I have a terrible confession to make. After much soul searching, for the first time in my life, I just voted for a massive tax increase — Prop 30. So did my wife and sons.

It’s a HORRIBLE tax increase — a 1.75% income tax increase on the over-taxed super-wealthy of California — those with $2,000,000 or more in annual income (including, of course, capital gains) to fund elect vehicle (EV) infrastructure. It’s a special interest propfunded 95% by Lyft. Initially I opposed this EV tax increase, and I included that opposition position in my list of recommendations.

Here are my reasons for changing my mind:

The overwhelming majority of these wealthy Californians either actively support the woke movement (including higher taxes) or choose to stay quiet. According to the Legislative Office (LAO), the top 1% of CA income taxpayers pay 50% of all the state’s income tax. Too bad for them. Only a handful of the super-rich have had the guts … Read More

The Democrats always invoke thoughts in me of the 1984 Sparks song: All you ever think about is race All you ever think about exclusively All you ever think about is race, all right with me Of course, the song used a different word than “race” and, gosh, do I ever wish it were the good old days when all they thought about was sex. Where is John Kennedy when one needs him? Is anyone genuinely surprised about the leaked tape becoming a national sensation? You know, the one where four “Hispanic” power brokers using some “choice” language while doing backroom dealing and attempting to get their team a bigger slice of the Los Angeles City Council? Certainly, some of the rhetoric was over-the-top and downright racist, but it just shows you the party of race sensitivity is really the party of racists. Did you expect campfire sing-alongs of Peter, Paul and Mary songs and s’mores. When your entire party is based on racial divide and group identity then one can only expect the groups to be focused on their own needs, wants and desires. What do the four major subgroups of the Democrat party have in common? They… Read More

I have read a lot of legislation over the years, but never have I read a piece of legislation quite as cynical as California’s AB257 Fast Food Accountability and Standards Act passed by the Legislature and signed by Gallivanting Governor Newsom. The people who created this legislation obviously think we are all fools. Allowing this to exist will destroy the jobs they believe they are protecting. The reason this legislation was passed is quite clear (you probably have figured this) — the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has largely failed to unionize employees at fast-food restaurants and has figured out a workaround to get the employees under their control. First, the legislation creates specific rules that allows a restaurant to be exempt from the draconian rules for one reason – the restaurant is subject to a collective bargaining agreement. Second, it creates the Fast Food Council (FFC) where nine positions are appointed by the Governor/ Legislature, and one is a career union government worker from the Department of Industrial Relations. Sure, it has two representatives from franchisors and two from franchisees, but they are being… Read More

Breaking Bad:California vs. the Other States

by Richard Rider – Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters

Version 3.49 Revised: 5 October, 2022

Online version at:www.TinyURL.com/CA-vs-other-states… Read More

In 1993, California’s Republican Governor Pete Wilson joined with the Democrat-controlled State Assembly and State Senate to form the California Constitution Revision Commission (CCRC). The stated goal was to modernize and improve our bulky California Constitution. The REAL goal (at least the PRIMARY goal) was to gut Prop 13, making it easier for our state and local governments to raise taxes.

Our centrist governor and the two state legislatures each picked 1/3 of the commission appointees. As a result, the initial commission was overwhelmingly Democrat, with a handful of mostly moderate Republicans included as window dressing. Uh oh.

Since 1970, Democrats have controlled both CA state legislatures. With one exception. In 1994 with the Republican Party’s push for theirContract with America, the State Assembly enjoyed a brief two-year GOP majority.

The new Republican Assembly Speaker Kurt Pringle — recognizing the “kangaroo court” nature of the Commission — decided to change the… Read More

It’s an educational (and scary) exercise to consider what our property taxes would be if Prop 13 had NOT passed in 1978 — and no subsequent reforms in property taxes occurred (a fair assumption, given Democrat dominance of the state legislature since 1970).

Most people have forgotten the following aspect: “In 1977, the average property tax rate in California was 2.67 percent.Proposition 13 fixed the rate at 1 percent of the purchase price[plus a 2% annual increase, or the COL, if less]. On top of the 1% is whatever additional rate is approved to cover voter-approved indebtedness, such as bonds. Although the additional rate varies around the state, it generally runs at about two-tenths of 1 percent, setting the overall Proposition 13 rate at 1.2 percent.” http://www.caltax.org/WhatProposition13Did.pdf— page 1

Looking at my own property tax bill, my annual “1%” tax on our 1993 purchase is $5,300 in 2022. The other taxes for bonds, special districts, etc, (a total… Read More

Many people believe that the current state of the Democrat Party is a danger to our constitutional structure and the underpinnings of what has made America the great country it has become. If you believe that is true you have not seen anything yet. This column purposely strays from making predictions and rarely has done so in the last fifteen years of publishing weekly. The case that is being laid out is based on everything that is historical, facts you know and historical reality. We do not know for sure, but it is highly likely that the Republicans will take over the House of Representatives. It is hard to tell what will happen with the U.S. Senate. But with the current societal factors, particularly the economic ones, the chances of the Republicans taking control of the Senate increase daily. The overruling of Roe v. Wade changed little. Let’s look at where that will leave the Democrats. They currently have leadership in the House and Senate that is collectively octogenarian. Last time the Dems took a beating, losing 63 seats in 2010, political normalcy would have seen the leadership tossed to the side. That did not happen because the remaining members of the house … Read More

I was busy this week earning a living. To do that, I had to buy gasoline on Tuesday, I paid $7.59.9/gallon. I then drove to Nevada for business.

In Nevada, I had to fill up again to get home, so yesterday, in Carson City, I paid $5.99.9/gallon.

Then in a moment of boredom, I was scrolling through my Twitter feed, and saw a post from California’s version of that tin horn dictator from Panama, Manuel Noriega, who we all know to be Gavin Newsom. The man that I refer to as an Arrogant Lazy Authoritarian in Charge (ALAIC) Newsom posted a complaint about the high gas prices, and said, basically, “it’s not my fault, it is the fault of greedy oil companies.” ALAIC Newsom was once again trying to distract voters by creating a new boogey man. Yes, he said, I have been the dictator of California for the last four years. Yes, nothing happens in California unless I say so, but, he says, “high gas prices are not my fault.”

The same “greedy oil companies” who charge the people of the state of Nevada $1.60/gallon less for gasoline. Do you think, that, if they are that greedy, they would be charging everyone… Read More