Scott Kaufman

Legislative director @HJTA. Talks property taxes, retweets state political news, and complains about baseball. Former journalist. California is not yet lost.

[Emily Hoeven @emily_hoeven]

My latest column: Billionaire or not, CA is coming for your money. Despite soaring revenues, the state budget includes several new taxes hitting everyday Californians. The gas tax just went up again. & nearly half of Nov. ballot measures deal with taxes. https://t.co/kJuZej6eIZ

[Susan Shelley @Susan_Shelley]

A victory for taxpayers as L.A. property owners REJECT the city's streetlight assessment. Memo to the city: Try arresting the copper wire thieves and then get back to us.

[Ashley Zavala @ZavalaA]

Inbox:
The group behind the billionaire's tax in California announces virtual press conference at 5:30pm tomorrow, the deadline for CA's Secretary of State to certify measures on the ballot.

Group will brief media "about the historic effort to prevent widespread hospital closures and save patient lives by ensuring billionaires finally pay their fair share."

[Susan Shelley @Susan_Shelley]

Look what the L.A. County Board of Supervisors has planned for apartment owners. Up for discussion tomorrow, a proposal to prevent the sale of buildings to private owners by giving community groups a right of first refusal. Column: https://t.co/LW2vPKFq10

[Rob Pyers @rpyers]

JUST IN: The second of two initiatives submitted with the intent of neutering the proposed billionaire wealth tax has enough valid signatures to be eligible for California's November ballot.

[Eytan Wallace @EytanWallace]

Organizers of the billionaires tax criticize @CAgovernor @GavinNewsom after he rejected their offer to pull their 5% billionaire tax measure from the ballot in exchange for him signing a one-time 2% billionaire tax into law.

[Ashley Zavala @ZavalaA]

It’s a no for Gov. Newsom on 2% billionaire’s tax.

His spokesperson just gave me this statement:

[Tab Berg @tabberg]

🚨Sacramento County's budget has more than DOUBLED in the past 10 years ($4 Billion in 2016 to $9.2 Billion in 2026).

🚨Sacramento County also spends DOUBLE, per capita, compared to San Diego County.

📉Despite this largess, four members of the Board of Supervisors voted to CUT public safety while diverting million$ into failed & unaccountable homeless programs (ironically, the same Supervisors who voted to RAISE their own salaries by over 36%.)

Sacramento County employs over 10,717 workers (using 2024 data) - EXCLUDING public safety (ie not counting Sheriff, DA, Probation, Public Defender, Coroner, or Fire.).

❓What are taxpayers getting for all their money❓
📈More than 850 SacCounty public employees get over $200K in total compensation.
📈116 Directors & Chiefs (most over $200K)
📈339 IT workers.
📈151 HR workers.
📈247 Mental Health workers + 28 Psychiatrists
📈59 Pharmacists.
📈2,588 Social workers.
📈 144 HR/Personnel/Executive Secretaries.
📈1,156 Office workers & Administrative assistants.
📈 14 Public Information Officers.
📈 1 (one) Baker⁉️

@ZavalaA @EytanWallace @largesteven @NikkiLaurenzo @FlashReport @joncoupal @Sac_Tax

[Ashley Zavala @ZavalaA]

Essential read from @CalMatters today.: ‘This lawmaker’s proposal could make California the most secretive state in the country’

This same lawmaker is in charge of the Capitol Annex, Asm. Blanca Pacheco:
https://t.co/i6YDxqSZZh

[Marc Joffe @marcjoffe]

If a private ambulance company takes a Medi-Cal patient to the hospital it gets $339 taxpayer dollars. But if a California fire district handles the same transfer, it expects $1600 (even if it subcontracts to the private provider).

https://t.co/LK5K3UYod0

[Rob Pyers @rpyers]

JUST IN: California's billionaire wealth tax initiative has collected enough valid signatures to be eligible for the November ballot.

[Jeremy B. White @JeremyBWhite]

And it could happen again this year!

[CalTax @CalTax]

There’s a reason to believe that if enacted, the wealth tax would not be a one-time levy. In 2012, voters passed a “temporary” surtax on the incomes of the state’s wealthiest residents. Public employee unions sponsored a measure to extend it to 2030. 1/2
https://t.co/YVDxLUbxID

[ABC7 Eyewitness News @ABC7]

A troubling grand jury report for the Los Angeles Zoo points to financial and other problems. The L.A. Zoo is the last major American zoo still run by city government, and the grand jury says that's part of the issue. https://t.co/9F9aR51i2b

[Marc Joffe @marcjoffe]

Confirmation that Matt Mahan's fiscal conservatism on the campaign trail did not reflect his governing philosophy: which is pure tax and spend.

[Rob Pyers @rpyers]

JUST IN: CEQA reform proposition backed by the CA Chamber of Commerce has submitted enough signatures to be eligible for the November ballot.

[First Amendment Coalition (follow us on Bluesky) @FACoalition]

Under AB 1821, getting public records would cost more and take even longer. Perhaps worst of all, it would allow government agencies to sue members of the public if the agency deems their request to be made with “malicious intent.”
https://t.co/PQP90XzHwT

[Marc Joffe @marcjoffe]

You gotta hand it to California governments: they are constantly finding innovative new ways to get money.

In the Central Valley, one agency tried to get voters to pass a $35 cemetery parcel tax: a total non-starter for those of us who prefer cremation.

Fortunately, it lost.

[Scott Kaufman @Scott_HJTA]

Hasn't he been under investigation since the Biden administration? I thought that was how they stumbled upon Dana Williamson.

[Eytan Wallace @EytanWallace]

JUST IN: Gov. @GavinNewsom says President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Dept. of Justice to investigate Newsom and his wife, @JenSiebelNewsom. Reaching out to U.S. DOJ for comment.