California taxpayers could replace every dollar of federal money spent in the state, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and have $80 Billion left over every year. 

In 2022, California taxpayers sent $692 billion worth of taxes to the federal government. This includes individual income taxes, corporate taxes, social security payments, and other sources of government revenue. 

In turn, the US Government spent $609 billion in the state of California. That includes:

• Spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security,

• Defense spending, including all spending on California's military bases,

• Roads and other infrastructure spending,

• Educational spending from pre-K through University,

• Funding for California's National Parks, federal workforce, and other services provided by the federal government. 

In other words, we could have saved more than $2000 for every single person in California, with no loss in government services or payments. 

Contrasted to other states, the picture looks even worse. Because the federal government borrows so much of its operating budget, most Americans get more than they pay for out of their taxes. The average American gets about $1.30 spent in their state for every $1 they contribute in taxes. Californians, despite paying roughly 30% more in federal taxes than the average American, only get 88 cents for every dollar we pay. 

Recent changes like the tariffs that have been announced and the federal budget approved by the House of Representatives are going to hurt California's middle class even more. Combined with fewer services being offered by a smaller federal workforce, more of California's wealth is going to be sent to Washington D.C. and never make its way back. 

Source: https://rockinst.org/issue-areas/fiscal-analysis/balance-of-payments-portal/

California is massively underrepresented in Washington D.C. 

California is the most populous state in the Union, with 39 million residents. However, we are under-represented in the United States legislature, seating only 52 congress people. If we had equal representation based on population to small states like Wyoming or Rhode Island, we would have closer to 80 congress people. 

Under-representation means that every Californian is denied their due political power. Across party lines and demographics, our legislators don't look like our population:

• Roughly ⅓ of California voters identify with neither the Republican nor Democratic parties. California has 0 congresspeople who are not members of one or the other two major parties.

• Roughly 40% of voters in the last gubernatorial election voted for the Republican candidate. Of California’s 52 congresspeople, only 9 (<20%) are Republicans. 

• California’s population is roughly 40% hispanic, but only 13 (~25%) of its congresspeople are. 
  

Washington D.C. is too far and too different from California to provide effective governance.

California is separated from Washington D.C. by: 

• 2000 miles,

• 3 mountain ranges,

• 4 distinct geographical regions,

• The world's 6th- and 7th-largest rivers. 

To put that into context, Sacramento is as close to Washington D.C. as Paris is to Baghdad. Californian’s culture, history, and values make us very different from other states in the US, and especially from the regions surrounding Washington D.C. Governance from such a geographically and culturally removed location is not fair, it is not equitable, and it is not sustainable. 

California faces challenges that require the resources of a nation to address.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows in the Golden State. California faces several problems that need to be met head-on. These include:

• High and rising costs of living, 

• Ecological management, including problems that are unique to California, such as: 

  • Water availability,

  • Wildfires,

  • Sea level rise, 

  • Tectonic activity,

• Homelessness.

These problems face every Californian, regardless of where they live, how they vote, or how wealthy they are. California has the resources within our borders to address these problems, and we can do so without increasing taxes. 

California has the population, economic power, and natural resources of a sovereign nation. 

Whether compared to other US States or other sovereign nations, California's standing among wealthy, powerful nations is clear:

• Were California an independent nation, it would be roughly tied with Japan for the world's fourth largest GDP. In 2024, California's GDP was over $4 trillion, meaning that only the United States, China, and Germany had greater economic outputs.

• With a GDP per capita of roughly $83,000, California would be in the top 10 countries by GDP per capita.

• Were California an independent nation, it would have the third-largest population in North America, behind the United States and Mexico and ahead of Canada.

• California's 163,000 square miles of land makes it larger than Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, or many other large countries. 

California also has the industrial base and infrastructure to support its standing as an independent nation:

• By dollar value, California represents about 1/3 of the United States' total agricultural output. 

• California has 3 of the 10 busiest ports in the United States, including the Port of Los Angeles (#1), the Port of Long Beach (#2), and the Port of Oakland (#10).

• 3 of the world's largest 10 companies are headquartered in California: Apple (#1), Google (#4), and Meta (#5).

California's borders with Mexico and the Pacific mean that state-level California leadership already has established relationships with national leaders in other countries. We are well positioned utilize partnerships with these nations to ensure California's economic stability and continued growth.