KPIX TV (local CBS station in San Francisco) has this below report based on a tip “a senior government source in Sacramento” gave to their political reporter Melissa Caen:
"The state of California is studying ways to suspend financial transfers to Washington after the Trump administration threatened to withhold federal money from sanctuary cities, KPIX 5 has learned.
"Officials are looking for money that flows through Sacramento to the federal government that could be used to offset the potential loss of billions of dollars’ worth of federal funds if President Trump makes good on his threat to punish cities and states that don’t cooperate with federal agents’ requests to turn over undocumented immigrants, a senior government source in Sacramento said."
Well, that’s interesting enough. But the full report KPIX is running on Sunday on this story includes an interview with former speaker of the Assembly and former SF mayor Willie Brown. In an excerpt at the link (well, worth watching the video, yes you have to watch an ad), Brown says:
“California could very well become an organized non-payer - they could recommend non-compliance with the federal tax code, and if they do so, they will force the confrontation because we give Washington more money that Washington gives us."
So, is Brown telling us that the state might be recommending to state residents and businesses that they not pay their federal taxes? Because as I understand it, California being a “giver” not a “taker” when it comes to federal dollars (the anchors talk about how “for every dollar CA sends to Washington, 78 cents comes back”) is based on California citizens’ and businesses’ federal tax returns, not just federal tax dollars that flow through Sacramento.
As the report says, it’s unclear how much money THAT would be (federal tax dollars that flow through Sacramento).
This has not been picked up yet by the state press. But if there’s anything to this (if it’s not just an effort to move the Legislature in this direction), we’ll hear more.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/01/27/california-could-cut-off-feds-in-response-to-trump-threats/