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There is a constituency for accountable government. What’s missing is a durable coalition willing to deliver it.
Your editorial “California’s Wealth Tax Boomerang” (Oct. 22) warns that Proposition 40 could leave California with less revenue rather than more. A recent Manhattan Institute survey of 1,000 likely voters suggests that Californians are skeptical themselves. They oppose the proposed billionaire wealth tax by 50% to 35%. Only half of Democrats support it. Traders on the prediction market Kalshi also appear doubtful, putting the probability that the tax takes effect below 20%.
The broader appetite for fiscal accountability is substantial, too. Seventy-one percent are concerned about waste, fraud and abuse in California’s welfare programs. By 53% to 32%, voters prioritize cracking down on those problems over making benefits easier to obtain. Fifty-six percent consider California less business-friendly than other states; only 14% say it is more.
Continue reading the entire piece here at the Wall Street Journal (Paywall)
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Jesse Arm is the vice president of external affairs at the Manhattan Institute, where he oversees communications, government relations, and public opinion research.