A task force in California recommended cash reparations for descendants of slaves earlier this year, but the request was opposed by a majority of the state's voters, according to the Washington Examiner.
A poll conducted by the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies in partnership with the Los Angeles Times has revealed that 59% of voters are against the idea of cash payments to certain Black residents. The poll further indicates that over 40% of the voters were "strongly" opposed to the proposed reparation plan.
In June, the California Reparations Task Force published a report after years of studying reparations for Black residents. More than 115 policy reforms were proposed by the panel, which was established by Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., in 2020.
The comprehensive two-year study, which spans over 1,000 pages, suggests compensating for discrimination through cash payments, which reportedly amount to millions of dollars.
"It speaks to the miseducation of most Americans when it comes to slavery and the impact that it had on this country and the impact that it still has on African Americans today," state Sen. Steven Bradford, who served on the task force, said.
Since the report, there have been debates over the method and source of payout, with Bradford proposing a 0.5% diversion of the state's annual budget towards a $1.5 billion annuity. Such an annuity would reportedly support reparation programs and provide compensation to descendants of slaves over a period of time.
When the survey asked why voters would reject the proposal, 60% responded, "it's unfair to ask today's taxpayers to pay for wrongs committed in the past." Additionally, 53% answered, "it's not fair to single out one group for reparations when other racial and religious groups have been wronged in the past."
The poll was conducted with 6,030 registered California voters on Aug. 24-29, and has a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
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