The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Crescent City Times.com
By Michael Greer – June 20, 2026
While you were sleeping, a grizzly crime was committed in the halls of the State Capitol. The lights were burning late into the night, and it wasn’t the light of inspiration. It was the scene of a budgetary bloodbath where the “California Dream” was systematically hunted down and replace by a “California Nightmare”, unless you’re one of the donors, special interest groups or no-profits that benefit from bad policy.
In what can only be described as a on-party “midnight madness” session, the legislative majority didn’t just pass a budget; they played a high-stakes shell game with your hard-earned money. As the darkness fell, so did the hopes of affordability in California for very middle-class family, union worker, and small business owner in the state.
The “body count” of relief measures is staggering. Here is a look at a few Republican-led bills that were dragged into the shadows and “killed” by the majority.
- AB 12: A desperate attempt to repeal the hidden 65-cent per gallon gas tax hike buried in CARB regulations. Democrats killed it.
- The Excise Gas Tax Relief: A simple rollback of the 2-cent hike coming this July. Democrats killed it.
- AB 1219: A bill designed to give middle-class families a much-needed tax cut. Democrats killed it.
- The Tip Tax Repeal: A common-sense move to stop the state from digging it’s fingers into the jars of hardworking service and restaurant workers. Democrats killed it.
- AB 4: A measure to finally rein in California Air Resource Board’s runaway regulations on everything from your electricity to your commute. Democrats killed it.
- Utility Rate Relief: Republicans proposed cutting high electricity and utility rates. Democrats killed it.
The one-party dictatorship continues to function in the darkness of the night to hide the theft of taxpayer money from hard-working members of society. this is not by accident; they don’t want their democrat base to see the shell games that they play in Sacramento with their money. The Democrat leadership prefers an “uninformed membership” that doesn’t notice their wallets being picked clean. Instead of saving our struggling rural hospitals, the legislature chose to funnel your healthcare dollars toward illegal aliens and Planned Parenthood.
The most disgusting part of this political theater is the sheer audacity of the blame game. Despite holding the reins of power for almost two decades, the majority is trying to pin this state-manufactured crisis on President Trump who has been in office for less than two years. In Sacramento, “common sense” isn’t just rare – it’s been murdered.
If you’re wondering why the “California Dream” is sliding out of sight for your children and grandchildren, look no further than the “theft” happening under the cover of night. the politicians and their donors are smiling, but for the rest of us, the sun is rising on a very expensive nightmare, that is killing us.
Greer (Republican Party) is running for election to the California State Assembly to represent District 2. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. He advanced from the primary on June 2, 2026.
