By: Aldon Thomas Stiles, California Black Media
Statewide — Californians are scheduled to start receiving their second stimulus payment on Sept. 1, two weeks before California’s gubernatorial recall election. All California households that receive the state’s earned income tax credit qualify for the one-time payments.
The state has provided a detailed guide, that readers can access here, as to who qualifies for these payments and how much residents can expect.
Gov. Newsom praised the support being provided to Californians last week that he says is being funded from federal recovery assistance and the state’s budget surplus.
“Round 2 of Golden State Stimulus checks start to go out this week! Two out of three Californians are eligible for $600 or more — we’re putting money directly back into the pockets of those that need it most,” the governor tweeted.
But his Republican opponents running to replace him in the recall election continued to rail against the governor’s leadership on issues other than the economy, including homelessness, housing affordability, taxes and what they view as his mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle and NBC’s Sacramento affiliate KCRA hosted a debate featuring four of the candidates vying to replace Newsom: Republicans Kevin Falconer, former mayor of San Diego, Assemblymember Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin),and businessman John Cox and Democrat and real estate investor Kevin Paffrath .
“This state is a mismanaged mess. His pandemic management was an inconsistent disaster,” Cox said, referring to Gov. Newsom during the debate.
“We don’t have water. We live in fear of fires. Crime is rising. Housing prices are out of sight,” added the businessman who supports expanding oil and gas exploration in California. “Taxes are out of sight. The homeless problem has only gotten worse. We’ve got to stop with these politicians and celebrities and get a businessman in there.”
The disbursement total for the second round of Golden State Stimulus payments (or GSS II) will be about $12 billion and is funded by California’s $100 billion California Comeback Plan budget.
California currently has the largest economy in the country and a budget surplus of $75.7 billion, according to the governor.
$276 million, or .4%, of the surplus is being used to fund the recall election.
Gov. Newsom boasted about the budget surplus and the upcoming stimulus checks in an announcement last week.
“I am incredibly proud of California’s economic recovery. Close to an $80 billion operating surplus and that’s afforded us an opportunity to do something no other state in U.S. history has ever done. And that’s provide over $12 billion of tax rebates.”
In this round of stimulus payments, California residents with one or more dependents could be eligible to receive $1,100.
Undocumented immigrants who pay taxes and earn below $75,000 a year will also receive the payments.
