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Prop 30 Debate Splits CA Democratic Party

Gov. Gavin Newsom is arguing that Prop 30 would disproportionately benefit one company, Lyft Inc. He is featured in a new television ad to spearhead efforts promoting a NO vote. “Prop 30 is being advertised as a climate initiative,” Newsom says in the ad. “But in reality, it was devised by a single corporation to funnel state income taxes to benefit their company. Put simply, Prop 30 is a Trojan horse that puts corporate welfare above the fiscal welfare of our entire state.”

Published

2 years ago

October 10, 2022

Oakland Post

California Governor Gavin Nesom

Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The debate surrounding Proposition (Prop) 30 is causing division between the California Democratic Party and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Prop 30 calls for a 1.75% raise on income taxes for people earning over $2 million annually. It is projected that the tax could generate around $5 billion annually. A majority of the funds would go towards programs helping people buy electric cars and install charging stations. Twenty percent of funds would go towards CalFire staffing and wildfire prevention/response programs.

Newsom is arguing that Prop 30 would disproportionately benefit one company, Lyft Inc. He is featured in a new television ad to spearhead efforts promoting a NO vote.

“Prop 30 is being advertised as a climate initiative,” Newsom says in the ad. “But in reality, it was devised by a single corporation to funnel state income taxes to benefit their company. Put simply, Prop 30 is a Trojan horse that puts corporate welfare above the fiscal welfare of our entire state.”

Lyft has given more than $15 million to support the measure, including funding for signature-gathering to get it on the ballot. It plans to exclusively use electric vehicles by 2030.

This declaration follows California’s efforts to rein in the emissions of transportation companies like Lyft and Uber. The California Air Resources Board adopted a rule last year that would require those companies to cut 90% of their emissions by 2030.

The Governor along with the “NO” camp believe that Lyft is trying to use Prop 30 funding to help lower their costs as they transition to employing only electric-powered vehicles.

The California Clean Air Coalition, which has been running the political campaign in support of Prop. 30, responded to Newsom’s ad with the following statement:

“Prop 30 is supported by the American Lung Association, California state firefighters, and California Democratic Party because it will prevent catastrophic wildfires and reduce the tailpipe emissions polluting our air and threatening the health of our families. It is disappointing that the Governor would side with the California Republican Party and a handful of San Francisco billionaires who would rather kids breathe toxic, polluted air than pay their fair share.”

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D–Inglewood), member of the California Black Legislative Caucus (CBLC), is supporting Prop 30. She cites air quality as the number one concern prompting her decision.

“I know how this air quality affects my district. On a personal note, I raised my children in Lawndale, and we were right off the 405 freeway. My sons grew up with really bad nosebleeds. Both of them had asthma … I know we need cleaner air … back in the day it was good to buy a house off the freeway but now not so much. We’ve since learned how it pollutes the air and how bad it is for people who live out there … We got to think about our kids, and their quality of life in the future. We can’t have children living in that kind of pollution.”

On Nov. 8, California voters will decide the ultimate fate of Prop 30.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

5 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

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2 weeks ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”