Opinion
OPINION: At his May press conference for the state budget revision, which detailed unprecedented action to address homelessness in California, Gov. Newsom referred to California freeways and underpasses as “too damn dirty.” The comment felt much too tongue-in-cheek for the issue at hand, and also much too similar to “The Rent is Too Damn High” slogan popularized by New York politician Jimmy McMillan.
Opinion
OPINION: Sacramento must use the windfall to even up the sides during this economic recovery, while also setting the stage for more equitable and sustainable prosperity in the decades to come. The surplus represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go big on a just transition to an equitable clean energy economy. Right now is the time for a California Green New Deal.
Opinion
OPINION: The pandemic caused devastating economic damage to our communities. While the job market may never return to what it was before 2020, it’s undeniable that government action, combined with the ingenuity of small businesses and corporations, staved off what could have been even further socioeconomic harms.
Opinion
The California Employment Development Department recently issued its monthly employment report showing unemployment held steady at 8.3 percent in April as the state’s employers added 101,800 jobs. EDD also trumpeted that California regained almost 48 percent of the 2,714,800 total nonfarm jobs lost in March and April 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opinion
OPINION: Over the past few weeks, we have seen an increase in activity and misinformation from opponents of AB 1139, California Solar Equity and Ratepayer Relief legislation, authored by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego).
Opinion
OPINION: Over the last year, Californians have turned to neighborhood parks, trails, and beaches for respite and healing more than ever before. Some of us have grown to appreciate the park down the street or have developed a favorite walking route through tree-lined neighborhoods.
Opinion
OPINION: The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a terrible toll on all Californians. While Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recently announced California Comeback Plan allocates billions of emergency aid funding to those hurt by the pandemic, one group hit harder than most has been left out of the budget proposal: human trafficking victims.
Opinion
OPINION: In the May Revision to his state budget proposal, Gov. Gavin Newsom added $110 million to support clean hydrogen production, recognizing the need for more clean hydrogen in the U.S. and the opportunity for California to dominate its development on a national and global scale.
Opinion
OPINION: The science is clear. There is no way to effectively protect the health of vulnerable and unserved communities without confronting how factors like race and income impact exposure to the air quality threats created by fossil fuels.
Opinion
OPINION: One thing we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that there is an immense need to invest in public health and disease prevention tools before there is another widespread outbreak. While we cannot fix the past, we do have an opportunity to ensure California residents are protected from debilitating and deadly diseases in the future.
A view of a homeless encampment along Central Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. (Photo: Matt Gush, via Shutterstock)
