Yesterday, Gavin Newsom — with an assist from the San Francisco Chronicle — insisted that California's bad reputation was nothing more than lies spread by "right-wing media." Instead of taking responsibility for his failed policies and leadership, Newsom is blaming anyone and everyone else. Of course, we have eyes and ears and memories, so we know who is to blame for the disaster that is the Golden State: the Democrats in Sacramento.

We've heard countless stories of current and former Californians talking about the soft-on-crime policies, the insane tax rates, and the burdensome regulations that have made doing business (or anything) in the state almost impossible.

Now, sportscaster Stephen A. Smith is talking about just how insane the state's taxes actually were, and why it drove him to leave California for a place with friendlier tax brackets.

"New York was at around nine percent, California was approaching 13 percent. Now they're at 13.6 percent. If Gavin Newsom had his way it'd be about 16.8 percent," Smith said. "So I'm looking at it and I'm like, you got California state tax, you got Los Angeles city tax, you got L.A. County tax and then here's what really really did it."

"This happened to me two years ago. They said look, because I was going to spend some more time out there, they got me doing NBA Countdown ... moreso from L.A. than anyplace else," Smith said. "So any time I'm in the state of California, I'm getting taxed that day. So I'm sitting down with my estate planners ... and they said, 'Look, when the weekend arrives, it would be in your best interest to go to Vegas or to Utah or something.'"

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Why?

"They said, 'Well if you stay in California, you know, IRS, they pinging your phone. So any time you get a call or you're on the phone they know that you're in the state and that counts as a day,'" Smith explained. "And sure enough when I saw my tax return, it was absolutely correct and that's why I said ... a couple years ago, I look at Gavin Newsom who I've spoken to a couple of times, and I'm like ... you look very presidential. Ain't getting my vote ... d**n right, because of these d**n taxes."

The Left will stop at nothing to steal your money.

Nor can they track fraud in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Because they choose not to.

That's why this writer jokes that whenever someone in California wins a Powerball jackpot, they'd better enjoy the $5.27 they get after taxes.

No, and we need to vote for politicians who will stop putting their hands into our pockets.