California’s Reparations Tax Force increases potential payouts to $1.2M per person.

California’s Reparations Task Force Considers Generous Payouts for Black Residents

The California Reparations Task Force is making headlines with its latest draft plan, which recommends payouts of up to $1.2 million for some longtime black residents. The task force, which was launched in 2020 during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, has been working to compensate black Californians for the harms inflicted on them due to slavery and racism.

Generous Payouts for Harms Inflicted on Black Californians

The task force’s latest report suggests that black Californians are owed thousands of dollars for every year they’ve spent in the state. This is due to a range of alleged harms, including mass incarceration, home loan discrimination, unequal access to healthcare, medical discrimination, and pollution. For example, compensation for pollution and other health harms is recommended at $13,619 per average person per year, or $966,921 for an average lifetime.

The report also notes that delaying reparations is an injustice that causes more suffering, especially for the elderly among the harmed. The task force further suggests that state leaders tell the public that reparations are just a “substantial initial down payment” on a much larger debt.

Debating Who Qualifies for Reparations

Despite two years of work, the task force has yet to decide which black residents should qualify for reparations. California was never a slave state, and the panel has debated whether only descendants of chattel slaves deserve compensation.

Financial Feasibility and Political Will

While the task force has not addressed the financial feasibility of its proposals, it is up to the state legislature to debate the recommendations. California was facing a $23 billion budget hole earlier this year, and most officials believe the crisis has grown worse as the state awaits Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget revision, to be released next week.

Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D.), who sits on the task force, has been spreading the word in sympathetic media outlets that the “actual meat” of reparations will be policies that stop racism—not cash payments.

Conclusion

The California Reparations Task Force’s latest draft plan is making waves with its generous recommended payouts for black residents. While the task force has yet to decide who qualifies for reparations, it is clear that the harms inflicted on black Californians are significant and require redress. The financial feasibility of the proposals and the political will to implement them remain to be seen.

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