If you think the country, politics and society in general is going stark raving mad, it’s worse in California.
California is home to one-third of the nations’ welfare recipients and has the highest poverty.
Our failing schools now rank 48th in the country.
California lawmakers can’t build new homes or apartments for less than $800,000 each (luxury level costs).
The governor and lawmakers can’t figure out what to do with several hundred thousand drug-addicted, mentally ill homeless vagrants living on city streets and taking over public parks.
California lawmakers refuse to build additional reservoirs for water storage in a state in which drought conditions are historically normal, and now has a regular wildfire “season.”
California lawmakers and governor mandated all electric vehicles within a few years, but can’t keep the power on during heat spells and winter storms.
Lawmakers authorized more than $25 million worth of taxpayer-funded guaranteed income to some individuals in the state, but can’t really tell you why.
California lawmakers and Gov. Newsom passed a bill to censor doctors and strip them of their medical licenses if they provide information and advice to patients about COVID not in accordance with the “contemporary scientific consensus.”
There are more very serious issues in the former Golden State at the root of so many Californians and businesses fleeing to other states – highest-in-the-nation income taxes, highest gas taxes, high crime… But perhaps nothing is as ludicrous and farcical as the current reparations proposal, authored by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) in Assembly Bill 3121.
The Globe reported Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Reparations Task Force is considering an estimated $569 billion to be paid by the state for reparations (that’s two and a half times California’s current state budget which already is running a deficit) to give to black-Americans living in California for past discriminatory practices and slavery, despite that California was never a slave state. Some of the recent proposals were simply cash payouts of $350,000 to every African American and $250,000 for every black-owned business to help close the “racial wealth gap,” which is actually a social justice grievance, and not slavery.
Interestingly, the already low black population of 5.5% in California has actually declined – blacks are also fleeing the state, and in particular, fleeing California’s hellish big cities.
And, if we are putting the skunk on the table, Asians suffered more recent discrimination in California, and are still the targets of horrific hate crimes. For that matter, many Irish escaping indentured servitude and the potato famine (1845-1852), and Chinese immigrants were the primary early builders of the Central Pacific Railroad. Many Irish American women became servants or domestic workers, while many Irish American men labored in coal mines and built railroads and canals. But that history isn’t taught in California’s public schools anymore.
The Reparations Task Force is also calling for the creation of a Bureau of African American affairs, similar to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Leaving a warehouse-sized door opened on the bottom line, Reparations task force member Jovan Scott Lewis said: “Spoiler-alert: We don’t yet know the racial wealth gap in the state of California.” This is the preliminary conversation to figure out what we know and what we don’t know.”
Remember this: “Racial wealth gap.”
Another task force member Dr. Cheryl Grills said: “Racial terror leads to racial trauma … also known as race-based traumatic stress.”
Dr. Grills discussed violence with police as a mitigating factor:
Another of the recommendations is to create a guaranteed income program for dependents of slaves. They also recommended repeal of Proposition 209, passed by the voters which bans racial and ethnic preferences in state education, employment and contracting. Notably and more recently, Proposition 16 failed at the ballot box, which would have overturned Prop. 209, the California Civil Rights Initiative, which merely states: “The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin, in the operation of public employment, public education, and public contracting.”
Attacking excellence injures everyone, including the intended beneficiaries.
Is the Reparations Task Force prepared to go back 10 generations to pay the relatives? The policies of Gov. Newsom, California’s elected Democrats and this reparations task force have caused far more harm and done more damage to California’s African-Americans by legislating them into victim status by whittling away at merit-base practices – rather than building constructive relationships in schools and employment, and building bridges to encourage best practices and ultimately promote success, not victimhood.
As Wenyuan Wu with the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation told the Globe during the Proposition 16 battle, “Progressive and woke San Francisco sticks out as the state’s worst county for black student achievement, with nine out of 10 failing state math and reading exams. This abysmal situation has deep roots in housing instability, community breakdown, high rate of turnover among teachers, and a toxic cultural de-emphasis on achievement. To blame this long-standing problem on amorphous systemic racism covers up real challenges that require practical policy solutions to bolster standards.”
Wu says, “Above all, equality and merit must be safeguarded as guiding principles.”
The Reparations Task Force is already pulling a bait-and-switch on Californians – with talk of a “racial wealth gap,” “racial terror,” “race-based traumatic stress,” and “guaranteed income for dependents of slaves,” what they are really promoting is social justice reparations and nothing more than a redistribution of wealth.
View Comments (72)
As Katy stated this is just another Democrat scheme to redistribute other people's money with the ultimate goal of fomenting racial and class division? Maybe those at the top of the deep-state Democrat cabal like Gov. Gavin Newsom should have their wealth distributed first? Where's the equity of Gov. Newsom living in a lavish gated estate on eight acres in12,000 sq. ft. mansion?
100% agree
Obama got rich very fast being a member of this same cabal. He's living in a mansion paid for by taxpayer redistribution. What a con. There's a reason these schemes don't make any sense. They only exist to be self serving for the chuckleheads making the decisions.
Hey Genee' obama has three mansions (Washington DC, Martha's Vineyard, and Palm Springs) and a fourth is being built in Hawaii.
TV nonsense, anyway. As anyone living in a mixed neighborhood full well knows, Blacks dress better and more expensively, drive newer and fancier cars, and buy more expensive foods.
The claims made were valid pre Civil Rights Act.
They are unsupported nonsense today.
And now they want to give $1,000.00 a month to pregnant black females and continue those payments for up to 6 months after the birth of their babies ????????????
