As tensions escalate between California and the Trump administration over immigration, another potential battlefront is emerging over taxes.

The spat began with reports that the Trump administration is considering cutting funding for California’s university system, the largest higher education system in the nation with about 12% of all U.S. enrolled students.

In response, Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote Friday afternoon in a social media post that California provides about $80 billion more in taxes to the federal government than it receives in return.

“Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump,” Newsom said.

  • Et Al@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    I’m of the opinion that California, Oregon, and Washington should succeed and join Canada. Hell, New York and Massachusetts too if I’m indulging in this fantasy scenario.

    • Alteon@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      It’s grandstanding…but it pisses off the Orange Turdburgler so I can’t complain too much.

  • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    8 hours ago

    Cross posted to BoycottUnitedStates @ europe.pub

    Hey, now we’re even boycotting ourselves!

    More seriously:

    Welp, I don’t see another option than lie down and roll over, but also, if Newsom actually does it, this will basically cause a civil war… or at best a ‘Russia is pacifying Chechen terrorists’ kind of situation.

    Hope everyone has their popcorn / bugout bags ready.

  • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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    11 hours ago

    stopping paying taxes is one of the essential elements of a “soft secession”, one where the state disintegrates from the federation, but not “all at once”, but “step by step”.

    Maybe it was Trump’s plan after all to cause a number of states to secede? After all, GOP has talked about Texas’ secession for a while, iirc?

      • rylock@lemm.ee
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        5 hours ago

        Although, from a Russian perspective, that would be an ideal outcome. I’d put nothing past these traitorous criminals.

  • TheObviousSolution@lemm.ee
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    16 hours ago

    The guys that are currently restoring confederate monuments would perform a takeover of the state by the federal government. US states no longer share core values, sometimes very hypocritically so.

  • Katana314@lemmy.world
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    21 hours ago

    One thing that might be misunderstood here is that California not paying taxes wouldn’t harm Trump. Trump’s goal, made clear from a sum of lots of behaviors, is the destruction of the United States. Defaulting on its debt, zeroing its GDP, destroying the livelihood of its inhabitants, and ultimately killing its war machine, so that they can’t fight Putin’s army. California’s lack of payment may just hasten that goal.

    • Pelicanen@sopuli.xyz
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      9 hours ago

      I don’t think Trump is as much of a lackey that’s following the plan as he is a useful idiot that’s easy to manipulate. I believe that Trump believes that the US is the biggest and the best - it suits the same image he has of himself as the biggest and best leader - but he’s so dumb and narcissistic that he won’t realize that he’s being led on a leash.

      I don’t think Trump consciously wants to destroy America, I think he wants to make it what he considers to be great (a militarily powerful dictatorship built on worshiping him), but he’s absolutely fine with making it weaker in the interim if it either:
      A. Makes him gain something
      B. Feeds his ego

    • Sheep Herder@lemmy.world
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      17 hours ago

      I don’t think he is a puppet of Putin. I think he really, really likes money and power, that’s it. He does things to further his own grip of the country, thus increasing his power. Or, he does things to increase his wealth. Nothing more. He likes authoritarian leaders because they have more of a hold on their respective countries (a weird form of respect), or because they give him money (or expensive planes).

      • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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        11 hours ago

        But if it’s not Putin’s fault,

        1. US people would have to face the reality that there’s stupid people among them
        2. and there’d be no “external threat” to distract from internal problems!
    • angrystego@lemmy.world
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      18 hours ago

      It might put California on the track to surviving Trump’s destruction and becoming a civilized country opposed to Putin, unlike other US states.

  • DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    MOTHERFUCKING DO IT

    Stop bending the knee to a felon rapist traitor who uses the military to assault American citizens.

    Stop providing welfare to failing red states who elect felon rapist traitors who target blue states.

    • Whitebrow@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      This is, hands down, the funniest version of this that I have seen.

      I even heard it in his voice goddamnit.

      This is art.

  • selkiesidhe@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    CA is the forth largest economy; it would destroy the red state fuckheads if they stopped paying federal taxes. The rest of us follow suit and we defund the motherfuckers stinking up the government.

    If you are sending our military against OUR OWN FUCKING PEOPLE we should not be PAYING FOR IT. My taxes don’t go to that fascist bullshit

    🖕🤬🖕 Fuck drumpf and every bootlicker that got him (probably illegally) elected

      • j0ester@lemmy.world
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        12 hours ago

        Good. Even my state provides more, than we get. Fuck em! Let them have their Jesus Land. That will make America great, no red states.

        • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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          12 hours ago

          Same, I’m in one of the few red states that actually makes money. But honestly I’m at the point where I’m just like whatever. Fuck it, right? Just burn it down so our rot doesn’t infect the rest of the world. Seriously, this would be a mercy killing at this point. Please don’t let this spread.

  • 4grams@awful.systems
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    1 day ago

    Been saying that we’re headed for balkanization since the clown won his first term. Not seeing any reason to change that prediction.

    • lobut@lemmy.ca
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      1 day ago

      balkanization

      For uninformed people like myself:

      Balkanization is the process of a country or region fragmenting into smaller, often hostile units, typically driven by ethnic, cultural, religious, or geopolitical differences. The term originates from the Balkan Peninsula, a region that has experienced significant fragmentation throughout history, and the term is now used more broadly to describe similar processes elsewhere.

    • sheogorath@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I’m not looking forward for the chaos preceding the emergence of the next superpower if US balkanization happens.

  • ChillCapybara@discuss.tchncs.de
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    1 day ago

    So private prison giant GEO group Donates heavily to Trump‘s campaign. Trump has ice indiscriminately pick people up for “deportation“ where they are sent to prisons run by GEO group. Concerned citizens protest ICE actions in California. Trump illegally deploys national guard without the consent of California’s government to attack law abiding citizens in California. Gavin Newsome, Liberal democrat and defender of capitalism, uses legal tactics to fight back against illegal activities. To me this act rings hollow. Please someone tell me what I am missing, because I would love to have a glimmer of hope these days.

    • WolfLink@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      I’m not sure how legal it is for CA to stop paying taxes. At the very least, it’s an attempt to attack where it hurts, which is in the money.

        • Joeffect@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          But it’s what they want… It’s part of the plan… even just the idea to cause uncertainty and confusion… They want to enact material law… running is a choice but fighting fascist racist felon dictators is the only real choice and if they can delay the elections because of civil unrest or whatever bullshit they are trying…

          California is basically its own country it has everything it needs… But you can’t fight trump like a politician… You have to play his game and beat him… He’s a bully and a coward… Saying we won’t pay taxes does nothing to protect the people on the streets

      • Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee
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        1 day ago

        Trump does not give one rat fuck of an ass about the law. Why the fuck should anyone do anything for the federal government and pay taxes at this point?

    • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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      18 hours ago

      Don’t bet on hope from this. California can’t win on its own.this needs to build significantly before it has an effect.