California voters are 2:1 against cash reparations

In California, there are currently two separate initiatives concerning reparations. One is specific to San Francisco, where the Board of Supervisors established the African American Reparations Advisory Committee (AARAC) in December 2020. The other initiative is the California Reparations Task Force, created by Governor Newsom in September 2020. Both initiatives aim to devise a feasible plan for providing cash reparations.

AARAC eventually proposed providing $5 million to each eligible individual, along with various other subsidies. These subsidies included income supplementation for low-income households over 250 years and comprehensive debt forgiveness.

Naturally, San Francisco faced uncertainty about how to fund these proposals, given its annual budget of approximately $14 billion. The $5 million lump sum payout alone could potentially cost ten times the city's entire budget. AARAC admitted that they hadn't employed any mathematical calculations when crafting their proposal.

Eric McDonnell, the chair of the reparations committee, explained, "There wasn't a math formula; it was a journey for the committee toward what could represent a significant enough investment in families to put them on this path to economic well-being, growth, and vitality that chattel slavery and all the policies that flowed from it destroyed."

John Dennis, chairman of the San Francisco Republican Party, expressed openness to discussing reparations for Black residents but considered the proposal lacking in seriousness. He argued that it lacked justification or analysis for the proposed amount, viewing it as a missed opportunity for meaningful work.

In comparison, the California state reparations plan seemed more reasonable, although it still exceeded the state's budget limits.

Economists advising California's reparations task force finally estimated the damage caused by the state's history of slavery and white supremacy, suggesting a potential compensation of up to $1.2 million per Black resident over their lifetime. One economist estimated the plan's cost could surpass $800 billion, while the state's annual budget stands at around $297 billion.

Surprisingly, California residents largely reject the concept of cash reparations. According to a poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times, 59% of voters oppose cash payments, while only 28% support them. The opposition is particularly strong, with over 40% of voters strongly opposed.

Interestingly, those opposing reparations cited reasons other than cost. Most commonly, voters felt it was unfair to ask today's taxpayers to rectify past wrongs (60%), or they believed it was unjust to single out one group for reparations when other racial and religious groups had also suffered in the past (53%). Only 19% cited the cost as their primary reason, indicating that financial concerns were not the main objection.

There was a noticeable divide along racial lines, with Black respondents overwhelmingly supporting cash payments (76% in favor and 16% opposed), while respondents from other racial backgrounds were strongly against them. Approximately two-thirds of white voters, as well as 6 in 10 Latino and Asian voters, were opposed.

California is the first state to consider statewide reparations, and this widespread opposition among voters, even in a predominantly liberal state, may discourage similar initiatives in other parts of the country. Some Democrats are now emphasizing that reparations can take various forms beyond cash payouts, signaling potential shifts in their approach.

The current situation suggests that even in California, voters have limits when it comes to progressive policies. While they support progressive ideals, they may reject what they perceive as excessive or impractical measures, such as significant cash reparations paid from present-day workers to address historical injustices.