Coalition for Clean Air is thrilled to see over 57% of Long Beach voters voting for Long Beach’s Measure US. The success of Measure US is a first but significant step in correcting the wrongs frontline communities have experienced for nearly a century. Through Measure US, Long Beach will have new resources to fund environmental and climate justice initiatives, community health services, as well as youth and jobs training programing.
Confronting systemic racism is an uncomfortable, awkward, and emotional experience. Yet, ignoring it is not an option. As Long Beach begins the hard but necessary work of addressing it, we cannot overlook one of its most insidious forms: environmental racism.
Measure US will fund local climate and environmental, community health, jobs training, and youth initiatives. These new revenues will not come from residential taxpayers or consumers. Instead, Measure US will modestly increase taxes the oil industry pays for extracting oil from Long Beach. Oil production taxes are not new: Long Beach and other cities already have oil production taxes. Under Measure US, Long Beach’s tax would still be in line with the region.
As California works towards a just transition away from fossil fuels, we need to make sure we are reinvesting in and empowering communities. Measure US will take a portion of the oil industry’s profits and put it back into where it matters most – in the community.
