Why are Dayenu activists in California heading out to the mailbox in such a hurry?
The answer lies in new revisions to the California state budget — which shortchange efforts at climate justice for communities on the frontlines of poverty, pollution, and racism — and in the fact that CA Governor Newsom is dodging our requests for meetings.
So now we’re mailing our many, many postcards to the Governor, and saying loud and clear: Climate equity can’t wait.
why now?
When Governor Newsom released his revisions for the California state budget recently, we were dismayed to see reductions to programs designed to ensure a more just and livable future for all California residents. The new budget revisions impact housing, social services, and education.
To dig deeper, the Governor’s proposed cuts particularly affect grant programs that address harmful climate change impacts in overburdened communities, such as Riverside and Fresno Counties and the greater Los Angeles area. The new version of the budget eliminates any additional funding for Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) and Community Resilience Centers (CRC) and puts already promised funds at risk.
Dayenu is joining a coalition of organizations to ask that TCC and CRC receive funding through the California Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which in turn is funded by California Cap-and-Trade proceeds.
The proposed cuts are particularly disappointing after Dayenu joined with allies across the state calling on the Governor to protect these funds. This spring, Dayenu Circles across California wrote hundreds of postcards to Governor Newsom advocating for investments that deliver climate, jobs, and justice for communities that need them most.
Northern California Dayenu Circles were particularly engaged, hosting over ten postcarding pop-ups around the Purim holiday that generated hundreds of postcards. However, when these Jewish climate activists contacted Governor Newsom’s office to deliver the postcards in person, the Governor’s office did not respond to their many requests for a meeting.
Given the urgency of getting our message out before the May budget revision, Dayenu leaders decided to mail the hundreds of postcards they collected.
With less than a month to pass a final budget, it is more important now than ever that Governor Newsom and key lawmakers in Sacramento hear a strong and clear message: Climate equity can’t wait!
“The climate crisis doesn’t take a break for tough budget years. Anything we put off for later will only cost us more … as the climate crisis worsens.”
JOIN US IN DEMANDING CLIMATE JUSTICE ACTION
CONTACT CALIFORNIA POLICYMAKERS DIRECTLY
Urge them to say NO to any cuts or funding freezes for Transformative Climate Communities and Community Resilience Centers.
- The Governor,
- your legislators,
- Senate and
- Assembly leadership, and
- Senate and Assembly Budget Chairs.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO SPREAD THE WORD
Share concerns about the risk of a funding freeze for climate equity programs..
Use the following tags in your posts: @CAgovernor. #caleg, @scott_wiener, @AsmJesseGabriel, @ilike_mike.
- For example: All Californians deserve a just and livable future! @CAgovernor: we need you to say NO to any cuts or freezes for Transformative Climate Communities and Community Resilience Centers climate equity grants #caleg, @scott_wiener, @AsmJesseGabriel, @ilike_mike