Gavin Newsom And Michael Savage Spar Over Whether California Has Lower Taxes Than Florida

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) sparred with conservative commentator Michael Savage over whether or not taxes are effectively lower in California or Florida.

“Gavin, I pay 16% in state taxes,” Savage told Newsom on the second episode of his recently launched podcast.

“You need a better accountant because it’s 13.3%,” Newsom hit back.

“But there’s a millionaires tax on top of it,” Savage hit back.

“Well, there’s–’ Newsom tried to reply as Savage added:

And I’m 83 years old and I still work, right. Okay. I have another home in Florida. Yeah, I don’t live there. I prefer where I live. I’ve gotten used to the fog, to the seagulls, to the cormorants. I know all the birds of the bay. I’m an avid boater. But there’s a point at which I will leave this state, and that will be taxation without representation. I could go to Florida and pay no state tax.

“Right. Yeah. I mean, the reality is you we have the highest tax rate, but not the highest taxes in America,” Newsom replied.

“Who has a higher state tax?” Savage pressed.

“Tax rate. Florida. They tax their low-wage workers more than we tax,” Newsom insisted.

“Gavin, I shouldn’t be punished for succeeding,” Savage shot back.

“But I think it’s important. Just in California, the vast majority of middle class taxpayers pay less than they do in California, middle class than they do in states like Texas. Well, it’s a question of who you’re for. We have the highest–” Newsom replied.

Savage interjected, “Again, to what level do they pay low?”

“We are below average to slightly above average tax state. Well, it’s the 1%. And by the way, we haven’t raised your taxes the 1% since 2011. And I wasn’t, but I wasn’t governor, wasn’t lieutenant governor, or I’m just became lieutenant governor of the voters of California that did that. But I don’t disagree with you,” Newsom said.

“People always vote for taxation on the rich. That’s what Karl Marx taught them to do. So the thing is– Savage said as Newsom added:

I’m not advocating for increasing taxes. Haven’t done it. As governor of the state of California, no income tax increases under my governorship. I’ve opposed them, effected $5 million of ads to stop proposition 30, which was a tax increase run by corporations in the Bay area that had their own special tax increase, where I did ads to oppose it and oppose the wealth tax in California. So we’re trying to keep you here, Dr. Savage.

Watch the clip above.