*** OFFICIAL *** Follies of Gavin Newsom thread, 2019-2027

[TheXFactor]

When is he going to run for President?

[Walter Sobchak]

When is he going to run for President?

When Trump's term is up in 2024.

[ErickAA]

California has some of the highest gas prices in the nation, thanks to both a high level of taxation and more stringent environmental requirements.

How high is it? A gallon of regular gas is averaging $3.79 (higher in many areas), whereas the national average is $2.59.

Here's the list by state: https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/

This has been the case for a long time. California used to be virtually tied for far-and-away worst gas prices in the nation, but now they've even passed Hawaii, which is amazing given Hawaii's isolation.

Why has California passed Hawaii for highest gas prices? In April 2017, the California government passed yet another tax increase of 12c per gallon, in an effort to raise $5.4 billion for transportation-related construction. In 2018, proposition 6 was on the ballot in order to repeal the tax. However, labor unions and construction contractors donated a whopping $46 million to defeat it, which dwarfed the $5 million raised to promote the "yes" side. The results? An expensive, in-your-face scare campaign which made people afraid that roads and bridges would crumble if this tax was repealed. (No word on how the state managed to survive without it prior to 2017!)

The repeal lost by 13 points in the 2018 election.

So what does this have to do with Newsom, who wasn't even elected yet?

Well, remember that $5.4 billion in funds that were supposedly to be raised by the tax? Well, Newsom decided he's going to divert some of it to "fight climate change", whatever the fuck that means.

And while California does have a recent law against diverting voter-approved transportation funds for other purposes, Newsom is getting around that by moving other money which was originally designated for transportation. Sneaky sneaky!

Boy this guy is awful.

Transportation issues and infrastructure are an extremely big problem throughout the state. How do you think the state should ethically deal with this problem? This isn't a trap question. I am genuinely curious.

[GambleBotsChafedPenis]

druff know you've been a life long California guy...just curious why you still live there and not Nevada given the fucking huge taxes and all the general liberal leaning policies of the state...

know you have a family and stuff now so it might be better schooling relative to nevada but figured paying that huge ass state tax bill every year would make you break out into hives...

[simpdog]

druff know you've been a life long California guy...just curious why you still live there and not Nevada given the fucking huge taxes and all the general liberal leaning policies of the state...

know you have a family and stuff now so it might be better schooling relative to nevada but figured paying that huge ass state tax bill every year would make you break out into hives...

He "lives" in Nevada for tax reasons.

[Sanlmar]

druff know you've been a life long California guy...just curious why you still live there and not Nevada given the fucking huge taxes and all the general liberal leaning policies of the state...

know you have a family and stuff now so it might be better schooling relative to nevada but figured paying that huge ass state tax bill every year would make you break out into hives...

He "lives" in Nevada for tax reasons.

I enjoyed Druff’s rant. I also have 0.0 sympathy.

200 years ago we were more a confederation of little countries. Yet you have always had the freedom to move.

I swear the frequency of a person’s movement is a mark of intelligence. Try it out in your personal experience. Look at MrTickle. He’s young and politically naive but he’s bright and well traveled.

It astounds me why people persist in staying put. Inertia.

Why do people live in Detroit for instance? Violence, poverty, terrible schools, no work. Generations remain.

I got no sympathy for the mess California has become or the people who live there. It might be a liberal utopia for some. I doubt it. They can’t even do that right.

55 gallons of water. That’s a new one.

You only got one life. Yeah, definitely stick it out. See what the next ten years brings.

[Sanlmar]

“well travelled” was such a poor choice of words.

Getting off a cruise ship or staying in a hotel for a few days gives you slightly more than zero insight

I mean choosing to live in various places. Becoming part of a community ... then bolting for the hills

Sorry, MrTickle. I admire your game. Huge.

[JohnCommode]

I'm already giving credit to Newsom for winning reelection as California governor in 2022, because.... well, who are we kidding? This is California.

So buckle up, we have to deal with him for 8 years.

Newsom has replaced another liberal Democrat governor, Jerry Brown.

However, Jerry Brown wasn't your typical Democrat. He had his own ideas and marched to his own drum. He frequently pissed off his own party, given his fiscal restraint and overruling of parole board decisions.

Newsom is no Jerry Brown. Instead, he's probably going to out-liberal the already leftist California state legislature, aggressively pushing for radical changes to fit his agenda.

