Inside Newsom’s $4.5 billion economic recovery plan: Clean vehicles a top priority
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday unveiled a $4.5 billion plan for business and job recovery, dedicating one-third of the funding to eliminating new gas-powered cars by 2035.
The plan offers a glimpse into Newsom’s priorities for the 2021-22 budget, which will be released in full on Friday, kicking off months of negotiations with the Legislature. However, Newsom wants lawmakers to immediately approve nearly $1 billion — mainly for small businesses and housing — when they return to Sacramento on Monday. Legislative leaders seemed amenable to this request, even as they emphasized that they had proposals of their own — signaling they don’t want a repeat of last session, when many felt their role was reduced to “simply giving a yes or no answer to the governor’s priorities,” in the words of then-state Sen. Holly Mitchell, a Los Angeles Democrat.
Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon: “A unified effort is critical to success, and we look forward to working with the governor on the specifics of his, and legislative, proposals to take early action in providing meaningful additional relief.”
Here’s a closer look at Newsom’s recovery package:
- $1.5 billion for constructing electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations, and subsidizing purchases of zero-emissions cars
- $777.5 million for job creation and retention
- $575 million in small-business grants (on top of $500 million allocated last year)
- $500 million to build more than 7,500 permanently affordable homes
- $353 million for workforce development
- $300 million for deferred maintenance of state properties
- $70.6 million for fee waivers for businesses and individuals impacted by the pandemic
Whether the package will satisfy financially ravaged businesses — and frustrated Californians — remains to be seen. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who recently launched a gubernatorial exploratory committee, excoriated Newsom’s proposal Tuesday.
Faulconer: “In the middle of a pandemic and deep recession, California’s highest priority should not be zero-emission vehicles. We need K-12 education at the top of the list.”
Also expected in Newsom’s budget proposal: $2 billion to accelerate school reopenings and $300 million for vaccine distribution.
—CALMatters
BERKELEY
Change the Terms calls on social media platforms to ban Trump following US capitol violence
The following is a statement from the Change the Terms Coalition:
“Donald Trump is an autocrat who just used social media to help organize and incite an insurrection against the U.S. government and the peaceful transfer of power. Trump must be held to account for these illegal actions, but he is not the only one to blame. Time and again Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have refused to take action against disinformation, hate, and violent speech on their platforms. Today’s events were deeply connected to white supremacist organizing on these social media platforms—organizing that was left unchecked and fueled by disinformation and conspiracy theories advanced by Trump. And as today’s events unfolded, Trump used his social media accounts to encourage and cheer on the violent insurrectionists.
Donald Trump’s accounts must be banned from social media platforms immediately. These companies’ weak and irresponsible content moderation practices have already damaged our democracy—at least one person was killed today and several more injured. If platforms do not take immediate action to permanently remove Trump’s accounts, they will further share in the blame for additional white supremacist violence that may unfold over the evening and in the remaining days before Trump’s term as president ends.
Which side of history do Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube wish to be on? Their choice is long overdue.”
—Submitted
WASHINGTON D.C.
Thompson marks certification of 2020 Electoral College, affirming Biden as president-elect
On Thursday Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) released the following statement after Congress certified the 2020 Electoral College vote and again cemented Joe Biden as President-elect and Kamala Harris as Vice President-elect.
“Congress has done its Constitutional duty and certified the results of the Electoral College from the 2020 Presidential Election. On January 20, Joe Biden will be the President and Kamala Harris will be the Vice President. We must ensure the peaceful transfer of power.”
Thompson and other Members of Congress were sheltered in place at the U.S. Capitol for several hours on January 6, following a security breach that allowed rioters into the building. In the evening hours, Congress resumed consideration of the certification and concluded its Constitutional duty.
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
Projected EDD fraud hits $4 billion
The Tuesday revelation that California’s beleaguered unemployment department may have paid nearly $100 million in fraudulent claims to out-of-state jail and prison inmates has pushed the projected scope of fraudulent payments to $4 billion — double the amount prosecutors had previously estimated. According to an analysis reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, more than 2,000 of the high-risk claims were filed under the names of inmates in Florida prisons or jails — including that of a convicted murderer who allegedly received nearly $11,000 in payments. The news came a day after EDD suspended payment on an unspecified number of claims in an attempt to mitigate fraud — and a Sacramento man on probation was charged with nine counts of felony EDD fraud after scamming the department for $219,000.
- Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, a Laguna Beach Democrat: “Absurd fraud policies have made California’s EDD a target for prisoners nationwide. What a shameful waste of taxpayer dollars.”
—CALMatters
