Matt Mahan

Yeah, the average California tax bill.

The reality is it's high.

We've also locked in a lot of expenditures and commitments.

We have pension liabilities.

We have a lot of infrastructure to maintain.

My goal right now is, and as governor, my goal would be explicitly not to raise or lower.

Maybe we can right-size to deal with some of the

regressive taxation.

My goal is to make sure we spend better.

I think we can get 20, 30% more impact in terms of outcomes out of the dollars we're spending.

And what I worry about in California is a complacency that has set in.

where Sacramento, our state government, is basically captured by highly organized interests.

We have single-party rule, my party.

We have controlled every statewide office for 15 years now, a super majority in the legislature, the governor's office, and so forth.

And every year, revenue is going up far faster than population growth or average income, and we're not getting better outcomes.

I mean, we are literally spending 75% more than six years ago, and not one outcome that matters is better.

Housing costs are as unaffordable as ever, second highest energy costs, highest unemployment rate, highest poverty rate.

Our public schools are lagging behind Mississippi and Louisiana in educating low-income students.

So we have got to demand better before we even think about asking people to pay more.

Well, I think what the governor has understood and been willing to push on is in certain areas that we need reform.