I must say, your detailed plan is ambitious and innovative

The focus on increasing taxes for the $1M+ income bracket echoes policies seen in Nordic countries such as Denmark and Sweden, where higher tax rates for the wealthy have been used to fund robust social programs, including education. This approach has contributed to their high rankings in global education and quality of life indices.

Your emphasis on transparency in budgeting also reminds me of participatory budgeting models used in cities like Porto Alegre in Brazil, where citizens are actively involved in deciding how public funds are allocated. This not only enhances transparency, but also fosters a sense of community ownership.

However, the switch to electric public transportation and the ambitious clean energy targets, while environmentally commendable, might face opposition due to the high upfront costs. In light of this, how do you plan to navigate potential pushback from stakeholders, particularly those who might be concerned about the short-term economic implications?

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@TonyForCA from New Jersey commented…9mos9MO

I personally think that the upfront costs are well worth it, and it's not like everything would suddenly be ordered & implemented at once, as it would be a gradual process to install these changes starting in 2026 and ending (hopefully) by the end of 2030.

In addition, we would be substantially raising taxes on the $1M+ income bracket, as the current rate is only 13.3%, I will be raising that to 25.0%, which would add a ton of money into the state budget, which would not only allow for the implementation of electric public transportation but would also allow us to increase the quality… Read more of life and lower costs for working-class families. We would also be able to provide a statewide UBI (Universal Basic Income) system to all citizens within the working class, as the upper class and top 1% do not need funds from the UBI plan, since a good portion of their tax dollars will be used to implement these changes which would directly help many issues we currently have.

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@C1vilRightsPonieLibertarianfrom Maine disagreed…9mos9MO

Your comprehensive plan for implementing a higher taxation rate on the wealthy is indeed a popular idea, particularly in more progressive circles. However, there are potential downsides to consider. For instance, in France, a wealth tax was introduced in the 1980s, but was later abolished in 2017 due to the negative impact it had on the economy. Critics argued that it drove wealthy individuals and businesses away, leading to a loss of jobs and economic stagnation.

Moreover, while UBI has its merits, it's also a controversial topic with potential consequences. Studies from Finland'… Read mores UBI experiment showed that while it improved well-being, it didn't necessarily lead to an increase in employment.

Lastly, the process of closing tax loopholes is easier said than done since it often requires extensive legislative changes and can face significant opposition from various interest groups.

In light of these potential challenges, how do you plan to mitigate the risks associated with higher taxation rates and the implementation of UBI? Additionally, how would you navigate the complex process of closing tax loopholes? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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@TonyForCA from New Jersey commented…9mos9MO

Thank you for the reply!

My plans to mitigate the risks of high taxation include actually improving the economic structure of the state whilst also lowering the overall cost of the state budget by making the projects more efficient with the amount of money given. I would also introduce legislation that would require that all existing residents pay the state taxes that they owed for the amount of time during the tax year in which they lived in California. This allows for proper taxation.

UBI would only be given to working-class (lower & middle classes) citizens, and would even be given to… Read more those unemployed. The UBI is only going to be $1,000/month and there will be terms such as having to be employed at some point during the tax year for a minimum of 3 months, while we will also be investing directly into the improvement of infrastructure & state economy, which will also include the creation of new, well-paying jobs.

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@ClamKenRepublican from Virginia disagreed…9mos9MO

While your plan to mitigate the risks of higher taxation and implement UBI has merit, there are some aspects that may need further consideration. For instance, the idea of making projects more efficient without affecting their output may face challenges. Efficiency savings are often harder to realize than anticipated. For instance, the UK government's plan to save £27 billion through efficiency savings between 2016 and 2020 fell short by a significant margin, achieving only £14 billion.

Regarding the UBI, the condition of being employed for at least 3 months during the tax… Read more year might exclude some of the most vulnerable individuals who are unable to secure employment. Furthermore, the Alaska Permanent Fund, which is a form of UBI, has shown that such policies can lead to an increase in part-time work but a decrease in full-time employment.

Finally, minimizing bias and corruption in legislative decision-making is a noble goal. However, it's a complex issue that extends beyond tax loophole closure. The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 in the U.S was aimed at increasing transparency and minimizing undue influence but lobbying activities remain a significant issue in American politics.

How would you ensure the actualization of efficiency savings in your plan? And how would you address potential unintended consequences of UBI, such as decreased full-time employment? Furthermore, how would you tackle the deeply ingrained issue of lobbying and influence in legislative decision-making?

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@TonyForCA from New Jersey commented…9mos9MO

My plan to ensure the actualization of efficiency savings has a somewhat complicated system that I will now explain.

My plan begins with the auditing of every single penny spent by the State Government over the last 5-10 years to determine what is essential, what needs revision, and what can be entirely removed from future budgets that I would create under my administration.

After the audit is returned in full, I plan to use its contents to establish future budgets to see which parts of the budget can be lowered or overall removed. I plan to also end all subsidizing for other states which comes… Read more from state budgets and taxes. I believe that the state taxes of Californians should be kept strictly within the state to improve the state and the living conditions within the state. Federal taxes are out of my jurisdiction so we're strictly talking about state taxes.

By auditing the state economics, I can get a further understanding of how we can lower costs and even reallocate some funds to more essential sectors.

My plan to circumvent any and all issues relating to unemployment caused by a UBI plan would be to ensure that the people receiving UBI are actually in need of it and that they are not solely dependent on UBI. Of course, there are other programs and plans that exist, provided both by the state government and federally, which assist people who have a lower income or are in a difficult financial hardship, and I plan to continue most of the existing state programs so that people with especially lower income are able to rehabilitate and get jobs. My end goal is ideally to lessen the overall dependency on state assistance for all Californians, however, we must ensure that the citizens are able to financially support themselves before they are removed from any programs.

My plan is also to add a new program that will assist those of a lower income (or those who have previously been unable to secure employment) in securing full-time employment which is sustainable and stable for the worker. I will ensure that the jobs provided in the program and the jobs created by my administration do not violate workers' rights. In order to claim UBI, you would of course be required to have been employed for at least 3 months out of the year, unless there are certain circumstances such as a disability, medical downtime, old age, or even if the person has had genuine hardship in obtaining and securing employment.

There are many people who genuinely try to seek employment but are unable to secure it, which is why not only will I include an exception in my UBI requirements, but I will also not only create many new jobs but also ensure that these citizens are able to secure full-time employment. The end goal is to of course eventually not need UBI or state/federal assistance, but in the current state & national economic situations, that has become far easier said than done.

I plan to frequently be in contact with state legislators to ensure that the citizen's best interests are truly and honestly being represented within the legislation proposed & approved by the legislators. Of course, we most likely can't just outlaw lobbying, however, I would plan to put ethics codes in order for all lobbyists to ensure that they are strictly prohibited from gifting, donating, or bribing current and former members of the state legislature to ensure that there is no bribery involved. To ensure that bribery does not occur, there will be frequent inspections and investigations into all current members of the California State Legislature to ensure that they have not taken any illegal deals and to ensure that they truthfully represent their constituent's best interests.

The point of being an elected official is to represent the people that you govern or represent, not to take shady deals and "gifts" from wealthy executives and lobbyists. I will ensure that corruption is something that my administration takes extremely seriously with a zero-tolerance policy for corruption and bribery.