This week, “there is no joy in Mudville – mighty [Padres have] struck out.”
The California Padres thought that they had secured Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly with an offer of $40 million for just two years. The Diamondbacks were offering that payout over three years, but Kelly took the Diamondbacks. The reason? California’s ruinous tax burden is fueling an exodus of wealthy taxpayers and businesses from the state. It is the latest example of how Democrats have reversed the Gold Rush with a long line of U-Hauls heading to more responsible states.
With the calls for billionaire taxes and attacks on the wealthy as “not paying their fair share,” Democrats and unions have doubled down on their “eat the rich” rhetoric. The problem is that wealth, like the wealthy, is mobile. Both are leaving, and the current estimate stands at a possible $2 trillion fleeing the state over the last year.
In the meantime, Democrats are continuing their high-spending pattern under Gov. Gavin Newsom from boondoggle projects to reparations to bloated union pension agreements.
With California’s 13% tax rate on income above $1 million, players view California as illusory in terms of elite contracts. What the team giveth, the state taketh away.
It appears that the high-spending, high-taxing policies are not just benefiting red states but also their baseball teams. As a Cubs fan, I would be delighted except for the fact that Chicago and Illinois are also in the hands of Democrats pursuing the same disastrous policies.
The irony is that Texas and Florida could end up not only with more jobs but better baseball players.
No kings!! Just dictators. Hotel California now has house rules.
Infighting has always been the problem with globalist-leftists. If they ever get power, it just leads to a showdown between globalists and leftists… and now jihadists. This big tent is a circus of internal contradictions, the only unifying element being “kill whitey.” Once whitey is gone, it’s time to decide who’s the dog who eats all the other dogs.
In California, with so many conservatives driven into exile, that process has already reached the terminal stage. The globalists will be taxed into extinction to fund the left’s narrative. Now the globalists are seeking exile.
In China, it played out much the same way. The globalists in Shanghai were silenced once the Communists in Beijing reasserted dominance. China and California are instructive: the showdown is inevitable. The New World Order is a myth.
The globalists who backed wokism to coopt Occupy Wallstreet are now suffering yet another hostile occupation in NYC, but the jihadists also have a dog in that three-way pit fight. As the Chinese would say, “interesting times.”
Someone explain the mathematics of INDEXCBOE VIX and isnt it a matter of the ball players investments. Ask Governor Newsom to explain or may Al Green, Crockett, Boebert, Luna, Mamdami, Walz, Ellison, the list is endless.
Everything with a superstitious or glittery surface fatigue…
Enjoy the weather…
In 2024, California’s growth rate of 6% outpaced the national U.S. average of 5.3%, as well as the economies of China (2.6%) and Germany (2.9%).
Despite the doom and gloom professor Turley likes to portray California is still a place where the billionaires make loads of money. Far more than what the proposed taxes would “hurt”. The “wealthy exodus,” California is home to 28% of all U.S. billionaire wealth as of late 2025. The collective net worth of California’s billionaires surged from $3.1 trillion in 2019 to $8.1 trillion by late 2025.
If you want to talk welfare, California is the nation’s largest “donor state,” contributing roughly $83 billion more in federal taxes than it receives in benefits.
By contrast, both Texas and Florida are net recipients, receiving more in federal spending than their residents contribute in taxes. Because the lower 40% of middle income earners in California pay a lower effective tax rate than those in Texas and Florida where property taxes and sales taxes are higher.
Billionaires are not going to pay to move their entire industries and supply chains to another state to save a few billion in taxes. They may personally move to a no income tax state, but their wealth is always tied to the state where they left in their business, contacts supply chains and talent.
Know what opinion is george? Its the opposite of what you do… lie and twist facts. You are a congenital liar.
“We occasionally had Guest Bloggers on the weekend. Currently, Darren Smith (who helps manage the site) will write on weekends. This blog offers opinions on news events and contemporary issues, including by the host. Those opinions are solely those of the authors of any given column.” Souce: https://jonathanturley.org/weekend-bloggers/
Thank you JT for not talking about trump. We want to keep it a secret that he is failing big time.
Our guy that promised no more foreign wars has invaded Venezuela and now Iran.
In Iran we have three American service members dead during the operation and five more are “seriously wounded,” US Central Command said.
Hey, at least trump is $2 billion richer.
Turley is not being honest about why Merryl Kelly turned down a three year contract worth $40 million. It has nothing to do with taxes. Kelly is a long time resident of Arizona and he annual salary in California would have been lower than in Arizona. A two year $40 million contract in Arizona allowed him to be in his home state and have a slightly higher salary. California taxes were not the primary reason he turned down the California offer. Kelly attended high school and college at Arizona State University and stated that finding a way back to Arizona “was always the priority”.
