Feds Request “Down Payment” ASAP

The task force overseeing California’s plan to offer reparations to blacks is suggesting that the state offer “down payments” to black residents until the final amount of reparations is determined, Fox News reported.

On Monday, the state’s reparations task force published a 500+ page draft report outlining its recommendations, including recommending that California formally apologize for racism and slavery and consider varying payments to eligible blacks in the state. The draft report also includes recommendations to change a slew of policies, including ending cash bail.

In a preliminary estimate in March, economists predicted that the state’s reparation plan could cost California over $800 billion, a high price for a state with an annual budget of about $300 billion.

Missing in the draft report is the price tag for all of the task force’s recommendations. Instead, the task force outlines how the state might calculate how much money black Californians have lost due to discrimination since it became a state in 1850.

The final report offers dollar amounts blacks have lost depending on how long they have lived in the state and the kind of discrimination they have suffered.

For example, the report estimates that each black Californian lost $2,352 for each year of residence due to the over-policing in black communities. Blacks also lost $3,366 for each year of residence due to “discriminatory lending and zoning.” On top of that, the task force estimates that blacks lost another $13,619 for each year of residence due to “injustices and discrimination in health.” Finally, they tabulate black business owners lost another $77,000 per person due to losses and devaluations of their businesses.

In its draft report, the task force also recommends that blacks in the state receive a cash down payment immediately to tide them over as they wait for their full reparations amount to be calculated.

The final report with the task force’s official recommendations is to be submitted to the state legislature by July 1. The legislature will then vote on whether to implement the recommendations. If the measure passes, it will then be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom to be signed into law.