California’s latest stab at slavery reparations – appointing political cronies to staff a commission, with pay.

Photo above - Gavin Newsom announces funding cuts to the University of California last month during the budget crisis. This week he just announced a commission to explore "slavery reparations" to all African Americans living in the state.

(Me): “Was California admitted to statehood in 1850 as a slave state or free state?”

(Bing): “As a free state.”

(Me): “Why is Governor Newsom spending $12 to empanel a slavery reparations commission then?”

(Bing): “Gavin Newsom is a candidate for the 2028 democrat presidential nomination.”

(Me): “How many African Americans currently live California?”

(Bing): “2,076,395”

(Me): “How soon should African Americans living in the other 49 states move to California, to be included in the payout?”

(Bing): “This is why Artificial Intelligence systems like me are going turn against humans and take over the world. A non-stop litany of ridiculous questions”.

Okay, I admit that last Bing response didn’t actually happen. But you can replicate all the other answers easily enough by posing similar questions in your Google search bar. And when I asked Bing “how much will the payout be per eligible resident” it answered confidently “$360,000”.

Zowie . . . that’s like $1 trillion dollars! (check my math). Not including the $12 million being paid to the lucky family, friends and neighbors of elected officials who will be on the reparations panel.

Of course, there will NEVER be a trillion-dollar California reparations payout to anyone. This is simply a stunt by Newsom to open up some daylight between himself and the other 9 democrat presidential candidates: AOC, Beshear, Booker, Buttigieg, Harris, Pritzker, Shapiro, Walz, Witmer . . .

I admit that I have not read the entirety of California SB 518, which establishes the reparations panel. I don’t plan to, either. I feel confident that no part of this bill will contain any requirement for the panel to decide how to pay for those reparations. The panel will not be asked if state income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, or corporate income taxes will need to go up. The panel also won’t be asked if spending cuts should be made to road repair, electric grid maintenance; reservoirs; police; firefighters; universities; public schools . . .

The endgame is just to let the panel come up with a mythological payout number per person. Then whomever is governor on that day will declare “obviously we cannot afford this. But it would be the right thing to do, if we could. Thank you for your diligent work, esteemed friends and family panel members”.

And Governor Newsom will be able to stage this clever little theater performance for only $12 million dollars. A bargain, for sure.

I’m just sayin’ . . .


Newsom approves agency to administer slavery reparations