Will California ever be worth its nickname The Golden State Again? The state has a $60 billion budget deficit, and all it can think of are new ways to spend taxpayer money that it doesn’t even have.
Now, the state’s Democrats want to give even more tax money paid by U.S. citizens to illegal border crossers. This time, it’s in the form of an extension to the state’s existing California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan program, which gives first-time homebuyers up to 20 percent of the home’s purchase price as a loan for the down payment.
Yes, it’s a loan, but it’s an interest-free loan, meaning it’s free money. Now, Assembly Bill 1840 would extend the program to illegal aliens. The state’s Senate Appropriations Committee approved the bill unanimously last week, which means it will move forward for a senate vote. But since Democrats control the senate, and uber-progressive Gavin Newsom is the Governor, it does not seem likely that the bill can be stopped.
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris seems to be studying the California approach as she recently rolled out a proposal to give first-time homeowners a $25,000 down payment and a $10,000 tax credit on top of it. But Harris’ program does not appear to include illegal aliens (yet).
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said it was irresponsible of Democrats to ignore the needs of U.S. citizens living in the state in order to “prioritize illegal immigration,” especially in times of fiscal crisis. He called the expansion of the program “not just another handout,” but a big overreach that will leave taxpayers holding the bag.
Unsurprisingly, one state Assemblymember said the original loan program, restricted to citizens, was just not inclusive enough. Joaquin Arambula of Fresno introduced the bill in the assembly in early 2024 specifically to include illegal aliens within the definition of “first-time homebuyer.” He said that owning a home “should be available to everyone.”
Many might agree, but for them, the definition of “available” does not mean, “paid for with interest-free tax dollars.”
We’ve seen what state politicians have to say, so let’s check in with regular people on social media.
Maybe this user has the right idea. After all, California’s been losing residents to other states in recent years.
California’s ultra-liberal policies aren’t just driving out homeowners, but some of the largest businesses. Billionaire own of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), said he’s moving his SpaceX rocket company to Texas after a recent California law that allows teachers to keep the “gender identity” of confused students secret from their parents.