Excellent argument against this utter nonsense, which is the worst and most cynical Dem trick we've likely seen in CA thus far, with the possible exception of calling an ninth-month abortion "reproductive health." So glad to see this piece. Hope it will go viral as it should. I haven't had time to survey all of CA's (and other) news and opinion yet today, but I'm willing to bet some pre-distributed "wealth" that no one else but Katy Grimes has called out this beyond-belief con job and done it so masterfully.
Found coverage at the UK Daily Mail, which tells you something about how CA always wins the prize for attention-getting insanity. Posting it only because there is video in the article of the laughable reparations committee. There's nothing quite like actually SEEING this stuff!
"Activist Demands 600K from California Taxpayers During Meeting of State's Reparations Task Force"
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11540503/Activist-demands-600k-California-taxpayers-meeting-states-reparations-task-force.html
I would like to point out that we DO NOT KNOW how democrats feel about this scheme. I’m a devout long time democrat and supporter of the black struggle but rail at this ridiculous idea which totally puts our legal system and our cultural values of right and wrong on their heads.
We have not a clue who exactly are the victims today of the past crimes of slavery & Jim Crow nor do we know who exactly are the perpetrators of these ancient crimes. Collection of the “fines” and disbursement of the rewards will have to nearly random which destroys the purpose of this concept. This is the largest attempted mugging in the history of the world.
I wonder WHAT would be the socio-economic status of all these blacks had they never been brought to America as slaves. Would they and their children have had a BETTER life had they continued to resided in Africa?
Nobody is defending slavery or the treatment of blacks in this country. I propose a program similar to the GI bill of rights for blacks; scholarships, education grants, vocational training grants, business loans, housing loans, medical subsidies for any and all proven descendants of slaves.
Very interesting comment... starting off as a supporter of the black struggle and ending with (I'm paraphrasing your comment of course) ..." you blacks should be grateful your ancestors were beaten and raped and made to work sun up to sundown on the master's plantation because look how good you have it now!" This argument always gets me …the "what if you stayed in Africa argument " do you think you would be better off now?? Hmmm what if your ancestors stayed in Europe would you be better off now??? At least if my ancestors were never enslaved and brought to a brutal degrading life of pain, I would know my native language, I would be in touch with my ancestral heritage I would know where I came from most importantly I would know who I am. But I do agree with you that the damage is done and we must move forward not backward providing programs instead of flat-out money would probably sit better with some people but of course, no form of reparations will ever be acceptable for a large group of Anglo Americans because reparations equal accountability for the wrong of their ancestors and that just does not sit well with them. Also, I would take the 40 acres minus the mule that was promised to my great-grandfather any day of the week if the US would like to keep its promise.
Ask any West African and they'll tell that they wished their ancestors were brought here so they could be living in what was the greatest country on the planet. How do I know? I asked a shitload of 'em. Whiny bitches, I'm a Slav, the very word "slave" was named after MY people. Black Americans think that they're the only people in the world that ever endured it. Hey, I got news for ya, slavery is the norm for our species, not the exception. Furthermore, this is dead in the water. Remember the Civil Rights Act? Yeah, that applys to EVERYONE, so giving away tax payer money based on race just ain't gonna fly.
So, a few things with this. Some of these responses will sound silly, i get it. But...... In the state of california, i can change my my sex from being a male to a female, and the state is required to recognize me as a woman( because thats what i identify myself as) Well how about i recognize myself as a black man and change from being a white man. That way i can collect my 350,000 dollar check from the state when this goes through. If i can legally change the sex from my birth, why cant i change the fact that i was born white, but i see myself as black? J/S... Also, hasnt research shown that we as a race all came from Africa? If thats actually true, doesnt that make all of us decendents from Africa. That would probably mean at some point we all had ancestors tgat were slaves at some point?:Hey, one more thing.... who's money is going to be used in tgis scheme? Better not use my money, thats all im saying
It's ironic that Assemblywoman Shirley Weber and other black Californians are Democrats when it's the party of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, and the KKK? If anyone should paying reparations, it's the Democrat party elite? As for Democrat Gov. Newsom, he needs to be held accountable and he should be required to pay reparations for mandating experimental mRNA shots that have injured and killed thousands? He and his evil soul have a lot to answer for?
Ignorance is again running rampant from those who never been victimized by our so called Americans brothers who wear hoods during the day and leisure wear during the night. I wish it was so easy to just dismiss all of the damage done to Black people by White people that hides behind their corruption that never get exposed because of systemic racism. I can state unequivocally that my family been victimized by a system that allowed criminals to steal land from my ancestors simply because they were Black and they own it and it was theirs. They used corrupt tax laws to take it when no one would stop them because nobody believed Black people should own land. This kind of ridiculous thinking was
There are over 40 black-run countries. Take your pick.
No eebil White debbils to hold you back with "racism". It would be a "win-win" for all.
what about decendants of Irish slaves?
Never going to happen. Knowing our luck in this country, we'll be the ones blamed for all of this. Sooner or later we have to look at who's ACTUALLY running the country and ask ourselves why they have laws protecting themselves.
Well we keep electing these people. We get the government we deserve.
Amazingly we told illegal immigrants come to California and get free medical care, making California a greater magnet. Now our governor has figured out illegal immigrants are going to break the state, so Governor Newsome’s answer is to ask the federal government to bail out the state.
You cannot make this stuff up!
Yes, it's ludicrous when the injustice os forced slavery and racism has not happened to you and your ancestors. Talk to me after you've walked a lifetime in the shoes of a black person.
I guess they should have riot damages and police expenses deducted from their gifts.
In fact, give them a retirement job with the state and call it even.