ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 30

CALIFORNIANS DESERVE CLEAN AIR TO BREATHE

Climate change is fueling extreme heat, prolonged drought and catastrophic wildfires that are taking lives, destroying homes and costing California’s economy tens of billions of dollars.

Fire season is now year-round. The air quality in California is the worst in the country (2022 American Lung Association report). The toxic, polluted air exposes us—especially children and seniors—to increased health risks like asthma, heart attacks, lung cancer and strokes.

Existing programs are not enough to address this growing threat to California’s economy, environment and public health. We must act urgently to reduce the top two sources of air pollution and greenhouse gases in California: wildfires and vehicles.

PROP. 30 WILL REDUCE CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRES AND AIR POLLUTION FROM VEHICLES

Prop. 30 provides funding to improve California air quality by:

• Preventing and fighting wildfires. • Providing consumers rebates to help them afford clean, zero-emission electric vehicles. • Creating a statewide network of affordable, convenient charging stations for electric vehicles.

The measure is funded by a 1.75% tax increase on the roughly 35,000 Californians who make more than $2 million annually.

PERSONAL INCOME BELOW $2 MILLION IS NOT TAXED.

Only the wealthiest 0.2% will be impacted. Small business revenue is NOT taxed.

PREVENTING WILDFIRES AND PROTECTING HOMES

Prop. 30 funds critically needed programs to prevent catastrophic wildfires and protect homes, including:

• Managing forests to reduce dry vegetation that fuels extreme wildfires. • Improving protective space around homes and businesses to reduce the risk wildfires spread through communities. • Hiring and training state firefighters and increasing firefighting equipment to stop wildfires before they grow out of control.

Our firefighters put their lives on the line to protect us—they deserve more help as they face increasingly dangerous fires.

PROP. 30: STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY

• Caps administrative expenses. • Requires independent audits by the State Auditor and State Controller to ensure funds get spent as intended. • Prohibits the Legislature from appropriating funds for other purposes. • Provides criminal and financial penalties for misuse of funds.

MAKING ELECTRIC VEHICLES A MORE AFFORDABLE CHOICE

Gas is too expensive. Consumers want options, but many can’t afford an electric vehicle. Prop. 30 provides DIRECT REBATES AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CONSUMERS to make sure low- and middle-income families who want an electric vehicle can afford one. School buses, farm equipment and big rig trucks are also eligible to help reduce diesel pollution.

EXPANDING CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE STATEWIDE

Prop. 30 develops the network of affordable charging stations throughout the state that we need—creating thousands of good-paying green jobs. Homes, apartments, businesses and local governments are eligible to ensure charging a car is more convenient than buying gas: available at work, home and in commercial and public spaces. The measure will upgrade the electric grid to ensure reliability as we transition to more electric vehicles.

OUR KIDS DESERVE A FUTURE WITH CLEAN AIR

With Prop. 30, we can reduce extreme wildfires and restore clean air to California. Please join state firefighters, nurses, doctors, scientists, environmental groups and businesses across California in support.

www.Yeson30.org

Tim Edwards, President

CalFire State Firefighters

David Tom Cooke, M.D., FACS

American Lung Association

Sherry Jackman, Vice Chair

Coalition for Clean Air

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 30

CALIFORNIANS DESERVE CLEAN AIR. That’s why California is spending more than $50 billion for a multi-year climate investment, including $10 billion to accelerate the transition for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). California is working to protect our neighborhoods, farms, and communities from the impact of climate change, fight pollution and suppress wildfires.

CALIFORNIANS FACE HISTORIC INFLATION RATES. We don’t need to face billions in higher taxes. Proposition 30’s narrow focus puts a special interest lock box on these new income taxes—normally the largest source of funding for California’s K—12 schools and community colleges, making them unavailable in the future. This tax provides no funding for healthcare, public safety, agriculture, or services for the elderly and homeless; and does little to help state and local governments save for the future.

LOW INCOME CALIFORNIANS ARE NOT GUARANTEED ZEVs WILL BE AFFORDABLE. While many Californians are struggling to pay rent and put food on the table, Prop. 30 does not guarantee low income families will be able to buy ZEVs. Most ZEVs are purchased by wealthy and upper middle-class Californians. Prop. 30 doesn’t resolve this deep inequity.

THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD RULED RIDESHARE COMPANIES, INCLUDING LYFT, MUST GO 90% ZERO EMISSION BY 2030. Rather than pay its fair share, LYFT lobbied the state to pay for ZEV infrastructure and corporate subsidies.

Now, LYFT has spent more than $15 million to fund Proposition 30. Why? So that taxpayers will pick up the tab for billions of dollars in ZEV upgrades LYFT needs.

VOTE NO.

E. Toby Boyd, President

California Teachers Association

Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ret.

ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 30

PROP. 30 WILL INCREASE TAXES FOR UP TO 20 YEARS BY AT LEAST $30 BILLION AND AS MUCH AS $90 BILLION, DRIVING UP COSTS FOR EVERY CALIFORNIAN.

California families are feeling the pinch from high inflation, and rising gas, food and housing prices. The last thing we need now are higher taxes, especially if the recession predicted by many economists hits families and threatens their livelihoods.

Californians already pay the highest state income taxes and highest gas taxes, one of the highest sales taxes, and grapple daily with among the highest costs of living in the nation. Prop. 30 will be the largest tax increase in California in over a decade—as utility rates skyrocket for homeowners and small businesses, and higher taxes get passed on to consumers.

PROP. 30 WILL SEVERELY STRAIN A STRUGGLING ELECTRICITY GRID ALREADY AT RISK OF ROLLING BLACKOUTS.

Prop. 30 would add up to three million new zero-emission vehicles in California over the next ten years, which means the state would need to increase the capacity of the current electricity grid to handle this massive increase. This expense is NOT included in Prop. 30 and could be paid for by regular utility ratepayers (who already pay some of the highest rates in the nation). Utility costs could skyrocket, and ratepayers could pay much higher electricity bills each month.

California’s power grid is already stressed to the brink each summer—just two years ago many Californians suffered rolling blackouts. Our electricity grid is already at the limit in the summer months, and Prop. 30 will increase demand so the risk of rolling blackouts will become even worse.

CALIFORNIA IS CURRENTLY POURING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO ELECTRIC VEHICLE PROGRAMS.

More new tax revenue is unnecessary. The State budget surplus grew to $97.5 billion this year. The state has already developed a spending plan to ensure the rapid adoption of zero emission vehicles without raising taxes and without threatening the stability of the electricity grid, and has already budgeted $10 billion to achieve these goals. If more funding is needed, the state’s budget surplus can be tapped—instead of raising more new taxes.

MORE SPENDING ON WILDFIRE PROTECTION CAN EASILY BE PAID USING THE STATE’S BUDGET SURPLUS.

California currently spends billions of dollars annually on wildfire prevention and suppression. Using part of the state’s $97.5 billion surplus, this year spending nearly $4 billion on wildfire protection—with more than a thousand new fire fighter positions. This initiative would make a small increase to their budget, an amount that could easily be funded from the state’s budget surplus.

JOIN TAXPAYERS, TEACHERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO REJECT THIS UNNECESSARY TAX INCREASE THAT COULD PUT OUR ELECTRICITY GRID AT RISK!

Jon Coupal, President

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Betty Jo Toccoli, President

California Small Business Association

Joe Coto, President

United Latinos Action

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST
PROPOSITION 30

PROP. 30: FEWER WILDFIRES, CLEANER AIR. FUNDED BY TAXING BILLIONAIRES.

Climate change is fueling catastrophic wildfires that pose a growing threat to our lives, property and economy. California’s air is polluted, threatening our health.

Our state government is not doing enough—even with a budget surplus!

Prop. 30 asks the wealthiest 0.2% to pay their fair share for programs to prevent wildfires and reduce air pollution—so Californians have clean air to breathe.

Here are the facts about Prop. 30:

ONLY TAXES PERSONAL INCOME OVER $2 MILLION.

Taxpayers earning below $2 million annually will not pay higher taxes or costs. [Section 2, 17044(a).]

IMPROVES ELECTRIC GRID RELIABILITY

• Provides billions in funding for grid upgrades and infrastructure to ensure reliability. • Prohibits actions that could compromise the grid. [Section 1, 80211]

“Electric vehicles store electricity that could be put back on the grid when it is stressed, helping prevent blackouts.”—Ethan Elkind, Climate Program Director, UC Berkeley School of Law Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment

SAVES CONSUMERS MONEY ON ELECTRIC CARS

A 2020 Consumer Reports Study found consumers save $6,000–$10,000 on lower maintenance and fueling costs over the life of an electric vehicle, compared to gas-powered cars. Prop. 30 helps consumers afford electric vehicles, so they can SAVE MONEY ON GAS and maintenance. [Section 1, 80221]

PROP. 30: SUPPORTED BY STATE FIREFIGHTERS, OPPOSED BY BILLIONAIRES

The billionaires and CEOs behind the opposition will say anything to avoid higher taxes—even for wildfires and clean air.

Get the facts and decide for yourself: www.Yeson30.org/getthefacts

Join state firefighters, environmental groups, consumer advocates and energy experts: YES on 30.

Mary Creasman, CEO

California Environmental Voters

Max Baumhefner, Senior Attorney on Climate and Clean Energy

Natural Resources Defense Council

Dr. Jose Pablo Ortiz Partida, Senior Climate Scientist

Union of Concerned Scientists