Kounalakis goes to Glasgow
November 3, 2021THE BUZZ — SEEING GREEN: Even the existential threat of climate change is all about the economy.
Such was the message on a climate panel on Tuesday in Glasgow, Scotland, featuring Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who has inherited the role of Preeminent California Delegate from Gov. Gavin Newsom after the governor’s last-minute cancellation. Kounalakis embraced Newsom’s brand of California-forward climate evangelism, arguing that America’s most populous state continues to shape the climate agenda for the rest of the country and the world.
Part of that is California’s unique air quality authority, which in Kounalakis’s telling gives California “almost sovereign power” over emissions. That was a major source of conflict with the Trump administration, which revoked California’s waiver to set more stringent auto emissions standards under the Clean Air Act. The Biden administration has already moved to restore California’s powers.
California’s aggressive climate mandates, incentives and regulations also have had an outsize effect on the global economy. Newsom’s emissions pact with a group of automakers carried the added political benefits of fortifying California’s climate-friendly reputation and infuriating then-President Donald Trump. But it was also the type of move that can shape markets and guide manufacturers’ decisions, given California’s enormous economic clout.
Kounalakis made a similar point about Newsom’s directive phasing out new gas-powered car sales by 2035, noting that a mandate guiding sales in “the largest consumer market in the United States” is “already reshaping the future of our light-duty vehicles and commercial vehicle travel” writ large. As Newsom likes to do, Kounalakis framed that as a model for both the federal government and other states to follow. And she maintained California has demonstrated that “we can both meet our climate goals AND grow our economy.”
Moving markets is one thing — moving minds is another. Kounalakis, Louisiana Gov. Jonathan Bel Edwards and their federal interlocutor, White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy, argued voters need to see the basic financial benefits of a green shift. McCarthy talked about bringing along automotive unions to “prove that a future of electric vehicles [is] better for our economy as well as for climate change.” And Kounalakis stressed the need to spread out incentives for electric vehicles and solar panels so they don’t primarily benefit the wealthy, arguing that “when you give these rebates that hit the pocketbook, people will adapt.”
Majorities of California voters tend to favor aggressive climate mandates, even if they drive up the price of energy. But that support doesn’t come easily. Plenty of moderate Democrats are emphasizing the same economic divide that Kounalakis referenced, as when Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva cautioned soon after the panel Tuesday that costs “must keep pace with when we make new laws” given “our hardest working families that must drive to work.” Bel Edwards’ point about transitioning Louisiana oil workers to clean energy jobs conjured Newsom talking about bringing along oil workers in Kern County fields or offshore rigs.
BOTTOM LINE: If California’s huge economy lets it set the pace on green policies, its political landscape can also be a proving ground for them. Success or backlash on the economic merits here could breed imitation or reluctance elsewhere. As Kounalakis put it: “For Californians, the bigger question is: if we do our part, will the rest of the country follow and will the rest of the world follow?”
BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Lawmakers are holding a hearing this morning to examine supply chain issues and the backup at California’s ports. Scheduled witnesses include Rep. Alan Lowenthal, California State Transportation Agency Secretary David S. Kim, GoBiz director Dee Dee Myers and officials from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “California has been the tail that has wagged the dog on environmental protection, and we are continuing to play that role.” Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis makes California’s case at the Glasgow climate conference.
TWEET OF THE DAY: Press freedom activist Parker Higgins @xor on a week of Facebook changes: “so facebook changes its name and then deletes its big book of faces... how meta”
BONUS TOTD: Former California Rep. @KatieHill4CA on Democrats’ rough election night in Virginia and beyond: “Well, at least there’s still California.”
WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
SAVING SEQUOIAS — “Tiny seedlings of giant sequoias rise from ashes of wildfire,” by the AP’s Brian Melley: “The effort led by the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a Michigan nonprofit that preserves the genetics of old-growth trees, is one of many extraordinary measures being taken to save giant sequoias that were once considered nearly fire-proof but are at risk of being wiped out by more intense wildfires.”
DEATH DISCREPANCY — “Police killings are drastically undercounted, study says. What role do California sheriffs play?” by the SF Chronicle’s Shwanika Narayan: “A study released last month indicates they’re part of a broader national trend in which police killings are drastically undercounted in the U.S., renewing questions about whether law enforcement information can be trusted. In California, the questions extend to the outsized role that elected sheriffs play in determining the cause of violent or unexpected deaths. In 48 out of the state’s 58 counties — and six out of nine Bay Area counties — sheriffs also hold the title of coroner.”
