Winning Wednesday: From Nostra-Dumbass to Orange Julius Caesar

Here's your wins for this week!

Four.  Oil Money Takes “Center Stage” In CA Gov Race

The fact that America won’t act on climate change is directly tied to the fossil fuel industry’s stranglehold on elected officials.  Historically, we haven’t heard much about that.  But now, according to Politico, “oil money is taking center stage” in the CA governor’s race. 

No matter who becomes Governor, this attention is a win for the American people and the planet.  Another plus is the spotlight on the divide between establishment and progressive Democrats on this issue.  Though there’s no easy answers for how to get off fossil fuels, it’s important to follow the money when assessing policies.

It’s not entirely black and white.  Though Xavier Becerra has received at least $1 million of oil money in this campaign, he says he’s an environmentalist. He cites how, as CA AG, he sued the first Trump administration over rollbacks to clean car standards, successfully challenged an oil company acquisition on antitrust grounds and established a Bureau of Environmental Justice.  Not only the oil companies, but a not insignificant number of voters, seemed to agree when Becerra said “You need Chevron, I need Chevron.”

Tom Steyer has spent many millions highlighting Becerra's oil money. He pledged not to accept fossil fuel industry cash, and touted his track record of green advocacy and objection to new oil drilling in the state.  Environmental groups including Sierra Club, NRDC Action Fund and the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund are supporting Steyer, saying Becerra could have done more as AG.

Three. NY State Approves $8M For Ambitious “Green Social Housing” Pilot Project

The recently passed NY State budget includes $8 million for an ambitious “Green Social Housing” project.  It will happen in Ulster County, in the Hudson Valley north of New York City.  A flood of city dwellers have moved there in recent years, driving prices up for locals.

According to Assembly Member @sarahana, who worked on getting the project funded, they’ll be turning a historic building into a modern, energy-efficient, high quality, and mixed-income affordable housing where rent will be capped at 25% of income.

It will be truly mixed-income, with at least 25% units for 30% or less of AMI, approx. 25% for 31-50% of AMI, and approx. 25% for 51-80% AMI, with no more than a third at market rate. The work will be done by union workers, and the land will remain in public hands. 

It sounds very promising. To learn more, see https://www.facebook.com/SarahanaForAssembly/posts/excited-to-announce-with-senator-michelle-hinchey-weve-secured-8m-in-the-budget-/1029832022890712/

Two.  Uber/Lyft Drivers Win First Statewide Union

AP has the story on this.   Drivers for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft celebrated on May 26, after Massachusetts became the first state to recognize their union, a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers classified as independent contractors under federal labor law.  It should give a boost to similar campaigns brewing in California and Illinois.

Labor leaders described the event as the largest private-sector organizing win since Ford autoworkers unionized in 1941.  Uber and Lyft said they planned to work with the new bargaining framework as negotiations move forward.

The certification became possible after the state's voters approved a 2024 ballot measure creating a first-in-the-nation framework allowing ride-hailing drivers to unionize and bargain collectively while remaining independent contractors. 

Drivers like the flexibility of driving for the apps.  But they’ve found themselves working longer hours while earning less, as gas and maintenance costs have climbed.  They can also be thrown off the apps with little warning or recourse. And self-driving cars are a looming threat.  Now they will have a bigger voice in their workplaces and industry.

 One.  Jimmy Kimmel Wins A Peabody

On June 1, Jimmy Kimmel won a Peabody Award for his late night show.  Kimmel was honored for “embracing the responsibility of comedy to reveal truths amid political volatility,” in particular after he was briefly suspended last fall by ABC after threats from the FCC.

When that happened, Kimmel said in his acceptance speech, “I experienced something even more surprising. I watched firsthand as millions of people, even some from across the aisle, objected. They spoke up, they marched, they cancelled their subscriptions to ‘Star Wars,’ because they refused to allow our freedoms to be bulldozed like the East Wing of the White House. They sent a message that we do care, and that we will stand up.”  Amen to that!!

Kimmel shared a few of the funny names he’s given our President.  Many were new to me, but I’ll just give you a few of my favorites from his list, published in Variety.  “I called our President ‘Fattyshack.’ And ‘Blob the Builder.’ And ‘Lie-ger Woods.’… ‘Our Fondling Father.’ ‘Mar-a-Lardo.’ ‘Nelson Tandela.’ ‘Nostra-Dumbass.’ … ‘Orange Julius Caesar.”