Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Will Newsom Cling to Dinosaur Plan or See Our Pandemic-Shaped Future?
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 5 years ago on
June 8, 2020

Share

Gov. Gavin Newsom likely knows in his gut how devastating Senate Bill 743 will be to California’s housing shortage and the wealth gap dividing our coastal and interior communities.

And, I am certain that the governor knows that trends accelerate in a crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic.


Listen to this article:


Portrait of GV Wire News Director Bill McEwen

Bill McEwen

Opinion

How could he not?

One of Newsom’s gifts is the ability to see the future, stick his neck there, and reap the political rewards of being proven right on controversial issues such as gay marriage and marijuana legalization.

A Dinosaur Law Irrelevant to the New Normal Ahead

But now he is saddled with a law that is a dinosaur. Sewn into a bill to fast-track a new arena for the Sacramento Kings seven years ago, SB 743 goes into effect July 1.

In a nutshell, the law hikes the transportation mitigation fees for builders with projects in urban “green fields,” suburbs, and rural communities by tens of thousands of dollars.

The noble goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the legislation is out of touch with the times. And, it discriminates against poor and minority Californians.

As attorney Jennifer Hernandez, who proudly calls herself “a Berkeley Democrat,” told my GV Wire colleague Jim Jakobs: “It’s not a good day for minority Californians seeking to acquire homeownership. It’s not about greenhouse gas, it’s about forcing people into elevator buildings as renters, and riding the bus.”

VMT Plan Ignores Telecommuting, Green Vehicles

Moreover, this flawed implementation plan doesn’t account for telecommuting nor for increasingly popular electric and hybrid vehicles. It looks at the number of units in a proposed development and calculates how many miles residents there will drive to work, school, shopping, and entertainment. The “Vehicle Miles Traveled” average determines the transportation fee charged the developer, who passes the fee onto home buyers.

It doesn’t matter what kind of vehicle your drive — a belching, 30-year-old, three-quarter-ton diesel pickup or a clean 2020 all-electric mini-SUV — the state only cares about how many miles it expects you to drive if you move into a new development.

It doesn’t matter what kind of vehicle your drive — a belching, 30-year-old, three-quarter-ton diesel pickup or a clean 2020 all-electric mini-SUV — the state only cares about how many miles it expects you to drive if you move into a new development.

The plan works for large urban areas with downtowns with huge job centers. In fact, it might well lower fees for builders there. But the plan’s one-size-fits-all approach erects new economic hurdles for residents in rural California — exacerbating the coastal-inland divide.

Newsom Rose on Seeing the Future. Has He Lost That Skill?

Gov. Newsom should be concerned when state Sen. Anna Caballero, one of the smartest people in the Legislature, is leading the drive to delay the plan.

“Everything we are doing at the state government level now is through the lens of COVID-19. We have changed how we work, but we must also change our approach to solving global issues like climate change, the digital divide, and more by running it through the COVID-19 perspective.” — state Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Salinas

In a visionary op-ed on the lessons of the coronavirus pandemic, without mentioning SB 743 or VMT, Caballero documented how out of touch the plan is with today’s realities.

“Policymakers in California accept office space working, likely because we all harbor that old-fashioned bias. We pass legislation to encourage housing development along public transit in urban areas on the premise that this will reduce transportation-based emissions from super-commuters,” Caballero wrote.

“Think of the local sales and property tax coffers for rural communities, if the high-tech workforce smartly distributed itself across California. Think of college graduates that could return to their rural communities and bring home an influx of intellectual capital and income. Broadband internet infrastructure would be as ubiquitous as water and energy. Small businesses and health care services would grow, as per capita income increases. These residents would be part of a community, instead of spending their family and free time in pollution-causing commutes.

“Everything we are doing at the state government level now is through the lens of COVID-19. We have changed how we work, but we must also change our approach to solving global issues like climate change, the digital divide, and more by running it through the COVID-19 perspective.”

High-Tech Workers Embrace Telecommuting

Not only does Newsom’s implementation plan overlook telecommuting, but it also penalizes rural communities for trying to grow and to entice high-tech and medical workers back home.

According to an anonymous survey of 4,400 tech workers, conducted by Blind, Bay Area tech workers are chomping at the bit to move to less expensive, more liveable places. The survey found that two-thirds of employees would consider leaving the Bay Area if they had the option to work remotely. In addition, Facebook, Twitter, and Square have said their employees can work from home forever.

Perhaps the only thing stopping Newsom from delaying and reworking VMT to fit the future is loyalty to his team. The state Office of Planning and Research has worked hard on the implementation and those responsible for the plan want to see their labors rewarded.

