With Trump’s 2024 coalition under threat, the decisive political struggle in America has shifted inward, to the Democratic Party. The clash between pro-business moderates and an ascendant far-Left will play out nationwide, but its defining test is now taking shape in California. Read more
Will California implement a wealth tax on its billionaires? The plan has been gaining traction in the state legislature — and while it is some way off becoming law, some billionaires seem to think it will. This week, real estate broker Julian Johnston told Fox News that he’s working directly with three billionaires moving from California to South Florida, where there is no income tax for those who reside there fewer than 183 days of the year. While it looks like California is finally ending its love affair with Silicon Valley, the question of a wealth tax — not just in the Golden State — won’t go away any time soon. Read more
The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York’s first socialist mayor creates a dilemma for the still historically unpopular Democrats. Some elements of the party – notably those based around the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) – favour massive redistribution of income from the wealthy, while the traditionally dominant gentry liberals fear a loss of support from the oligarch class (particularly leading figures in industries like tech), who until recently had funded their campaigns. Read more
In a state facing a long-term budget crisis, massive out-migration, and the nation’s highest poverty and unemployment rates, you would think that voters would want to throw the bums out. But this November, Californians are poised to elect a new governor who will be, if anything, more irresponsible than Gavin Newsom. Read more
California Governor Gavin Newsom loves to describe his state as “an economic powerhouse”. Yet he’s far more reluctant to acknowledge its dramatically worsening employment picture. According to new outplacement figures, Golden State employers announced over 170,000 job cuts this year, up 14% from last year. More than 75,000 of these cuts were made in the all-important tech sector.
Few states so self-righteously proclaim their commitment to helping minorities like California does. Gov. Gavin Newsom rarely misses an opportunity to assert his solidarity with people of color, proclaiming in 2022 that “our incredible diversity is the foundation for our state’s strength, growth and success — and that confronting inequality is not just a moral imperative, but an economic one.”
More through historical accident than anything else, Gavin Newsom has emerged as the de facto leader of the Democratic resistance. His dubious attempt to redistrict California along partisan lines won at the ballot box last month. It was a gamble – an open and explicit attempt at gerrymandering – which voters have rewarded. He is conspicuously modeling his image on Bill Clinton’s and Slick Willie is returning the compliment by letting insiders know that he is hugely impressed by Newsom’s talents.
After over a decade of mismanagement and misdirection under governors Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown, Californians now can double down by electing the latest aspiring Gubernatorial candidate: billionaire Tom Steyer. Read more
Gavin Newsom’s run for the White House is going from bad to worse. Last week, his former chief of staff was arrested for allegedly siphoning off campaign funds for personal use, raising questions about the California Governor’s control of his inner circle. Now a bigger challenge looms: a rising socialist tide.
California, described by one observer in the late 19th century as “the Jews’ earthly paradise” for the economic and social promise it held, seems to have become newly hostile to Jewish people in recent years. Read more
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