Leaders in Stanislaus say Biden’s $4 trillion agenda could bring jobs and cleaner air
Five leaders in Stanislaus County said residents could get cleaner air and greener jobs via President Joe Biden’s agenda.
They spoke on a Zoom call Thursday morning about the roughly $4 trillion in spending now before Congress. They focused on the environmental aspects of the plan, which also would fund education, health care and other efforts.
City council members Chris Ricci of Modesto and Lise Talbott of Waterford were joined by a local labor leader and two professors at California State University, Stanislaus.
“President Biden’s Build Back Better Act directly tackles the causes of climate change and at the same time offers much-needed economic stimulus to our region,” said Philip Garone, history department chairman at Stanislaus State.
The call was sponsored by a national group called Building Back Together.
The Build Back Better Act would provide $3.5 trillion over several years. It has stalled over objections from moderate Democrats who prefer a smaller total.
A separate bill would add $550 billion in new investments in roads, rail, ports, water, broadband and other infrastructure. The party’s progressive wing is holding back action unless the $3.5 trillion bill moves in tandem.
The bills face opposition from most Republicans in both chambers, where Democrats hold slim majorities.
Biden aims in part to reduce the carbon emissions behind climate change. The package could put money into high-speed and other rail projects and help Central Valley residents buy electric cars.
It could fund forest thinning in the Sierra Nevada, reducing the wildfire risk, and create markets for woody orchard debris now burned in the open.
“It’s simply foolish to accept that we must live with this air pollution ....,” said Talbott, noting the high asthma rate among Valley residents.
Ricci said he already is saving money with solar panels at home and would like to see more electric vehicles in the city fleet.
He also called for efforts against Sierra wildfires so Pacific Gas & Electric does not have to shut off power whenever its lines pose a hazard.
Biden’s plan would create well-paying jobs in passenger rail and other green projects, said Nic Svoboda, business representative in Modesto for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Union members already are installing solar panels and electric vehicle chargers, he said. The bills could provide work for young people not on the four-year college track, he added.
The package “would benefit Stanislaus County and the entire Central Valley more than just about any other region in the country,” said Mechelle Perea Ryan, an associate professor of nursing at Stan State.
She is active with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. She noted the harm Valley residents suffer from ozone and other pollutants from vehicles.
“These investments will put people back to work in good-paying jobs, family-sustaining jobs ...,” she said.
This story was originally published October 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
