Google cofounder Sergey Brin has spent $102 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses

[u/Logical_Welder3467]

https://fortune.com/article/how-much-has-google-cofounder-sergey-brin-spent-to-oppose-california-billionaire-tax-102-million-owe-13-billion-if-loses/

[u/Friendly_Engineer_]

YES on 40, NO on 41 and 42

Easy as that, fuck these assholes

edit: and YES on 3 (extend current top earner tax)

Quick endorsement list from couragecalifornia.org :

YES on 1, 2, 3, 4, and 40

NO on propositions 39, 43, 44, and 45

[u/Overall_Koala_8710 → u/Friendly_Engineer_]

41 and 42 were definitely forced onto the ballot by these people as seemingly "common sense" proposals to try to kill 40 judicially.

And I'm afraid my state is going to fall for it.

[u/wpnw → u/Overall_Koala_8710]

Exact same thing they're trying to do in Washington to kill the Millionaire Income Tax, except they're piggybacking on anti-trans bullshit instead.

[u/Tasgall → u/wpnw]

except they're piggybacking on anti-trans bullshit instead.

That seems extremely counterproductive if their goal is to actually pass their motion to kill the income tax.

Like, if you're going to try and sneak something unpopular in as pork, you have to tie it to something that's actually popular, not something even more unpopular.

[u/wpnw → u/Tasgall]

It's all an attempt to drive up turnout for the conservative demographics. The liberal voters will show up regardless, so the only way they can hope to get these initiatives passed is if enough of the MAGA types will get all riled up over trivial culture war stuff - which has proven to be an effective tactic for them over the last couple years - and vote in favor of the anti-trans stuff, and at the same time see an anti-tax measure and vote for it as well.

[u/Kakyro → u/wpnw]

Do you have a link with any further information on this?

[u/wpnw → u/Kakyro]

Links, not off the top of my head, but if you google "Brian Heywood" you'll certainly find lots of articles on the subject.

Heywood is a libertarian wall street type vulture who moved to Washington a while back, and organized a group that got a number of ballot initiatives stood up for this November, the big one of which is a repeal of the new 10% state income tax that only applies to income of over a million per year, and naturally the richies are trying to portray it as either a) a tax on anyone worth a million dollars, or b) fear-monger the middle class into thinking it'll eventually lead to an income tax that will affect everyone.

But he knew that measure alone wouldn't drive turn out in a state as blue as Washington, so he also leaned into the MAGA culture war bullshit and put up a couple others, one (I-638) would ban trans individuals from participating in sports of the gender they identify with and would potentially require kids to have a genital exam in order to participate in sports regardless of whether they identify as trans or not, and the other (I-001) is "parents rights" bullshit that would among other things essentially force teachers to notify parents if their kids reported being abused by their parents to said teachers.

[u/Kakyro → u/wpnw]

Thank you kindly.

[u/Iohet → u/Overall_Koala_8710]

It's how we undermined the gig worker protection law, too. Direct democracy doesn't always get a good result because a mob is easy to manipulate

[u/DuntadaMan → u/Overall_Koala_8710]

Well, unfortunately just this one guy can afford to spend more on advertising than 90% of the state can combined.

[u/Internal-Display3517 → u/Overall_Koala_8710]

“common sense” in politics is always used to shut down progress. 

the moderates’ chant: what do we want?! A modicum of change! when do we want it?! in due time!!