A proposed wealth tax on billionaires to assist prop up California’s well being care system would solely apply to residents of the Golden State. But it’s caught the eye of at the least one U.S. senator from throughout the nation.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont plans to point out his help of the attainable poll initiative at a rally at The Wiltern theater in Koreatown on Wednesday, Feb. 18, a part of a multi-day tour by way of California.
Associated: California’s politicians and ultra-wealthy are divided over a proposed billionaire tax
Except for headlining the rally, Sanders can be slated to fulfill subsequent week with leaders from the synthetic intelligence business to debate the way forward for AI and “its impacts on American employees and the economic system,” in line with an advisory from Sanders’ marketing campaign. And on Friday, Sanders is scheduled to look at a city corridor within the Bay Space with Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from Silicon Valley, to debate the way forward for AI.
In Los Angeles, Sanders will headline the marketing campaign kickoff for the proposed billionaire tax initiative, which supporters hope to assemble sufficient voter signatures to get on the November statewide poll.
“Do we predict that it’s applicable … that 1% of the inhabitants owns extra wealth than the underside 93%” within the U.S., Sanders requested throughout a name with reporters forward of his journey.
“I’m not solely supportive of what they’re attempting to do in California, however we’re going to introduce a wealth tax for the entire nation. We’ve received to cope with the greed, the extraordinary greed, of the billionaire class,” the progressive former presidential candidate stated.
The proposed poll initiative in California is spearheaded by the Service Workers Worldwide Union-United Healthcare Staff West.
Proponents stated a one-time wealth tax of as much as 5% on people and trusts with belongings value greater than $1 billion would assist backfill federal funding cuts to well being care below the Trump administration.
The tax would generate $100 billion for the state and save California’s well being care system from collapsing by retaining hospital emergency rooms, clinics, nursing houses and different well being care amenities open; retaining well being care employees employed; and stabilizing medical insurance protection and premiums for Californians, supporters of the proposal have stated.
The proposed initiative stated the tax would apply to billionaires whose residence was in California as of Jan. 1 of this 12 months.
Though that date has handed, opponents of the initiative, which embrace Gov. Gavin Newsom, stay involved that such a tax would drive the wealthiest to maneuver out of state, together with entrepreneurs who’ve helped make California a pacesetter in innovation and offered lots of of hundreds of jobs right here.
And so they concern that such damaging impacts could be long-term.
Apart from displaying his help for the proposed billionaire tax, Sanders plans to fulfill with AI leaders in California subsequent week.
He declined, throughout his name with reporters, to specify who precisely he’ll meet with, saying solely that he could be talking with “quite a few CEOs and officers at among the main AI firms.”
These conferences, which Sanders stated could be non-public, could be along with the city corridor at Stanford College with Khanna.
Sanders stated that after his journey to California, he plans to introduce laws calling for a moratorium on new information facilities that the AI firms depend on till the federal government has an opportunity to develop laws on the business.
The senator has repeatedly raised considerations that AI might outcome within the lack of hundreds of thousands of jobs, together with for the working-class, and is nervous that younger persons are turning to AI for emotional help as a substitute of forming relationships with actual folks.
Sanders additionally stated that he desires to decelerate the lightning-speed growth of AI to make sure the know-how doesn’t simply enrich the wealthiest additional, however slightly it could in the end profit society.
