It’s time for Congress and the Senate to do their jobs and pass a responsible budget bill—without raising the SALT (State and Local Tax) deduction cap. Californians, in particular, need to wake up to a hard truth: we cannot expect the rest of the country to continually bail us out because our own state and local governments refuse to live within their means.
Every year, Sacramento and city halls across California find new ways to squeeze more money out of taxpayers. Property taxes creep up, sales taxes increase, and new local levies are dreamed up—often in the name of “equity” initiatives or DEI programs that rarely deliver real value for the vast majority of working Californians. While bureaucrats expand their pet projects, middle-class families are left footing the bill.
Now, with budget negotiations heating up in Washington, there is a renewed push by some California lawmakers to raise the SALT deduction cap, so wealthy taxpayers can write off even more of their ever-increasing local tax bills. This isn’t a solution; it’s a band-aid that hides the root problem—our state’s addiction to overspending and ever-bigger government.
Let’s be clear: increasing the SALT cap is a handout to local politicians who refuse to say “no” to new spending. It allows them to keep raising taxes and expanding programs, knowing that federal taxpayers in other states will absorb part of the pain. That is not fiscal responsibility. That is not fairness. And it’s not how America should work.
If we want real change, it’s up to Californians to push back. We must demand that our elected officials get serious about cutting wasteful spending and focus on core services like public safety, infrastructure, and education. We need to stop rewarding politicians who promise everything to everyone, then send us the bill. And if they won’t listen, it’s time to vote them out and elect leaders who understand that government should live within its means—just like the rest of us do.
The answer isn’t to shift the burden to taxpayers in Texas, Florida, or Ohio. The answer is to fix what’s broken in our own backyard. Congress must pass a budget bill without SALT increases, and Californians must demand real fiscal responsibility from our local and state leaders. Enough is enough.
