Staff Reports
Republican candidate for Governor of California Steve Hilton dropped a political grenade with his new CAL DOGE Bloat Report 2. The headline is impossible to miss: the campaign says California’s regulatory and bureaucratic bloat costs the state about $745 billion a year — roughly $55,000 for every household. Hilton has promised to “put the bloated nanny state bureaucracy in the wood chipper,” and the number has already become a rallying cry in the gubernatorial race.
What the CAL DOGE Bloat Report 2 actually claims
The campaign PDF and social posts spell out the figures plainly. Hilton’s team calls the $745 billion a modeled “cumulative burden” that adds up direct compliance costs, indirect economic drag, and other regulatory impacts. Converted to per-person and per-household terms, that becomes about $18,900 per resident and roughly $55,000 per household — a headline that will sting voters checking their bills. The report leans on an older 2009 benchmark study and inflates that estimate forward to reach today’s dollar figure.
Methodology matters — but so does the problem it points to
Yes, critics should ask tough questions. The $745 billion number is a model, not an official audit from the Legislative Analyst’s Office or a peer‑reviewed academic paper. Hilton’s campaign relied on a 2009 study as its yardstick and has not released a full, line‑by‑line modeling spreadsheet for independent reviewers. That means journalists and policy shops have every right to demand the raw math. But let’s be blunt: whether the true number is $400 billion, $745 billion, or somewhere in between, California’s regulatory stack is a heavy anchor on families and businesses.
The politics: why this matters in the governor’s race
Hilton’s report lands at the perfect political moment. With Governor Gavin Newsom and Democrats defending big-government policies, a dramatic claim like $55,000 per household is potent in any campaign ad. Businesses leaving the state, high costs of living, and complaints about endless permits are real issues voters feel. If Hilton can turn the CAL DOGE Bloat Report 2 into concrete policy proposals — not just theater — it could reshape the argument in the race against Democratic rivals like California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra.
Cut the bloat — and then prove it
Conservative voters should cheer the boldness. But bold numbers need follow-through. Hilton’s promise to “put the bureaucracy in the wood chipper” makes for good theater, but the campaign should now open the books, share the model, and invite independent analysts to test it. If regulators are bleeding families dry, expose it, fix it, and make Sacramento smaller and smarter. And if the naysayers want to nitpick the math, let them — that’s how you turn a campaign claim into real reform.
