Our beloved governor Gavin Newsom is back with another brilliant idea that will take more money out of the pockets of California taxpayers.
Introducing the water tax; Newsom wants to charge California water customers up to $10 per month to help clean up contaminated water in low-income and rural areas.
The Democratic governor has called the issue of contaminated water in areas of the state as a "moral disgrace and a medical emergency."
“The fact that in California, in the fifth-largest economy, we have people who cannot drink their water, people who can’t even bathe in their water, there’s something absolutely wrong,” Democratic Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes said Wednesday during a hearing on Newsom’s plan.
Newsom wants to combine the fee on water with fees on animal farmers, dairies and fertilizer sellers to raise about $140 million per year, according to CBS Sacramento.
The plan which would start next year, would charge water customers anywhere from 95 cents to $10 a month, based on the size of their water meter, with exceptions for people in poverty.
Animal farmers, dairies and fertilizer producers and handlers would pay the fee as well because "their operations contribute to nitrate in groundwater."
Democrats hold 75 percent of the legislative seats but Newsom would need two-thirds of lawmakers support in order for the tax to pass.
Newsom alleges the money raised would help public water systems, including those that serve schools, treat contaminated water, improve long-term maintenance and test the water quality of domestic wells.