In the 1960s, a California businessman launched a radical campaign to upend his state’s tax structure — and the movement still defines politics today.
This is Part One of Tax Revolt, a new miniseries from Lever Time revealing how free-market radicals hijacked American politics and set the stage for Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Donald Trump’s presidency.
Paid subscribers get access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content — like an exclusive companion article below about the zealot who launched the anti-tax movement, written by The Lever’s podcast producer Ariella Markowitz.
🔐 This episode’s bonus materials are available below for paid subscribers only. Click here to upgrade now and gain access.
If you’re already a paid subscriber and don’t see the bonus content below, please click here to log in and reload this page.
The Man Who Was Mad as Hell
By Ariella Markowitz
On March 4, when President Donald Trump announced his latest plan to cut taxes across all income brackets and make his sweeping 2017 tax cuts permanent, Senate Republicans responded with thunderous applause.
Though some GOP hardliners worried that Trump’s plan did not sufficiently cut spending and could add $5.7 trillion to the federal deficit, the bill sailed through the House. “I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts because otherwise, I don’t believe the people will ever vote you into office,” Trump told Congress members.
Not enough people pay attention-and perhaps don't care, but the Howard Jarvis group does admit openly when they write statements opposing pretty much any new tax in California, state-wide. That makes it easy to decide when you vote, if you want a stronger society and less greedy Americans, vote against the Howard Jarvis group every single time for every ballot measure that is created no matter the county, no matter the city in California.