(VitalNews.org) – A committee in the state of California has issued an estimate that every black resident of the state is owed $1.2 million in compensation for the historical legacy of slavery. This is despite the fact that California entered the Union as a free state in 1850.
The official reparations task force was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom during the height of the BLM (Black Lives Matter) disturbances of 2020. It released an interim report in 2022 proposing separate black schools and backing reparations for black residents.
Although it was narrowly decided at the time that only those black residents who could trace their roots back to Southern slaves should be in line for reparations, the committee stated that all black residents continued to suffer and were therefore deemed to be eligible for compensation.
Economists who advised the panel – composed almost entirely of black members – said that the estimate of $1.2 million was “conservative” and not necessarily a recommendation on the final amount.
The estimate not only includes “damage caused by slavery” but also “mass incarceration”, “housing discrimination” and “health risks” that allegedly disproportionately affect black residents to this day.
It is not clear how California could afford to pay the reparations due to black residents – the estimated $800 billion cost is several times the size of the annual state budget. The chairman of the task force has proposed a wealth tax.
The official reparations task force of California is not the only panel at work. Sensing a good hustle when they see it, another task force in San Francisco is considering a proposal to pay every long-term black resident $5 million, although (surprise, surprise) it is unclear where the money would come from.
However, they should be careful what they wish for – white people have also been subjected to slavery around the world since time immemorial – and what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
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