That, of course, is not a good reason to push full steam ahead with a flawed plan.

“Absolutely, we see this (pandemic) as an opportunity reshape the way we do business and how we govern,” Newsom said in April.

Time is running out for Newsom to look ahead and make good on his words.

[activecampaign form=19]

 

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Brunson, Towns Carry Knicks to Victory That Cuts Pacers’ Series Lead to 3-2

DON'T MISS

NY Times Bestselling Author Celebrating Book Release at Fresno Barnes & Noble

DON'T MISS

Dodgers Acquire Former All-Star Reliever Alexis Díaz in Trade With Cincinnati Reds

DON'T MISS

Christian McCaffrey Returns to 49ers Practice, Showing No Ill Effects From Injuries

DON'T MISS

Wall Street Falls as Trump Says China Violated Tariff Terms

DON'T MISS

US Consumer Spending Slows in April, Inflation Benign

DON'T MISS

US Supreme Court Lets Trump Revoke ‘Parole’ Status for Migrants

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Man Convicted of Child Molestation During Burglary Faces Life Without Parole

DON'T MISS

What Local Politicians, LGBT Community Say About Trans Track Star

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Arrested After Stolen City Vehicle Pursuit, Fires in Madera County

UP NEXT

California’s War Over Charter Schools Rages On in Court

UP NEXT

CA Changes Track-and-Field Championships After Trans Athlete’s Success. What to Know

UP NEXT

The Pacific Coast Highway Is a Mythic Route Always in Need of Repair

UP NEXT

Why Did the California Senate Shunt a Cost-Cutting Housing Bill?

UP NEXT

Silence on E. Coli Outbreak Highlights How Trump Team’s Changes Undermine Food Safety

UP NEXT

Soria Replaces Attorneys In Middle of Defamation Case

UP NEXT

US Home Buyers Are Most Uncertain Since 2023 as Rates Surge, BofA Survey Shows

UP NEXT

Fresno’s Crime Beat Didn’t Prepare Me for What I Saw on a Ride Along

UP NEXT

The MAGA Revolution Threatens America’s Most Innovative Place

UP NEXT

California’s High Living Costs and Rampant Poverty Sharpen Its Economic Divide

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Christian McCaffrey Returns to 49ers Practice, Showing No Ill Effects From Injuries

22 minutes ago

Wall Street Falls as Trump Says China Violated Tariff Terms

47 minutes ago

US Consumer Spending Slows in April, Inflation Benign

53 minutes ago

US Supreme Court Lets Trump Revoke ‘Parole’ Status for Migrants

56 minutes ago

Tulare County Man Convicted of Child Molestation During Burglary Faces Life Without Parole

16 hours ago

What Local Politicians, LGBT Community Say About Trans Track Star

16 hours ago

Fresno Man Arrested After Stolen City Vehicle Pursuit, Fires in Madera County

17 hours ago

Former MLB All-Star Breaks Ground on BMW/Porsche/Audi Dealership in Clovis

17 hours ago

Fresno, Clovis to Open Cooling Centers as Temperatures Expected to Soar

18 hours ago

Costco Misses Quarterly Revenue Expectations Amid Reduced Consumer Spending

18 hours ago

Brunson, Towns Carry Knicks to Victory That Cuts Pacers’ Series Lead to 3-2

NEW YORK — From Jalen Brunson’s sizzling start to the “Knicks in 7! Knicks in 7!” chants at the finish, this was New York&...

2 minutes ago

2 minutes ago

Brunson, Towns Carry Knicks to Victory That Cuts Pacers’ Series Lead to 3-2

13 minutes ago

NY Times Bestselling Author Celebrating Book Release at Fresno Barnes & Noble

15 minutes ago

Dodgers Acquire Former All-Star Reliever Alexis Díaz in Trade With Cincinnati Reds

22 minutes ago

Christian McCaffrey Returns to 49ers Practice, Showing No Ill Effects From Injuries

A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 19, 2025. REUTERSJeenah MoonFile Photo
47 minutes ago

Wall Street Falls as Trump Says China Violated Tariff Terms

People look for presents at the Macy’s flagship store during the holiday season in New York City, U.S., December 10, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
53 minutes ago

US Consumer Spending Slows in April, Inflation Benign

President Donald Trump makes an announcement about a trade deal with the U.K., in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis
56 minutes ago

US Supreme Court Lets Trump Revoke ‘Parole’ Status for Migrants

Serafin Narcisco, 44, of Porterville, was convicted on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, of molesting a 4-year-old girl during a 2020 home burglary. (Tulare County SO)
16 hours ago

Tulare County Man Convicted of Child Molestation During Burglary Faces Life Without Parole

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend