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.
Stephen A. Smith says he was warned by his estate planners to leave California every weekend because the government would TRACK his phone calls, then uses that data to collect MORE taxes.
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) September 9, 2026
He thought they were kidding. Then he got his tax returns. They weren’t.
What’s happening… pic.twitter.com/ZIEYrH45R7
"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.'"
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."
NY has been doing this for decades. I remember Rush talking about it all the time after he fled NY and sold his apartment up there. Having to prove where he was six different ways. We need to arrest all the fascists like newsome who do this and send them to prison.
— Rabiddogg (@Rabiddogg) September 9, 2026
The Left will stop at nothing to steal your money.
All this surveillance and California still can’t track illegal aliens. Crazy how that works.
— Sam Len (@SamLenSports) September 9, 2026
Nor can they track fraud in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Because they choose not to.
Wow. Two thirds of Shaquille O'Neal's paycheck went to taxes when he lived in California. Out of $20M he only kept $7M. https://t.co/AsTY7LLTEJ
— Cari Kelemen (@KelemenCari) September 9, 2026
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.
Question: is this how you want *your* government (you remember: a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”?) operating on your behalf?
— Pawl Baxter (@pmbaxter) September 9, 2026
Surveilling its citizens to be able to maximize extraction of taxes? https://t.co/wzW0IImBgz
No, and we need to vote for politicians who will stop putting their hands into our pockets.
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