Darvin Atkeson
At the beginning of May, California, joined by 16 other states and the District of Columbia, sued the Trump administration over its attack on auto fuel efficiency standards. It was just the latest in a long list of California lawsuits against the administration. For people wondering why the Golden State fights Trump so much, I have a simple answer:
We’re fighting for you.
California’s actions focus on values we care about, and standing up for those values will make life better and safer for every American.
For decades, California has led the fight for clean air, creating standards that have helped save the lungs of all Americans. Rolling back fuel-economy mandates will increase air pollution and accelerate climate change, raising everyone’s exposure to ruinous storms, floods and droughts, from the Rocky Mountains to Texas and Puerto Rico.
But this goes far beyond the environment. Led by state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, California—followed by the NAACP and a large group of other states—has also sued to keep the administration from distorting the 2020 Census by adding a new question about citizenship.
Many experts, including six former Census Bureau directors, believe such a question will discourage immigrants from responding, as stepped-up raids spread fear in immigrant communities.
The Census is not some abstract exercise. Census data is used to shape everything from congressional and legislative districts to where federal funds go. Whatever state you live in, the dollars your community receives for transportation, health care, school lunches, unemployment insurance, assistance for rural areas and much more, depends on Census data.
Much of this money goes to programs that help poor and working-class Americans, who will suffer most from an undercount.
California’s protections will create a model for the whole country and send ripples nationwide.
Another battle lawsuit involves the administration’s effort to force California and other states to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws by withholding funding from so-called “sanctuary cities” whose police don’t actively join in immigration enforcement. The state of California sued the Trump administration over this issue last year, and the administration is now suing back.
A study last year examining county-level data found that “crime is statistically significantly lower in sanctuary counties compared to non-sanctuary counties.” Many police chiefs support sanctuary policies, knowing that forcing local cops to enforce federal immigration laws makes immigrants fearful of talking to police, hurting their ability to solve and prevent crimes.
Beyond the courts, California’s legislature is moving ahead with net neutrality legislation to counter rollbacks of federal protections. In plain English, net neutrality means you get to pick what websites or information you want to access with whatever device you choose, without your internet provider playing favorites. Without such rules, corporations can create “fast lanes” for content they prefer or for those who can afford to pay extra. (Comcast, for
example, could do this for shows from NBC, which it owns.)
Orson Aguilar
California’s protections will create a model for the whole country and send ripples nationwide.
All of these issues involve fundamental American principles like fairness, public health and safety—all under threat from the Trump administration. California is fighting for us all.
Orson Aguilar is president of The Greenlining Institute, based in Oakland, California. This column was written for the Progressive Media Project, which is run by The Progressive magazine, and distributed by Tribune News Service.