Desperate Gavin Newsom Tries to Distance Himself From Proposal That’s Already Cost CA $1T

• A powerful public sector union, SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, has proposed a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires’ worldwide net worth to appear on California’s November ballot if it gathers enough signatures.
• The proposal has already prompted major billionaires, including Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin (combined net worth around $518 billion), to relocate out of state, costing California at least $1 trillion in lost wealth and tax revenue.
• Governor Gavin Newsom, eyeing a potential 2028 presidential run, is publicly distancing himself from the idea, calling it his “worst nightmare” and warning that it’s “just what I warned against” and is now “happening.”
• Newsom described the tax as making “no sense” and being “really damaging to the state,” emphasizing that wealthy individuals can easily move to other states or maintain multiple homes elsewhere in a competitive environment.
• Despite his opposition, Newsom has long relied on significant donations and support from the SEIU union network, which backs this socialist-style proposal.
• The article portrays Newsom’s stance as desperate and hypocritical, given his seven years of governing California with high taxes and progressive policies that have fueled economic decline, corruption allegations, and the exodus of the rich.
• Conservatives are urged to highlight this as evidence of California’s one-party progressive failures, with the state serving as a poster child for Democratic mismanagement.

Read the full story: https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2026/01/13/desperate-gavin-newsom-tries-to-distance-himself-from-proposal-thats-already-cost-ca-1t-n2198093