— “DA files homicide charges against SFPD officer in shooting death of Sean Moore,” by Mission Local’s Eleni Balakrishnan.
BIG NEWS FOR PARENTS — CDC vaccine panel endorses vaccine for kids 5-11, by POLITICO’s Lauren Gardner: The panel's 14-0 vote on Tuesday marked the last major regulatory hurdle to immunizing school-aged children against the coronavirus. Federal officials have said that 15 million doses were being shipped to distribution centers ahead of the vote.
RECALL WAVE CONTINUES — “Mayor Andrew Coolidge served recall papers mid meeting,” by the Chico Enterprise-Record’s Jake Hutchinson.
SO MUCH FOR THAT — “Entire Bay Area is back in CDC's orange and red tiers for COVID spread,” by the SF Chronicle’s Kellie Hwang: “The entire Bay Area has returned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s orange ‘substantial’ and red ‘high’ categories of coronavirus transmission — a step backward for some counties, like Marin and San Francisco, where transmission was previously classified as yellow, or ‘moderate.’”
— “VA doctors are being overruled on veterans’ treatment plans. Here’s why,” by inewsource’s Jill Castellano: “There are 19 million veterans in the U.S., and almost 5 million of them have disabilities documented from their time in service. San Diego County is home to roughly a quarter million veterans, the fifth-highest of any county in the nation. Under the VA MISSION Act of 2018, the U.S. government agreed to cover veterans’ medical costs inside and outside the VA health care system to ensure they do not go without the care they need.”
NEW FRAMEWORK — “San Diego County Supervisors OK framework to tackle homelessness,” via City News Service: “The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a long-term plan, including community partnerships, to tackle the growing homelessness crisis.”
— “Why state lawmakers are fired up over a derailed S.F. housing project,” by the SF Chronicle’s Alexei Koseff: “The decision last week by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to reject a proposed 495-unit apartment building on a Nordstrom parking lot quickly rippled far beyond the city. Officials expressed surprise and anger from Sacramento, where a state housing agency is now investigating whether the board acted improperly, to Orange County, where a legislator suggested the vote exacerbated California’s housing crisis — an illustration of the growing tension as the state intensifies pressure on local communities to build more homes.”
BRING BACK STUDENTS — “Cal State races to boost graduation rate and cut early Ds and Fs,” by CalMatters’ Mikhail Zinshteyn: “With the pandemic threatening to undercut graduation rates, Cal State is pushing to re-enroll lost students and reduce early Ds and Fs that can drive students to drop out.”
PARTICLE POLLUTION — “What is PM2.5 and why is it so bad for you?” by the SF Chronicle’s Abhinanda Bhattacharyya and Stephanie Zhu: “Fine particles called particulate matter (PM) 2.5 are tiny but incredibly dangerous. Many scientists now view these inhalable particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns (micrometers) or less as the most damaging source of pollution for Bay Area residents, and for many other communities across the globe. Particulate matter consists of a combination of liquid droplets and small solid particles.”
FROM NORTH — “PG&E to Pay $125 Million Over California Wine Country Fire,” by Bloomberg’s David R Baker.
TO SOUTH — “Edison to pay $550M fine for Southern California wildfires and mudslides,” by POLITICO’s Colby Bermel.
— "Lawmakers want to fix Central Valley’s doctor shortage. Would loan forgiveness help?" by The Sac Bee's Gillian Brassil: "Members of Congress want to close the gap on the Central Valley’s doctor shortage with student loan forgiveness incentives... The program, created by former President Barack Obama’s administration, offers student loan forgiveness to people working for nonprofit organizations across various fields, including medicine, if they have been on time with their loan payments for a decade."
WELCOME HOME, MR. PRESIDENT — "Biden returns from Europe to Democratic turmoil over Virginia election loss," by the LA Times' Chris Megerian, Erin B. Logan and Melanie Mason: "Waiting for Biden is a storm of political challenges that threaten his agenda on Capitol Hill and that have sent Democrats into spasms of fear over their prospects in the upcoming midterm election."