Here's one just announced: Gavin Newsom wants to take away gasoline tax revenue from cities which don't meet state affordable housing goals.

On the surface, this might sound good to you. Who doesn't like affordable housing?

But what this really means is that cities, including small ones, are required to make room for new construction of low-income housing, regardless of the type of area it is, or what they have to destroy to create room for it.

Did you work hard to earn and save enough money to move your kids to a safe suburb, away from the most of the violent criminal element?

Well, guess what? Now Gavin Newsom wants to move the violent criminal element right into your new neighborhood!

Why? Because... well, affordable housing or something.

Since Newsom cannot force cities to erect low-income housing, he is choosing to punish them by taking away a critical source of funding (the gasoline tax revenue), leaving these cities unable to pay for basics such as road repairs.

Boy do I hate this guy.

I'm not knowledgeable about who chooses who gets to live in these low income housing units in California, but if it's someone in the public or nonprofit sector then your concerns about some of the people you'll get are valid. If the landlords get to choose, then your new neighbors are likely to be dangerous baristas and gay waiters who only can afford to live in vans in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. Other than living in their mothers' homes, I have no clue how young people in the retail and service sectors get by when it comes to housing in California.

As for Newsom, as long as California's elected Republicans are mostly hopeless Trumpites who will never win statewide elections there, the Democratic Party will continue to move further and further to the left since the primary is actually the election. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the Republicans often shut out in a number of races on the November ballot because of the state's weird "top two" primaries? If true, that's pretty pathetic. In Democratic Massachusetts, Republicans have held their own by electing and reelecting governors who are moderates including the present governor because they are reasonable alternatives to ultraliberals and don't despise the people they hope to govern.

[GrenadaRoger]

BTW, speaking of poor people, I'd be glad to support making them completely tax exempt (except sales/gas tax, which would be too cumbersome). Let them keep 100% of their paychecks. I have a lot of empathy for poor people -- at least the ones who are working or trying to find work (or have legitimate reasons why they aren't).

already done, lookup earned income credit on Form 1040;

you'd know about this if you were poor or born in another country then moved to the US

[Tellafriend]

BTW, speaking of poor people, I'd be glad to support making them completely tax exempt (except sales/gas tax, which would be too cumbersome). Let them keep 100% of their paychecks. I have a lot of empathy for poor people -- at least the ones who are working or trying to find work (or have legitimate reasons why they aren't).

already done, lookup earned income credit on Form 1040;

you'd know about this if you were poor or born in another country then moved to the US

yep, Druff should know better. besides, they need to file to get their "earned income" tax credit. those flat screens and iPhones aren't going to pay for themselves.

[Dan Druff]

BTW, speaking of poor people, I'd be glad to support making them completely tax exempt (except sales/gas tax, which would be too cumbersome). Let them keep 100% of their paychecks. I have a lot of empathy for poor people -- at least the ones who are working or trying to find work (or have legitimate reasons why they aren't).

already done, lookup earned income credit on Form 1040;

you'd know about this if you were poor or born in another country then moved to the US

I know about the EIC. I was talking about both eliminating filing for that plus raising the floor to where poorer people get taxed on their income.

[Tellafriend]

already done, lookup earned income credit on Form 1040;

you'd know about this if you were poor or born in another country then moved to the US

I know about the EIC. I was talking about both eliminating filing for that plus raising the floor to where poorer people get taxed on their income.

Poor people don't get taxed on their income.

[Dan Druff]

I know about the EIC. I was talking about both eliminating filing for that plus raising the floor to where poorer people get taxed on their income.

Poor people don't get taxed on their income.

I was talking about the lower-middle class. Raise the floor for where people get taxed on their income. Some Republicans have suggested this over the years, but it hasn't gone anywhere. This would actually do a lot to bring some of the poorer segment of the population into the party, too.

[GrenadaRoger]

already done, lookup earned income credit on Form 1040;

you'd know about this if you were poor or born in another country then moved to the US

I know about the EIC. I was talking about both eliminating filing for that plus raising the floor to where poorer people get taxed on their income.

what you propose would crater the economy of Armenia West (aka Glendale, CA)...people file there just to get EIC (most income off-books but just enough on books to get EIC)

[Dan Druff]

I know about the EIC. I was talking about both eliminating filing for that plus raising the floor to where poorer people get taxed on their income.

what you propose would crater the economy of Armenia West (aka Glendale, CA)...people file there just to get EIC (most income off-books but just enough on books to get EIC)

An Armenian woman who plays at Commerce regularly talked about the traffic getting home if she leaves at a certain time, and I said, "Yeah, the traffic between here and Glendale can be brutal."

