PROP 40 WILL SAVE JOBS AND KEEP LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOMS OPEN THROUGH ONE-TIME TAX ON BILLIONAIRES
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — California’s billionaires pay much lower tax rates than what working families pay out of every paycheck. And now, massive federal funding cuts have begun to push key parts of the California healthcare system to the brink of collapse, including many hospitals and clinics serving residents in San Bernardino County.
Recently, the Billionaire Tax Now coalition announced that the California Secretary of State has assigned the Billionaire Tax its official ballot designation, Proposition 40, confirming that Californians will have the chance to vote this November on one of the most consequential measures in state history.
To stop dire consequences that could cut healthcare services and close California hospitals, State Assembly Member Robert Garcia is entering the battle, calling on billionaires to pay their fair share, and encouraging his constituents to vote yes on Proposition 40 in November.
“Every Californian deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of where they live or how much they earn. As federal healthcare cuts threaten hospitals, healthcare workers, and the patients who depend on them, we have a responsibility to stand up for our communities,” said State Assembly Member for District 50, Robert Garcia. “We should be investing in our hospitals and ensuring that no family has to worry about losing access to lifesaving care.”
Several local hospitals in the area are at risk of closing or potential staffing cuts because of federal healthcare cuts. They include:
- St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino
- San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital in Banning
As federal healthcare cuts from H.R. 1 begin to rip healthcare away from millions of Californians, Garcia is joining a growing list of lawmakers supporting Prop 40, a one-time 5% emergency tax on California’s roughly 200 billionaires as a direct response to the massive cuts. The commonsense measure is designed to ensure that billionaires pay their fair share to stabilize and protect the state’s vast healthcare system, including hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, and home care services.
“We appreciate Assembly Member Garcia’s commitment to his constituents. Prop 40 is the only solution we have to alleviate crushing healthcare cuts that are already wreaking havoc on our hospitals and clinics. Our coalition is pleased to have another state leader stepping up to save patient lives by supporting Prop 40,” said Debru Carthan, Vice President of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, one of the lead sponsors of the California Billionaire Tax Act.
Prop 40 qualified for the ballot after supporters submitted more than 1.6 million signatures from Californians across the state — nearly twice the number required to qualify — making it one of the strongest citizen-led ballot qualification efforts in California history. Voters consistently support the Billionaire Tax by large, double-digit margins.
The Billionaire Tax has received hundreds of endorsements from elected officials, labor unions, and community-based organizations ranging from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Ro Khanna, Teamsters California, AFSCME California, SEIU-UHW, Committee of Interns and Residents / SEIU, UNITE HERE Local 11, UNITE HERE Local 30, AFT Local 1521, Disability Voices United, Our Revolution California, Oxfam America, Color of Change, and many, many more.
The more than 400 hospitals statewide have already laid off more than 3,400 healthcare workers as of mid-March, with a second wave of layoffs expected as funding cuts tied to recent federal policy changes are phased in over the next several years. Statewide, projections show the cuts could result in the loss of up to 145,000 healthcare jobs, impacting hospitals, clinics, and home care providers alike. Meanwhile, California was already grappling with a longstanding shortage of healthcare workers, leaving hospitals and clinics stretched thin even before these new threats emerged.
Without revenue from the California Billionaire Tax, federal healthcare cuts are expected to put an estimated 83 California hospitals and clinics at risk of closure. Cuts and closures have already started, impacting communities from Los Angeles to Oakland to Glenn County.
In November, California voters will at last have a chance to make billionaires pay their fair share to help prevent that, through a commonsense ballot initiative that places a one-time 5% tax on the wealth of approximately 200 billionaires who reside in the Golden State. Ninety percent of that funding will go to offset Medi-Cal cuts in order to prevent ER and other service closures, and 10% will go toward funding food assistance and public education.
About Prop 40, the California Billionaire Tax Act
The Prop 40 California Billionaire Tax Act proposes a one-time emergency tax on the wealth of the state’s ultra-high-net-worth billionaires to safeguard Medi-Cal, keep hospitals and emergency rooms open, expand food assistance, and support public education. The initiative is a direct response to federal healthcare cuts under HR1 that threaten healthcare access and economic stability for millions of Californians.
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| Paid for by Yes on 40 – Billionaire Tax Now, Sponsored by Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers West. Committee’s Top Funder Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers West |
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