The last time we ran an “insanity check” on the state of California, our state’s legislators were laying out plans for a single-payer healthcare system.

Subsequently, the state’s money crunchers processed the numbers and the price tag is twice the state’s annual budget!

Creating a single-payer health care system in California would cost $400 billion a year — including $200 billion in new tax revenue, according to an analysis of legislation released Monday by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The projected cost far surpasses the annual state budget of $180 billion, and skeptics of the bill say the price tag is “a nonstarter.” Half of the $400 billion would come from existing federal, state and local spending on health care. An additional $200 billion would have to be raised by imposing a 15 percent payroll tax on California employers and employees, the analysis found. But the cost of the new tax would be partially offset by reduced spending on health care coverage by employers and employees — which is how nearly half of Californians receive health insurance. “This is the gigantic brick wall that everyone who was paying attention was letting us know we were about to run into,” said Micah Weinberg, a policy researcher and president of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute.

Of course, that is not going to stop California’s Democratic politicians from proceeding.

At Monday’s committee hearing, a host of pro-business groups and insurance providers said the bill would devastate the state’s economy, but Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara defended the measure and said that a financing plan is in the works. “Our goal is to bring back a bill to this committee with the financing structure in place so that we can have it fully debated and fully discussed with the opponents and proponents,” said Mr. Lara, the bill’s co-sponsor, saying he would bring it back “once we get more of the details organized.”

We have already seen the classless demonstration of hostility to President Donald Trump from the California Democrats at their recent state convention. Proving that the radicalized wing of the Democratic Party base is completely out of control, single-payer activists have been disrupting the convention.

…Hundreds of advocates organized by the California Nurses Association stormed into the convention as it began Friday night and shouted down a greeting by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. Speeches by U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon were interrupted on Saturday. Nursing union director RoseAnn DeMoro warned Democratic officials not to assume activists will stick with them if they oppose single-payer health care. State party chairman John Burton chastised the rowdy advocates, telling them single-payer is hardly a controversial issue in the Democratic Party and asking them to be courteous.

The status of California’s single-payer plans was one of the topics I covered on Canto Talk, with host Silvio Canto and Dawn Wildman, Director of the Coalition for Policy Reform.

I will warn you ahead of time, because of discussion involves California Democrats, the language gets a bit salty.

As a palate cleanser from the California Democratic antics, we also feature the “Mom’s March for America“, a virtual event in support of American mothers and American culture that is slated for September 23. If you love the country, hate silly hats, and can’t stand aging & angry pop singers, then this event may be for you.