She acted insulted and said, "Oh... so you're assuming I live in Glendale just because I'm Armenian?"

I asked, "Well, do you?"

She paused and then quietly said, "Well.... yes. But you shouldn't assume that."

[Jayjami]

druff know you've been a life long California guy...just curious why you still live there and not Nevada given the fucking huge taxes and all the general liberal leaning policies of the state...

know you have a family and stuff now so it might be better schooling relative to nevada but figured paying that huge ass state tax bill every year would make you break out into hives...

He "lives" in Nevada for tax reasons.

That telephone on Mt. Charleston is there for a reason.

[JoeD]

It's game on here in Orange County today, though I guess this has been a thing for a while now

[Walter Sobchak]

California has some of the highest gas prices in the nation, thanks to both a high level of taxation and more stringent environmental requirements.

How high is it? A gallon of regular gas is averaging $3.79 (higher in many areas), whereas the national average is $2.59.

Here's the list by state: https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/

This has been the case for a long time. California used to be virtually tied for far-and-away worst gas prices in the nation, but now they've even passed Hawaii, which is amazing given Hawaii's isolation.

Why has California passed Hawaii for highest gas prices? In April 2017, the California government passed yet another tax increase of 12c per gallon, in an effort to raise $5.4 billion for transportation-related construction. In 2018, proposition 6 was on the ballot in order to repeal the tax. However, labor unions and construction contractors donated a whopping $46 million to defeat it, which dwarfed the $5 million raised to promote the "yes" side. The results? An expensive, in-your-face scare campaign which made people afraid that roads and bridges would crumble if this tax was repealed. (No word on how the state managed to survive without it prior to 2017!)

The repeal lost by 13 points in the 2018 election.

So what does this have to do with Newsom, who wasn't even elected yet?

Well, remember that $5.4 billion in funds that were supposedly to be raised by the tax? Well, Newsom decided he's going to divert some of it to "fight climate change", whatever the fuck that means.

And while California does have a recent law against diverting voter-approved transportation funds for other purposes, Newsom is getting around that by moving other money which was originally designated for transportation. Sneaky sneaky!

Boy this guy is awful.

Moving money around between different parts of the government with loopholes goes on every day at every level of government.

Trump declared an "emergency" to divert funds from the pentagon to be used for his border wall. There is no "emergency" on the border by any reasonable definition of the word.

I'm sure you're just as upset about that, right?

[Tellafriend]

California has some of the highest gas prices in the nation, thanks to both a high level of taxation and more stringent environmental requirements.

How high is it? A gallon of regular gas is averaging $3.79 (higher in many areas), whereas the national average is $2.59.

Here's the list by state: https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/

This has been the case for a long time. California used to be virtually tied for far-and-away worst gas prices in the nation, but now they've even passed Hawaii, which is amazing given Hawaii's isolation.

Why has California passed Hawaii for highest gas prices? In April 2017, the California government passed yet another tax increase of 12c per gallon, in an effort to raise $5.4 billion for transportation-related construction. In 2018, proposition 6 was on the ballot in order to repeal the tax. However, labor unions and construction contractors donated a whopping $46 million to defeat it, which dwarfed the $5 million raised to promote the "yes" side. The results? An expensive, in-your-face scare campaign which made people afraid that roads and bridges would crumble if this tax was repealed. (No word on how the state managed to survive without it prior to 2017!)

The repeal lost by 13 points in the 2018 election.

So what does this have to do with Newsom, who wasn't even elected yet?

Well, remember that $5.4 billion in funds that were supposedly to be raised by the tax? Well, Newsom decided he's going to divert some of it to "fight climate change", whatever the fuck that means.

And while California does have a recent law against diverting voter-approved transportation funds for other purposes, Newsom is getting around that by moving other money which was originally designated for transportation. Sneaky sneaky!

Boy this guy is awful.

Moving money around between different parts of the government with loopholes goes on every day at every level of government.

Trump declared an "emergency" to divert funds from the pentagon to be used for his border wall. There is no "emergency" on the border by any reasonable definition of the word.

I'm sure you're just as upset about that, right?

Query: where did Obama get the $ to give to Iran?

[desertrunner]

3/30/21- California's bullet train completion date pushed back until April 2025, report says