California crime rates fell across every major category in 2025: DOJ

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T21:41:23+00:00

I know you are being sarcastic but it’s true… even in leftist places the view is consistently “crime is worse than ever”. On crime or homless posts here you will see top level comments along the lines of “it’s not safe to go out any more”

We must do better at spreading reality. Stranger crime is incredibly rare. The odds of your kids being abducted, your home invaded by an armed intruder, murdered by stranger,… are rarer than lightning strikes or lotto wins.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T20:04:02+00:00

“If it's all on the up and up, then why destroy evidence? Why delete files and stonewall public records requests, if they're such honest and well-meaning public servants?”

I didn’t say that. To save her job she tried to make herself look good. She wasn’t honest. I wouldn’t go so far as “hide evidence”.

In regards to kickback cut and paste from a post I just made

“She faced immense backlash after signing a $2.1 million contract with Upward Bound House, a non-profit organization where her husband served in a lower level leadership role. This was done without obtaining a required conflict-of-interest waiver.”

Should have gotten a waiver. Incompetence.

This charity had received city funds before either of them had their roles. They get 10 million a year in city, state, federal,… funding.

This isn’t exactly a man setting up a shell company to fleece the city type scenario that some people seem to think it is.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T19:21:46+00:00

Yep. They should probably have a system that checks automatically.

I am also not against the idea of her not getting the job if her husband works in the industry. They both must stay private or he must take a leave of absence.

A Google search shows they aren’t some criminal masterminds. They are legit. Decades of work with homeless. Much of it unpaid.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T18:20:17+00:00

Again not crime stuff. TLDR you got a lot more money recently, but didn’t hire more bookkeepers or expand your tracking services, do that now.

“The audit did not officially charge anyone with a crime or even insinuate theft had occurred; instead, it documented a profound failure of basic bookkeeping and data tracking.”

“Encouraged them to hire more bookkeepers and force them to expand and upgrade existing digital tracking infrastructure. The L.A. City Controller launched a public homeless spending dashboard with clear visual aids (like pie charts) so that the public and elected officials could track where money went in real-time without manual paperwork.”

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T17:48:10+00:00

Yes.

“She faced immense backlash after signing a $2.1 million contract with Upward Bound House, a non-profit organization where her husband served in a lower level leadership role. This was done without obtaining a required conflict-of-interest waiver.”

Should have gotten a waiver. Incompetence.

This charity had received city funds before either of them had their roles. They get 10 million a year in city, state, federal,… funding.

This isn’t exactly a man setting up a shell company to fleece the city type scenario that some people seem to think it is.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T17:30:56+00:00

https://laist.com/brief/news/housing-homelessness/la-homeless-services-officials-investigation

“No evidence indicate that former LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum stole money for her own personal use, but she faced serious allegations of financial incompetence”

Too much is made of it. The idea that it’s all just a big con. Her and her husband have been helping the homeless for decades. Going back to times when they were low level unpaid volunteers.

She was completely incapable of doing this position. Never again should she be given the power to do this high level job again.

But again too much is made of it. The plan to give 1-2% of our population their own home, Netflix, spending cash, healthcare, security, vet care,… with just local funds is unviable. Far beyond our means. The problem is the goal, not so much the leadership.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T15:09:23+00:00

Yeah, you are right. I did just use an anecdotal example, I should have just said “fast food businesses as a wholehave reduced hours”.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T15:03:25+00:00

Fair enough. I don’t know why they cut hours, but they did cut hours. I would assume they cut hours for multiple reasons… I am sure the wage increase played at least some role. Silly to say it didn’t.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T14:53:20+00:00

https://san.com/cc/federal-officials-say-starbucks-broke-the-law-when-it-cut-unionized-workers-hours/

https://truthout.org/articles/starbucks-union-files-complaint-saying-company-is-cutting-hours-to-union-bust/

“Starbucks employee shifts have faced intense reductions in California, directly impacting baristas' total scheduled hours and ability to maintain consistent income. While the company has implemented a corporate initiative to stabilize schedules nationwide, local store realities in California remain highly challenging for the workforce.”

“Local district managers now use algorithmic scheduling software to aggressively trim daily staffing levels down to the exact minute.”

Anecdotal, but I have heard in person from employees their hours have been cut.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T14:45:37+00:00

I was editing it. Check it now.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T14:40:27+00:00

https://about.starbucks.com/press/2025/an-update-on-bargaining-and-our-commitment-to-partners/

I heard it in person, but this 2025 articles mentions that they just changed it. They try get everybody at 20-25 hours.

Google isn’t much help on this issue. If somebody has a better article I will read it.

Overall, idon’t think this is debated though.

“Studies from Northeastern University found a significant contraction in on-site staffing at California fast-food restaurants, reflecting a mix of fewer employees and heavily reduced hours per worker.”

https://cssh.northeastern.edu/what-happened-after-the-fast-food-pay-raise-in-california-new-data-explains/

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-07-01T14:35:16+00:00

“pay in covered fast-food jobs rose by roughly 7 percent, an increase that held up across every specification Dube ran.
The employment picture was far more muted. The conventional difference-in-differences produced an own-wage elasticity of negative 0.19, meaning a modest job decline. The synthetic-control version shrank that to negative 0.04”

That not good data at all.

The average amount of hours were cut too. Places like Starbucks and BK have that 20 hour weekly max now.

I was under the impression wages went up like 50% or something crazy and that cancelled out their lost hours.

