California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, is trying to get out of a political bind when it comes to slavery reparations proposed by his own task force.
Fox News Digital was the first to report Tuesday evening that Newsom, after months of complete silence on the matter, refused to endorse the cash payments, which could be as high as $1.2 million for a single recipient. recommended by its reparations task force, arguing that dealing with the legacy of slavery “is about much more than cash payments.”
“It will take absurd mental gymnastics to require California taxpayers, including new immigrants, low-income workers and even some African Americans, to pay for a wrong committed by other states more than 150 years ago, but that is the position in what Newsom put on.” Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital.
“No matter what he does, he’s going to anger some of his base,” he said. “This is just another example of the governor’s tendency to make big promises that he can’t or won’t keep, and people will quickly learn that Newsom is all talk but no action.”
Newsom’s predicament — having to choose between passing budget-busting checks or angering a key Democratic constituency — is largely a problem of his own making.
After the George Floyd riots in 2020, Newsom signed legislation that made California the first in the nation to embark on a massive socioeconomic experiment to create a majority panel appointed by the governor to explore potential slavery reparations for to black Americans.
The proposal presented Saturday by California’s reparations task force, which is estimated to cost more than twice California’s overall budget, would risk bankrupting the state, but those likely to support it make up a significant bloc of Democratic Party: A 2021 Poll. by University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB found that 64% of Democrats and 86% of black Americans support reparations.
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While the Democratic governor applauded the task force’s work in Tuesday’s statement, he declined to endorse any specific recommendations, though he pledged to continue “advancing systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all the Californians.”
“Many of the recommendations presented by the task force are critical actions we have already worked hard for: breaking down barriers to voting, strengthening resources to address hate, enacting sweeping reforms in law enforcement and justice to generate trust and security, strengthening economic mobility, all while investing billions to eliminate disparities and improve equity in housing, education, health care and beyond. This work must continue.” he said.
“Following the task force’s submission of its final report this summer, I look forward to a continued partnership with the Legislature to advance systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians.”
In a reiteration of the statement that was presented as a clarification by Newsom’s office and some media outlets, Newsom again did not endorse the cash payments, saying he was awaiting the task force’s final report.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom talks about his plans to build 1,200 tiny houses across the state to reduce homelessness, during the first of a four-day tour of the state in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, 16 March 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
The task force recommends giving just under $360,000 per person to roughly 1.8 million black Californians who had an enslaved ancestor in the US. Other factors would accrue additional reparations payments in addition to the slavery-specific checks. In total, a black Californian who is 71 years old and has lived in California his entire life could receive up to $1.2 million, according to a New York Times analysis.
The total cost of the program is estimated at $640 billion, more than doubling the nearly $300 billion state budget, at a time when the state is facing its first deficit in years.
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, California, Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Newsom refused to weigh in for months on where he stood on the repairs, even though the proposal has been in the works for more than two years. However, his hand may soon be forced. The task force’s final recommendations will soon be presented to the California Legislature, which will then decide whether to implement the measures and send them to Newsom’s desk for signature.
Critics argue Newsom will use the lofty proposal to score political points because he views it as a nonstarter in the state legislature. Up to this point, CalMatters recently asked all 80 assemblymen supported the task force’s proposal, with only three saying yes, while the rest declined to answer.
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But if the Legislature fails to pass a bill, advocates have called on Newsom to use his authority as governor to unilaterally enact the proposal. He probably sees it as a no-win situation, hence the vagueness of his comments so far.
“This exercise in pointless reparations exposes the unserious nature of Governor Newsom’s leadership,” Republican Rep. Bill Essayli told Fox News Digital. “Instead of directly addressing California’s problems, he prefers headlines and commissions to do nothing. It might work in a super-Democrat state like California, but the rest of America will see right through it.”
Governor Gavin Newsom with President Joe Biden (Getty Images)
“Creating this committee was another vote-and-praise ploy that has taken him into dangerous waters with no path to safety,” said Elizabeth Kolstad, chairwoman of the Fresno County Republican Party. “What is clear is that if the recommendations of the Gavin committee are implemented, CA will sink economically faster than the Titanic – only the Titanic’s lights were on when it went out.”
The debate comes as Newsom continues to be floated as a possible 2024 Democratic alternative to President Biden, whose job approval ratings have sunk to a career low. Newsom has publicly endorsed Biden for re-election, but his actions have raised questions about his commitment to the president.
The governor fueled speculation in March when he launched a nonprofit political campaign called the Campaign for Democracy that took him on a tour of several red states including Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi.
US President Joe Biden, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom greet the crowd as they campaign to keep the governor in office at Long Beach City College on the eve of the final day of the special election to recall the governor in September. 13, 2021, in Long Beach, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
For the first time in years, California is facing a projected $22.5 billion budget deficit after boasting a robust surplus less than a year ago. Newsom angered both Republicans and Democrats after he proposed cutting his budget commitment for shelter services by two-thirds to help offset the budget shortfall.
The state is suddenly strapped for cash despite being No. 1 in the nation in highest income taxes, sales taxes and having the second-highest gas tax in the nation, behind only Pennsylvania .
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California is also No. 9 in the nation for jobless claims, tied with Michigan with an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, compared to Florida’s 2.6 percent.
California’s homelessness crisis has also gotten much worse since the pandemic, despite Newsom spending billions to combat it since taking office. The state is home to more than 30 percent of the nation’s homeless population, and that number has increased by about 6 percent since 2020, compared to just 0.4 percent in the rest of the country, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
Jessica Chasmar is a digital writer on the politics team at Fox News and Fox Business. Story tips can be sent to Jessica.Chasmar@fox.com.
