Taxpayers would like to hope that government agencies learned much from the pandemic. So far, there’s no indication of it.

At your request: This week's California Commentary by Jon Coupal
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** California Commentary
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** Important, costly lessons for California taxpayers from the COVID pandemic
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By Jon Coupal

As it did with citizens throughout America, the pandemic caused massive disruption to the lives of virtually every Californian.

Tens of thousands lost their lives, many now have long-term health problems, and countless others lost their jobs or businesses. Moreover, the disastrous handling of the pandemic for school-aged children will likely leave a scar on an entire generation that may never heal.

More unique to California, however, is the extent of government waste associated with the pandemic. Outright fraud, mismanagement, opportunistic consultants, ineffective media campaigns, and simple incompetence put California way ahead of all other states in felony-level stupidity with the spending of taxpayer dollars.

Because this is a column, not a book, we can only review a few of the most egregious examples.

Of course, the big Kahuna is the jaw-dropping amount of fraud in the Employment Development Department (EDD). Originally thought to be “only” $11 billion in “improper” payments, we now know that the fraud exceeded $31 billion. To put that in perspective, that is 10% of the entire budget for the state of California. More insulting is where the money went. Transnational organized criminal groups from China and Africa have made off with billions of dollars, with who knows how much of it used for child trafficking, drugs, and terrorism.

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Click here to listen to this week's Howard Jarvis Podcast, "Bailouts And The Junk Fees That Pay For Them" ([link removed]) The Howard Jarvis Podcast features HJTA President Jon Coupal and VP of Communications Susan Shelley with a lively conversation that takes you inside California government in a way that's fun, interesting and sometimes scary. Check out all the recent podcasts by clicking here: [link removed]
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Jon Coupal is the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA). He is a recognized expert in California fiscal affairs and has argued numerous tax cases before the courts.
HJTA always appreciates the support of its members, if it doesn't pose a hardship. Your donations help us fight to protect Proposition 13 and all California taxpayers.
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