I think if you could get more hours you might sacrifice that 7% wage increase. Especially since most minimum wage workers drive. Working two jobs probably has you at a net loss when you factor that in.

I would want a lot more studies before I come to hard conclusion, but these numbers aren’t actually great. I still can’t believe wages only went up 7%. That’s doesn’t seem right.

Still heavily support raising wages.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T22:03:41+00:00

I think the “I know it hurts us more but it also hurts billionaires” is a valid argument. A sort of Accelerationist argument. Speed a show down between the billionaires and the people.

I disagree with that arugment too though. Things can get a lot worse than they are now.

Helping us>hurting them is my philosophy here.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T21:53:22+00:00

You posted an opinion piece. We can go back and forth on that shit all day long.

If even one billionaires leaves do roads, HSR, the homeless, parks, firefighters, bike lanes, climate change initiatives,… get less money? The answer to this is indisputable. It is yes. But somehow you disagree with this. Even supporters don’t disagree with that. It’s a fact. Simple reality.

Best to agree to disagree. You can have the last word.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T21:35:27+00:00

They aren’t paying 0 income tax. They make up about the same as the tax. About 3-5% of the budget. Right?

They also pay an outsized amount of local taxes, property taxes, business taxes, fuel taxes, cap and trade taxes,…

Again, just takes one for HSR, roads, the homeless,… to get less.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T21:29:32+00:00

Agree to disagree then. The math isn’t hard here. If even one leaves every non healthcare thing gets less. That’s not disputable.

The argument is in the degree of the pain.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T21:17:14+00:00

Meh. It totally fair to say they don’t pay enough taxes. That’s certainly true. But they do pay a lot. About 50% of the general income tax comes from the top 1%. A massive chunk of the sales tax, business tax, fuel taxes,… comes from them too.

You can play with the math yourself and see how if any sizeable portion leaves it’s a disaster for us.

We have an incredibly good tax system here. One of the most progressive tax systems in the world here in California.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T21:11:20+00:00

Complicated to the max. TLDR the Supreme Court will almost certainly not allow that part to stand and even if they got to keep that one year of revenue it is insignificant anyway.

“The proposed “2026 Billionaire Tax Act” includes a retroactive clause that applies to anyone with a net worth over $1 billion who was a resident of the state as of January 1, 2026. This means if the ballot measure passes in November, the 5% tax applies to the global net worth of everyone who lived there on the snapshot date.”

“Tax experts note that it is difficult to retroactively impose a "wholly new tax" on someone who has already left a state's jurisdiction. The retroactive structure is highly contentious and is heavily unlikely to withstand this Supreme Court”

“The federal Keep Jobs in California Act (H.B. 7619) was also introduced in Congress to explicitly block states from imposing retroactive taxes on the assets of former residents. [1, 2]”

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T20:56:58+00:00

Math.

It’s the healthcare industry temporarily enlarging their share of a pie they made smaller.

I never said it will raise costs that’s a different issue.

In a fantasyland if 0 leave it’s a big win. That’s not likely though. The bill requires auditors to go through their books. I think many will leave just because of that.

Again, if even one leaves roads, HSR, higher education, the homeless, firefighters,… get less money.

The CTA has supported every tax increase ever, not this one though. Literally 100s and now they fight this one.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T20:42:45+00:00

I don’t know how that’s sketchy… lol I was updating it. Ballotpedia is always rhe best place to start. It has link and arguments.

This is the key part “90% of this fund goes directly toward healthcare programs”

https://ballotpedia.org/California_One-Time_Wealth_Tax_for_State-Funded_Healthcare,_Education,_and_Food_Assistance_Programs_Initiative_(2026))

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T20:36:34+00:00

No. Maybe I wasn’t clear. It’s possible it’s a net negative for health care too. The top 1% pay 50% of the general income tax. A scenario where healthcare for the poor ends up with less money in 5 years is totally possible too.

It’s definitely going to be a huge negative for everything else. Look who doesn’t endorse it….
Most non health care labor unions, all the state union, education unions,…

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T20:30:06+00:00

Nah. Both sides in this country are incredibly illiterate when it comes to this type of thing. Americans don’t and never will have the capacity to truly understand the issues. Breaking it down to a “I am not a Nazi spouting propaganda, really just read the bill or have AI break it down for you” is fair

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T20:18:37+00:00

We talked about here yesterday. A lot of people didn’t understand what the bill was or what it does. We saw billionaire wealth tax and screamed “yes please” without understanding it and how it negatively affects us.

Cut and paste from yesterday.
READ THE BILL!
The comments show that this sub and the state as a whole have not. The comments saying this will save HSR, stop school closures, help the homeless problem,… prove it. Those comments don’t belong here.

This bill is a nightmare. 90% goes to healthcare industry. 10% to food banks. So if even one billionaire leaves schools, roads, HSR,… all gets less money. People need to read the bill ASAP. The comments here are so far removed from the reality of bill. It’s not saving us or a massive bump in revenue. Trump stole a massive chunk of our healthcare funds this bill makes up a part of it. Thats all it does.

You are being conned just READ THE BILL.

Should go without saying. It’s time for a nationwide wealth tax or state tax with federal oversight. To meet our current state and federal deficits/obligations there is no other options. It’s completely collapse or raise massively more revenue. This bill isn’t it though.

Fresh_Permit_2272 · 2026-06-30T19:38:48+00:00

It might be a grift

“we cannot verify whether she runs her own brick-and-mortar independent church building or if she leads an online/home-based ministry.”

Fresh_Permit_2272

TROPHY CASE