— "Democrats reach deal on Medicare prescription drug prices in social spending bill," by the LA Times' Jennifer Haberkorn: "The Medicare drug-price negotiation policy, left out of an earlier draft of the $1.85-trillion bill because of disagreements, marks the culmination of 15 years of Democratic campaign promises to allow the federal government to use its bargaining power to try to bring down the price of drugs."
— “Gig-Economy Rise Prompts FTC Chief’s Call to Alter Antitrust Law,” by Bloomberg’s Erin Mulvaney, Siri Bulusu, Joyce E. Cutler and Kathleen Dailey: “Gig economy workers fighting for higher pay and better working conditions through protests and grassroots organizing campaigns face yet another obstacle in their campaigns: U.S. antitrust law.”
HARRIS’ ROUNDTABLE — “How a brief brush with Kamala Harris changed a wigmaker’s life,” by the LA Times’ Naoh Bierman: “Christine Paige, a hairdresser and wigmaker, was confused and a little suspicious when she got a text purporting to be from the White House asking if she would participate in an event with Vice President Kamala Harris… But Harris didn’t need a blow-out. Her office wanted Paige to take one of five seats in a ‘women-led small business roundtable.’”
ELDER CARE: Republican recall candidate Larry Elder will be the special guest at a fundraiser this month for Rep. Michelle Steel, per an invite — an indication that conservative talk show host Elder, the top vote-getter among recall replacement candidates, may remain on the California political scene for a while.
UP NEXT? “California initiative to boost water spending can collect signatures,” by POLITICO’s Debra Kahn: The initiative, sponsored by agricultural and urban water users in the Central Valley and Southern California, would devote 2 percent of the state's general fund — roughly $2.5 billion to 4 billion annually — to water projects until 5 million acre-feet of new supplies are created.
— “Could Los Angeles lose a Black congressional seat?” by the LA Times’ Seema Mehta: “A confluence of factors — the state’s impending loss of a congressional seat for the first time in its history in the aftermath of the 2020 census, the declining Black population in this swath of Los Angeles and Bass’ decision not to seek reelection to Congress as she mounts a run for mayor — is prompting fears that the district will no longer be represented by an African American as congressional boundaries are redrawn this year.”
COVID CANCELLATION — Speaker's Cup dinner canceled after positive Covid test, by POLITICO’s Jeremy B. White: Organizers of a major Assembly fundraiser canceled a dinner Tuesday after a guest tested positive for the coronavirus. … The Speaker's Cup is a prominent source of campaign funds for legislative races. Lawmakers typically mingle with representatives of special interest groups over rounds of golf at one of America's most celebrated courses.
OP-ED — “Latinos have been a key part of the Democratic base. For how much longer?” opines the LA Times’ Mark Z. Barabak: “Tony Cárdenas thinks Democrats have a Latino problem. Every election yields complaints that the party is taking that key constituency for granted, applying a one-size-fits-all strategy, spending too little on advertising and turnout, relying on the same clique of Washington consultants and bypassing knowledgeable strategists with closer ties to Latino communities.”
— “Facebook, Citing Societal Concerns, Plans to Shut Down Facial Recognition System,” by NYT’s Kashmir Hill and Ryan Mac: It’s “deleting the face scan data of more than one billion users and effectively eliminating a feature that has fueled privacy concerns, government investigations, a class-action lawsuit and regulatory woes.”
HOLIDAY DELAY — "Supply chain crisis at California ports could sink holiday gifts," by KTVU's Brooks Jarosz.
— "Southern California city would have highest minimum wage in country under proposal," by FOX News' Brie Stimson.
— “Man charged after alleged assault on American Airlines flight attendant,” by CNN’s Brian Rokus and Susannah Cullinane.
— “Grieving wife sues Recology, claiming executives drove her husband to kill himself,” by the SF Chronicle’s Rachel Swan.
— "California changed the country with weed legalization — is it high time for the feds to catch up?" by the LA Times' Evan Halper.
— “A top LAFD official accessed confidential complaint files while he was under investigation,” by the LA Times’ Paul Pringle.
— “UCSB says it’s sticking with Munger’s mega-dorm,” by Pacific Coast Business Times’ Brooke Holland.
— “Four Seasons Hotel in Napa Selling for Near Record Valuation,” by The Wall Street Journal’s Craig Karmin.
POLICING IN POMONA — “Pomona school board hires school officers, changing course on 'defund the police,’” by KABC’s Rob McMillan.
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