I agree with Gov. Newsom about ….
Whoa. That felt weird to type. Let’s try that again.
(I kid. I can find reasons to agree with Gov. Newsom on a number of issues – it’s just that the number is small. So let’s talk about one.)
The progressive rideshare company, Lyft, almost single-handedly bankrolled the campaign for Proposition 30. As described by the SF Chronicle, Lyft has donated more than $15 million to support “a ballot measure to raise the income-tax rate for wealthy people to pay for programs to get more drivers into electric cars.”
Altruism? Ha. Come on.
As you probably know, Gov. Newsom issued an executive order in 2020 outlawing the sale of gas-powered vehicles in California by 2035. That goal could be set in stone by heavy regulations if the Air Resources Board (an uber powerful government agency) passes sweeping rules this month.
But that’s just on the consumer side.
There are actually already rules specific to ride-hailing companies. In 2018, the legislature directed the Air Resources Board (see, I told you it was powerful) to set mandates for ride-hailing companies to switch their fleets to zero-emission.
The Board passed those rules last year, requiring Uber and Lyft (and others) to phase out gas-powered cars starting next year with the mandate that 90% of miles driven be done in zero-emission cars.
How can Lyft incentivize its drivers to transition? Subsidies of course. But they don’t want to pay for the incentives themselves of course. No no, that should come from the rich! (Not the only proposition on the ballot with that approach, by the way.)
This is pretty easy to dislike. It’s a special-interest bonanza at taxpayer expense claiming to be a greenhouse reducing measure.
Which is why it’s shocked the hell out of me that Gov. Newsom and the California Teachers Association agree and are opposing Prop 30. That position puts them at odds with the CA and OC Democratic Parties.
Newsom called the measure ““a cynical scheme devised by a single corporation to funnel state income tax revenue to their company.”
Every squirrel can find a nut sometimes apparently.
Councilman Will O’Neill represents District 7 on the Newport Beach City Council.
