The contrast in the levels of taxation between Red states and Blue states is well documented. Folks in Democrat-run states like Massachusetts and New York pay exorbitantly high taxes, apparently for the privilege of living in a state that disregards basic freedoms. Whereas those in Republican-run states such as Indiana and Florida typically pay far less in taxes. But when it comes to citing the most extreme example of high tax rates – whether we’re talking about sales tax, gas tax, income tax, or property tax – California is almost always at the top of the list.
Now, based on yesterday’s news regarding the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, those high taxes are likely only going to go higher. And it will all be happening in the name of what? You guessed it… ‘social justice.’
According to the 500-page report released by the task force on Wednesday:
“Four hundred years of discrimination has resulted in an enormous and persistent wealth gap between Black and white Americans. These effects of slavery continue to be embedded in American society today and have never been sufficiently remedied. The governments of the United States and the State of California have never apologized to or compensated African Americans for these harms.”
Those conclusions are, of course, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leftists like those in California aren’t going to create such a task force unless they’ve already made up their minds on what they believe they will find. This report could have been written before the task force was even formed. And while it’s still unclear what steps the Golden State’s Democrat-run legislature and far-left governor Gavin Newsom will take in ensuring those injustices are “remedied,” we can safely assume those actions will be both sweeping and expensive.
Will all black folks receive such reparations? What about black millionaires, will they get their share? For folks that don’t have any ancestors that were slaves, such as modern immigrants from Africa, will they qualify? And what about those of mixed races? Does one need to be 50% black, or 25%, or 10%?
The answers to those questions will be simple. Just figure out which option will include the most folks, thereby maximizing the number of people that California’s officials can officially label as ‘victims,’ and that will be the deciding criteria. The more victims, the better, because if they’re victims and we’re handing out cash, that means votes for us in November.
The whole scheme is unsustainable, naturally, because whatever solution Gruesome Newsom comes up with will only be the beginning. Whatever handout they provide based on yesterday’s report will only encourage more actions. Within a couple of years, there will be another task force established to determine the effectiveness of the first task force and its subsequent legislation. This nonsense will continue for as long as identity politics is an effective strategy. Which is to say, this silliness will go on until Democrats are voted out of office.
Slavery has been described as “America’s Original Sin,” which seems to be an appropriate assessment. It was truly an evil institution and one for which Americans have been paying the price for over a century and a half. Over 360,000 thousand soldiers died in the Civil War fighting to end slavery, and almost all of them were white men. Government-mandated discrimination against white folks (aka “Affirmative Action”) was established over 60 years ago. And we’ve reached the point where we have now elected a black person to the highest office in the land, not once but twice, and another to the second-highest office.
America doesn’t need slavery reparations; America needs racial healing. We need to say “No” to politicians looking to continually divide us by our skin color and constantly pit us against each other. California is heading down a slippery slope and one which could spell trouble for those of us in the other 49 states.
By Jess Lawson
Jess Lawson is a regular contributor to The Blue State Conservative and a passionate, conservative millennial who loves America.
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