California needs a more progressive Millionaires’ tax. We need one that raises the rate of the tax as the income increases.

Currently, millionaires making $1 million in a year pay a total 13.3% in California income taxes. I propose a progressive and incremental millionaires’ tax that increases 1% from the current tax rate (13.3%) for each million dollars of taxable income. Someone making $5 million in a year would pay 18.3% total tax to the state. The maximum would be 25.3% for millionaires earning $12 million or more a year.

This tax adjustment would raise billions that we could invest in fixing our education system, upgrading our infrastructure, repairing our roads and bridges, and preparing our grid for a 100% clean energy future. We could also take a serious step to address the gross income inequality that we face today.

A study from Stanford University* has shown that recent tax increases on the top-earners did not cause a flight of top-income earners to other states. For millionaires, living and making money in California have historically outweighed other factors.

To achieve a new millionaires’ tax, we have to get active, organizing and mobilizing locally! We can create progressive, corporate-free, inclusive, diverse and year-round organizations that fight for the local hot issues and elect corporate-free candidates to local office. This is how in Richmond we were able to get 5 out of 7 city councilmembers to be corporate-free progressives. With mobilization and organization, we forced the oil giant Chevron to pay $114 million in additional local taxes.

I am taking the experience of our successes in Richmond to the Lt. Governor’s office now. With your support, we can make a Millionaires Fair Share tax and all of its benefits to Californians possible. Your donation of $27 today is not only an investment in my campaign for bold progressive change, but an investment in our future, saying YES to a system that serves the 99%.

Thank you for being with me in this fight for justice. Your support makes it possible!

*Millionaire migration a myth, say researchers at Stanford Center on Poverty and

Inequality https://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/november/millionaire-migration-myth-110212.html