Because California’s top tax rate is 13.3% for income over $1 million (compared to Arizona’s flat 2.5%), the net take-home pay on a three-year California deal might not significantly exceed a two-year Arizona deal after accounting for the extra year of “work” and expenses.
Also Turley forgot to mention the legal loopholes the wealthy have. Shohei Ohtani had a $700 million contract with the Dodgers and stayed in California. He deferred $680 million. By deferring the pay until after he potentially leaves California, Ohtani may avoid up to $90 million in state taxes—a strategy Turley’s article often overlooks when arguing that high taxes make California wealthy leave. Despite taxes California teams remain among the highest spenders in the league. The “jock tax” applies to all players who play games in California (including visitors), meaning athletes cannot entirely escape California taxes simply by playing for an out-of-state team.
Baseball players, and like most ultra rich have the advantage of multiple loopholes they can use. Turley never mentions the loopholes which is why many wealthy people are able to ‘remain’ in California and avoid the majority of the wealth taxes it levies.
Turely dishonest? George you as usual twist and lie.
BTW, know what an opinion is? Its what Turley publishes. His opinion, not journalism.
In your case, you write BS and lies.
From the very mouth of the Padres (itself or themselves),
“The San Diego Padres’ three-year offer to right-handed pitcher Merrill Kelly was rejected by the right-hander because of the harsh tax implications in California, he revealed on Thursday.”
https://www.si.com/mlb/padres/onsi/san-diego-padres-news/merrill-kelly-rejected-padres-3-year-offer-free-agency-unbelievable-reason
Georgie, your jealousy of Turley and his commenters is more revealing every day.
“’I don’t think it’s any secret on how much money you get taken out of your pocket when you go to California,’ Kelly said.
“Yes, you read that correctly: Kelly chose to sign elsewhere because of California’s state tax system. The Padres really lost out on rotation help because of laws passed by the state government.”
https://friarsonbase.com/padres-merrill-kelly-pursuit-hit-a-frustrating-obstacle-they-couldn-t-control
“There was a team out in California, I think everyone can pretty much figure out who that was, there was a three-year offer guaranteed on the table,” he said. “I don’t think it’s any secret how much money you get taken out of your pocket when you go to California.
“There was a lot of factors that went into the three-year deal, it was definitely enticing. It definitely made the decision a lot harder to come back here, but once Arizona got to the number that they did, it made a lot more sense to come back here.”
Socialists and the ugly brothers and sisters, communists, rely on grabbing accumulated wealth at gun point to distribute ‘the free stuff’. But what they are actually doing is creating poverty. After all, when you destroy wealth and create poverty, you also create more Democratic voters.
I will point out that all those major-league athletes will still have to pay taxes to California if/when their respective teams visit that state. And since California has 5 Major League Baseball teams, it will be difficult to escape that boondoggle, unless they can arrange to never visit the state during their season.
“California strikes out major league pitcher turns down Padres 40 million offer due to state taxes.”
That by itself explains the terrible messages promoted by the anonymi on this blog. Will they learn? I don’t think so. They don’t have the capacity to reflect and understand.
For those here thinking he saves by staying out of CA. The tax as a resident would have the biggest impact on his income. That’s his issue. But he’ll, along every other player be taxed by the number of days they play in CA.
Another example I read recently via a court case, MAN lived in NH (no inc. tax) worked in MA, forced to pay MA taxes.
If he remains in California, he is taxed 100%. If he goes to a team outside of California, he is only taxed when his team competes in California, and that is a small percentage. I think that is what you are saying, but I wasn’t sure.
I’m from NYC. Everyone in my family left NYC.
S. Meyer, taxed 100%? Prove it. At most if Kelly remained in California he would be taxed at 12.5%. To avoid that he can defer the majority of his compensation until he chooses to leave. But, BUT….anytime he plays in California he still gets taxed. All players who play in the state even visitors pay taxes in California. Because playing in the state is “working” in the state.
Prove it. Why don’t you use AI and disprove him.
Have noticed your usual 500 word comments have shrunk to 50 words of mumbo jumbo. Proof that you used AI and lie in your comments.
Which is what anon 10:49 wrote. Now you plagiarize.
Which it what anon 10:49 wrote?
S. Meyer doesn’t have the capacity to understand what he reads. Any MLB players no matter where they live still have to pay California taxes when they play IN California. Why? Because when they play in the state they are legally “working” in the state. Do you understand? The same thing applies to those wealthy CEOs who move out of state but keep their businesses in the state. The moment they do a meeting, plan business and do anything related as work IN the state they have to pay taxes. Of course many take advantage of loopholes and income deferments but they can’t escape California taxes entirely if they wish to take advantage of California’s massive economy and talent pools.
