Rocky Rushing

CALmatters Commentary: Californians could breathe easier if legislators pass this bill

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NOTE: This commentary originally appeared on CALmatter’s website. Since 1984, Californians have been pulling their older cars and pickups into smog-check stations and pulling out their wallets to pay for a test to certify that their vehicles meet state emission standards. The average cost for a vehicle-inspection in 2018 was $48.60. It has been money well … Read more

San Francisco must use ride tax to promote electric Uber, Lyft cars

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors have before them what either could be a trifecta in clean-transportation policy or a flubbed opportunity that could haunt the city for years and set a horrible example for the rest of the state and nation. Led by Mayor Breed and Supervisor Aaron Peskin, city … Read more

If You Want Clean Air and Clean Transportation Options Vote No on Proposition 6

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By Rocky Rushing Proposition 6 on California’s November ballot is a politically motivated and opportunistic attempt to repeal provisions of Senate Bill 1 of 2017 to repair California’s crumbling transportation infrastructure. Voters should respond with a resounding no. Yes, SB 1 is imperfect. It contains a “dirty-truck loophole” large enough to drive a smoke-belching 18-wheeler … Read more

While the Lobbyists Crowd the Legislature with Bills to Benefit Their Clients, Some Measures Aimed at Public Benefits Rather than Corporate Profits Survive

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Photo Credit: The Nation By Rocky Rushing There are 120 elected members of the California Legislature. They are in session nine months out of the year, deciding the fate of thousands of bills. Committee hearings and floor sessions of the Legislature’s two official houses – the Senate and Assembly – are generally live-streamed on the … Read more

As California’s High Speed Rail Project Barrels Down the Tracks of Uncertainty, Could the Money Be Put to Better Use?

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The on-going story of California’s ambitious and controversial high-speed rail project is a tale of two trains. To hear High Speed Rail Authority’s Chief Executive Officer Brian Kelly tell it, high-speed rail is a transformative endeavor that will propel California into a carbon-free future at 220 miles per hour while creating jobs, economic stimulus, and … Read more

Anger and Hope for the Future Fuels Clean-Air Hero Genevieve Gale

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By Rocky Rushing Clean-air advocate Genevieve Gale gives no hint to what hides just beneath her pleasant smile and disposition when she talks about her work as policy associate for the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition (CVAQ) and the struggle for environmental justice. But ask this 27-year old Fresno resident about what fuels her fight … Read more

Will Uber and Lyft be part of climate change solution, or part of the problem?

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(AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File) Richard Vogel AP By Rocky Rushing This opinion piece first appeared in the Sacramento Bee California’s greenhouse gas pollution is below 1990 levels four years before the state’s deadline, but California’s 26.9 million drivers deserve none of the credit. Californians rolled up 31.2 million miles in April, up 1 percent from … Read more