It’s not often a single news item from California proves two points we’ve been making for years in this column, but today is our lucky day.
The points are: Whenever government has a spectacular failure the left always assures us that the problem is not incompetence, the problem is not enough money. Second, when the left is in power the tax burden only expands and never contracts. Finally, newly elected California Gov. Gavin Newsom is going to be eagerly leading the charge on the new taxes. Hmmm. That looks like three instead of two points, an added bonus!
The San Francisco Chronicle tells us there are currently a few “disadvantaged” communities in California that lack “safe and affordable drinking water.” Instead of calling on state or local officials to fire the incompetent water authority, Newsom is using the pretext of a few without safe water to tax every single water user in the state of California.
All that extra money flowing into state coffers will miraculously heal the incompetent water authorities!
In his proposed budget Gavin claims the new soak-the-drinkers tax will “enable the State Water Resources Control Board to assist communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, in paying for the short-term and long-term costs of obtaining access to safe and affordable drinking water.”
A spokesman for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Assn. commented to the Sacramento Bee that Gavin’s new tax is a perfect example of “California's knee-jerk reaction to default to a new tax whenever there's a new problem.”
Gavin’s "solution" also ignores the fact Californians already pay for clean water through their monthly water bills that in some instances go to a government department that could care less about keeping up their end of the commercial bargain.
The obvious solution for a problem limited to a few communities is for the state to intervene in those specific localities and take control of the local government until competent people can be found to run the water authority and, if necessary, city hall. This is similar to what Michigan did when Detroit ran into trouble. What Michigan didn’t do was tax the entire state with a “Responsible Financial Management Tax” that would penalize everyone and never expire.
Our suggestion for California taxpayers is simple. If the new statewide water tax passes, every time you turn the tap for a new glass of water, be sure and remember to toast the governor.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker’s bureau. Read more reports from Michael Reagan — Go Here Now.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian’s Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)." Read more of Michael Shannon's reports — Go Here Now.