We hear the expression that "taxation is theft" more often each day, and that's especially true of California, which accounts for the exodus of residents out of the Golden State in search of greener pastures in low tax jurisdictions.
To replace this steady loss of its tax base, California is seeking funds elsewhere — from nonresidents — and last weekend's big game is a prime example.
The Seattle Seahawks took home their second Lombardi Trophy Sunday in Super Bowl LX by defeating the New England Patriots 29-13 at San Francisco’s Levi Stadium.
For Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, it was a case of "to the victors belong the spoils," but it was short-lived, according to Junk Science founder and regular Newsmax TV contributor Steve Milloy.
"Californicated: Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold won $188,000 in prize money for the game," Milloy began, then gave the bad news, "His tax bill from Democrat-run California will be $202,000."
"Californicated" is right. In return for playing his heart out, including throwing 19 pass completions for 202 yards, he now owes the state of California $14,000 more than the bonus he earned for winning the game.
All things considered, he may have been better off watching someone else play the game from home, lounging on his sofa and munching on pizza and Buffalo wings.
But how can this be when he doesn’t even live in California?
Milloy included a link to a Washington Post column explaining that the players — and anyone working temporarily in California — are assessed a tax based on the number of “duty days” they work in the state.
This typically amounts to about 10 "duty days" for out-of-state Super Bowl players.
The state then assesses a tax based on a player's full salary and bonuses, prorated according to his "duty days" worked.
In Darnold’s case, he received an additional $3 million bonus ahead of the Super Bowl, added to a projected 2026 cash payout of around $27.5 million.
The players will receive the same treatment next year. Super Bowl LXI will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
The Post observed that had the game been played at the venue of two years ago — Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Las Vegas — there would have been no issue, because the Silver State has no personal income tax.
The Post also noted that for the very same reason, the Raiders received an automatic pay hike a few years back when the team moved from Oakland to Las Vegas.
The Raiders' migration should be a warning to other states to avoid the road that California has taken, but apparently not. Now Washington state (home of the Seahawks, ironically) is now considering a "jock tax" of its own.
Meanwhile, the Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2025 is pending in Congress, which would establish a 30-day threshold before states can generally levy income tax on an out-of-state individual.
However, similar bills have been introduced nearly every year for more than a decade without success.
In the meantime, maybe the NFL could do something for its players. Schedule all future Super Bowls in states that have no "jock tax" — or better yet, no income tax at all.
It's not that we should feel sorry for professional athletes making tens of millions of dollars a year. No, it's because we shouldn't support states like California that waste billions in state and federal funds with nothing to show for it.
They waste taxpayer dollars on nonsense like California's projected high-speed rail system that never sees much progress despite the massive funds it consumes each year.
Apart from "bullet trains" and similar garbage projects, we've recently learned about fraud in the tens of billions, which doesn’t appear to concern state leaders like Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., in the slightest.
The waste, fraud, and abuse are the ultimate reason that taxation is theft — particularly in deep-blue states.
And until we get it under control at both the state and federal level, we should consider all taxation theft, just as if we’d fallen for an online scam.
Taxation, in many cases, may be the biggest scam of all time, and Sunday's Super Bowl did nothing but highlight that fact.
It's theft when they tax the income of non-residents; and it's theft when it funds fraud, waste, and abuse.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and is a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He's also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read more Michael Dorstewitz Insider articles — Click Here Now.
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