Capacity, as in your proclivity to outright lie?
Good for him. Now let’s address the California trans lunacy. https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/trans-violence-express
This guy nails it with humor.
https://youtu.be/yRa0JTPUyjA?si=vdDGIwz-jmpUkbC9
Nail on the head!
Unfortunately, any athlete who competes at an event in California will have their income for those days taxed by CA. The tax burden on the QB for the Seahawks included 10 days of salary and the bonus for winning. The bonus for winning was $178k. Taxing that and 10 days of income meant that his tax burden was about $249k. So he lost 71k for winning the game.
jimboct,
I read about that. There have been some who are calling for the Super Bowl to never be played in the failed state of CA ever again. Cannot blame them!
Some calling? Got a source?
This is one of the good things about an unfettered free capitalist market; it allows the market to rectify problems without government intervention and it will, soon indicate this quite blatantly in NYC. If taxes are egregious to those who work and produce, those workers and producers will flee to better conditions in a competitive market in a free society. Mamdani thinking that he can commandeer property/housing is going to learn that capital and talent flee to better options and the only remaining constituents are those too poor to leave, and those living as parasites on the system (both those without means and those whose means and necessity for existence are to service the poor and themselves. Neither of these groups will continue to flourish without the workers and capital that leaves with them. This athlete is a prime example of how this works.
whimsicalmama: good words to mull over in conjunction with today’s topic.
Let me ask, where are all those poor folk gonna go, who have no options – live or leave. Those workers and capital you claim will depart, is a fiction.Your example, the athlete, is not poor. He has the means to do what he says he will. Millions don’t.
Your macro economic response is cute, but simple theory.
I read that some 125,000 homeowners are affected in NYC. All just sell and move? Nope. Where, to whom, at ridiculous R/E prices?
Only the rich can afford to respond… by leaving.
5 years ago my husband and I sold our condo in Brooklyn because we saw what was coming as the value of our condo was depreciating even then. We move to escape the prices, the taxes and the mobs of thugs roaming the unsafe streets. My husband was born in NYC 76 years ago but could see what was coming. Many have left already and those who cannot move yet will either suffer greatly or will finally escape. There is no bright future for NYC or any other dem controlled cesspool.
Do you have a reading comprehension problem in addition to TDS? I specifically said that those too poor to leave (ie, those either just above the poverty line with no additional resources and those on the public dole who see no reason to leave the free stuff) Only those with transferable skills and those with enough money to move themselves and their business/investments will leave, just as the athlete. The problem with attempting socialism in a free society is that those not gaining, but losing, from socialism “spreading/redistributing” their personal wealth will flee only leaving welfare, public service workers (although they will leave to sell their skills in more friendly environments) and those bureaucrats that live off of the tax dollar and, therefore, produce no real value to the city.
A suggestion to the Professor. Maybe the Cubs should move to Indiana and share a new Stadium there with the Bears. I believe you could obtain some plantings of the Wrigley Ivy to be placed in the new stadium. Indiana soil is fertile and carries less taxes with it.
Well looks like Californication needs a new TAX LAW called – IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT CALI YOU OWE TAX! The premise – the Leftists need the money and you COULD HAVE “contributed” to the Socialist Nirvana but EVADED the tax by walking away! Thus you are a Cali Resident and owe the TAX ANYWAY! Go Get’em Newscum!
Good for Merrill Kelly! I am about to turn down the United States due to: Federal, State and Local Taxes .. and the Electric and Water Bills.
Moving to Greenland gets better and better with every Kilowatt hour!
Thanks, Prof. Turley for the baseball picture, the Buccos back in the day, way back. Forbes Field with the Carnegie Museum in the background…
Especially so close to the passing of our beloved Bill Mazerosky.
So says mama the fossil.
I might have 75 years education and experience but you only have vitriol and misinformation plus an extra strong case of TDS. I will always do fine, you, on the other hand, have many hard lessons to learn about life yet…
National Socialist Democrats prey on the envious, always promising to take from the other guy to give to them, as long as the envious vote for them. Democrat politicians are greedy for power and use the financial greed of their base for their political advantage.
The tax situation in Canada has been used as a reason a Canadian based team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup in decades.
Nothing will happen until the grownups are in charge again. The blue states do not appear to have any living there currently, so it has been and will continue to be a long wait.
Grown-ups? And who are they?
Re:”Grown-ups? And who are they? “Who are they?”, you query. They are the ‘other people’ who are leaving the state. They know that progressivism ends when it runs out of ‘other people’s’ money. No better way to end it than to starve it to death.
Love it