President Biden in 2024, whose job ratings have fallen to a career low. Newsom has publicly supported Biden for re-election, but his actions have led to questions about how committed he is to the president.
The governor fueled speculation in March when he launched a political nonprofit called Campaign for Democracy that took him on a tour of multiple red states like Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi.
U.S. President Joe Biden, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom wave to the crowd as they campaign to keep the governor in office at Long Beach City College on the eve of the final day of the special election to elect the governor to be recalled September 13, 2021 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
For the first time in years, California is facing a budget deficit of $22.5 billion after boasting a robust surplus less than a year ago. Newsom infuriated both Republicans and Democrats after proposing to cut his budget commitment for foster care services by two-thirds to help offset the budget shortfall.
The state is suddenly strapped for cash, despite being ranked No. 1 in the nation for the highest income taxes, sales taxes, and the second highest gasoline tax in the country, second only to Pennsylvania.
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California is also number 9 in the nation for jobless claims, tied with Michigan with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to Florida’s 2.6%.
California’s homeless crisis has also seriously worsened since the pandemic, despite Newsom having spent billions fighting it since taking office. The state owns more than 30% of the country’s homeless population, and that number has increased by about 6% since 2020, compared to just 0.4% in the rest of the country, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
Jessica Chasmar is a digital writer on the Fox News and Fox Business political team. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].
