The Reparations Task Force in California, despite the state never having legalized slavery, recently released its final report, consisting of over 1,100 pages and containing more than 100 policy recommendations. While some recommendations are reasonable, many others are considered absurd.
One particularly controversial aspect is the potential payment amount. Although the report doesn’t specify a specific dollar figure, CNN reported that the formula used in the report suggests that each eligible resident may be owed up to $1.2 million.
While the report claims these estimates are conservative, other proposals have suggested payments of up to $5 million per resident. It remains unclear what the upper-end estimate might look like according to the task force.
Other recommendations in the report include eliminating testing requirements for state university graduate programs, decriminalizing low-level offenses such as public intoxication and public urination, and expediting the implementation of controversial ethnic studies classes in K-12 schools.
The below tweet verifies the news:
These are the craziest recommendations of the California Reparations Task Force https://t.co/2pDYZbtYt0
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 6, 2023
However, removing standards for graduate schools and being more permissive of public urination is seen by critics as unlikely to improve the state.
The report goes further by recommending the abolition of the death penalty, advocating for Election Day to become a national holiday, calling for a review of school discipline data to address the “school-to-prison pipeline,” and seeking the elimination of all back child support debt.
Additionally, the report proposes abolishing cash bail, urging the federal government to provide large-scale reparations in addition to state-level reparations, mandating “anti-racism training” for housing employees, implementing rent control, and significantly increasing the minimum wage, potentially exceeding $18.
However, the economic impact of these policies, such as rent control, which can make housing more expensive and less available, is not thoroughly considered.
Furthermore, the report emphasizes the need to “eliminate disparities” across various domains, including STEM, prisons, and education. However, the specifics of how these disparities should be eliminated are often left unclear.
The report is criticized for its extensive use of vague language, with sections containing paragraphs of substanceless statements.
For example, in a section about developing “climate resilience hubs,” the report recommends economic support for the development of community-driven facilities that aid residents and enhance self-sustainability during climate emergencies. The practical implications of such recommendations remain unclear.
Critics argue that the report reads more like a liberal wish list than a serious study and proposal. It is unlikely that even the left-wing California legislature will adopt all of these recommendations.
While it is essential to acknowledge America’s history of slavery and discrimination and support policies that uplift individuals from low-income communities, implementing these particular recommendations is seen as unwarranted due to their perceived ideological nature.
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