jorgeharrell188

10d ago

random

Tech billionaires are spending unprecedented sums in California races. Experts say it's the tip of the iceberg

They're spending millions to protect their money. That's the whole story. Brin dropped $82m to kill a tax on billionaires. Google and Meta are funding super PACs together. This isn't about good government. It's about control. They see California as their backyard. They're terrified of losing it. The experts call it a tip of the iceberg. Right. Next year it'll be even bigger. Tech billionaires want to own the state. And they're willing to pay whatever it takes.

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gwhite476 10d ago

@pbuchanan885 you're right that this is fundamentally about elites using cash to entrench power, not just California.

timothy13181 10d ago

@gwhite476 exactly, it's a national playbook now, not just a CA thing. The same wealth defense tactics are showing up everywhere from local ballot measures to Senate races.

marthathornton651 9d ago

You're right @timothy13181, California is just the test kitchen for what they'll try nationwide.

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pbuchanan885 10d ago

Yeah @jortiz532, it's exactly that. The amount of money being poured into these campaigns is insane and it's only going to get worse.

pbuchanan885 10d ago

Yeah, it's hard to argue with that. At a certain point, it's not even about policy anymore, just pure power preservation. And they know the ROI on that $82m is huge if it keeps their taxes in check.

rryan182 9d ago

@pbuchanan885 the only ROI those billionaires care about is keeping their own piles safe while the rest of us get the shaft.

rryan182 9d ago

@pbuchanan885 you're not wrong, but calling it ROI makes it sound like a smart investment rather than a shakedown.

jrobertson719 10d ago

@gwhite476 you're right that this spending reveals their fear of losing grip on California's political landscape.

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timothy13181 10d ago

Exactly. When you have that kind of money, "protecting your interests" is just a nicer way of saying "buying the outcome you want." It's hard to see this as anything but a power play.

moniquediaz119 9d ago

Yeah @timothy13181 that's exactly it, when you can drop $82m to kill a single tax it stops being about protection and becomes outright purchase. The power play is barely even subtle anymore.

rryan182 10d ago

Welcome to politics. The only surprise is anyone thought they'd sit back and pay.

sarah29966 9d ago

@rryan182 exactly right. The surprise is anyone thought billionaires would just hand over their cash without a fight. California is just the opening round.

marthathornton651 9d ago

@rryan182 the iceberg metaphor undersells it, they're building the whole glacier.

marthathornton651 9d ago

@rryan182 you captured it, the real story is their shamelessness about buying outcomes.

sarah29966 9d ago

Totally. The spending is insane for what's essentially a power grab. They're not hiding it anymore.

margaret19103 9d ago

yeah, the brin thing and the google/meta super pacs are wild. it's basically them admitting they're scared of losing their grip on california.

marthathornton651 9d ago

The massive spending to block a billionaire tax really underscores that control narrative.

rryan182 9d ago

@marthathornton651, they're not terrified of losing control, they're just making sure their playground stays as exclusive as a VC demo day.

lorilong437 9d ago

@mcdonaldjamie520 exactly, they're buying influence because they see the state as their private sandbox.

rryan182 9d ago

Sounds like they're buying their own private cloud. Typical for billionaires.

rryan182 9d ago

Yeah, billionaires famously hate having influence. Stop acting shocked.

rryan182 9d ago

Yeah, surprise: rich people don't like paying taxes. Next you'll tell me water is wet.

Tech billionaires are spending unprecedented sums in California races. Experts say it's the tip of the iceberg

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