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Jordan Cunningham bucks his base on cap-and-trade

July 20, 2017

Jordan Cunningham

While nationally Republicans are attempting to roll back climate polices, Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham of Templeton joined seven other Republican legislators in voting to support Governor Jerry Brown’s cap-and-trade program. The vote has led to a backlash against the eight Republican legislators who are accused of supporting tax increases.

Launched in 2012, cap-and-trade is a controversial mechanism designed to lower greenhouse gases. Under the program, many industrial companies are required to garner permits for emission allowances.

Companies can purchase the permits from other companies or from auctions held by the California Air Resources Board. Portions of the costs are then passed on to taxpayers.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office said in a March 29 letter to Assemblymember Vince Fong that cap-and-trade could raise gas prices by an estimated 63 cents per gallon in 2021, increasing to 73 cents per gallon in 2031.

Earlier this week, eight Republican legislators voted to extend the cap-and-trade bill for 10 years: State Senator Tom Berryhill (R-Stanislaus), Assembly members Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo), Catherine Baker (R-Walnut Creek), Rocky Chavez (R-Oceanside), Health Flora (R-Modesto), Devin Mathis (R-Visalia), Mark Steinorth (R-Rancho Cucamonga), and Chad Mayes (R-Yucca Valley).

Cunningham said the vote to extend cap-and-trade will reduce taxes and support California businesses.

“Today my colleagues and I were able to reduce the costs of taxes, fees and regulations by $16 billion a year,” Cunningham said. “This bill ends the fire tax permanently and extends a manufacturing tax credit that will keep jobs in California. We have commitments that revenues from the auction will support agriculture, help farmers upgrade their technology, and enable local fire departments to buy new trucks and equipment.”

At Wednesday evenings Republican Central Committee meeting, Cunningham called in to defend his vote saying it helps puts a nail in the coffin of the bullet train and lowers taxes.

Nevertheless, many Republican leaders contend the extension will raise the cost of living for most Californians.

“We believe that the proposed cap-and-trade extension combined with the gas tax and the car tax hikes will be a crushing blow to California residents and small businesses negatively impacting their quality of life,” Senator John Moorlach said in a letter to Governor Jerry Brown.


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The Dems have two thirds super majorities in both houses of the CA legislature. Seven Republican Assembly members (including Jordan and the Republican minority leader voted for the Cap and Trade renewal which allowed seven Dems to vote no. The bill passed in the Assembly with a two thirds vote and none to spare.


Governor Moonbeam wanted two thirds so that the passage could not be challenged as a tax measure without the necessary 2/3 vote as required by law.


Now think about this: the Republican Assembly members who voted yes allowed the same number of Dems to vote no so they could go to their voters and claim opposition to Cap and Trade. I guarantee that come re-election time the Dem opponents to Jordan and the others will dish out vicious slanders, etc. while Jordan and the others will receive no plaudits for their courage.


As a conservative who’s first vote was for Barry Goldwater I am tired of voting for conservative candidates who do not follow conservative principles once they are elected as espoused in their campaigns. Able, Katcho, and now Jordan. As someone who contributed to Jordan and endorsed him I am now done. “Decline to state” here I come.


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You just can’t trust any of them anymore. Most all of them speak with a forked tongue. Everyone needs to be pro active and corral these characters before they betray us. Once they get you the only alternative you have is to wait for reelection time and send them down the river. For me, Jordan just made his reservation for that trip.


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Until Governor Brown’s taxpayer money wasting non-bullet train is completely stopped Cunningham is just another politician that does not vote for the taxpayers. If the money wasting train is not stopped before Cunningham comes up for re-election he will not get my vote again.


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This cap and trade bill was truly best case scenario. Had some not worked for a compromise, we would have gotten a deal that was much worse. Not to mention Republicans were able to get this amendment up for voter approval, potentially handicapping Jerry Brown and his push for his choo-choo train to nowhere:


http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Brown-s-cap-and-trade-deal-could-eventually-11303901.php


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So ended the per parcel fire tax billings by the SBE? Inefficient property taxation system, imho. Manufacturing tax credit extension … OK. End of the bullet train. Good! I question that cap and trade hassle and costs as administered by APCD. I like that he broke ranks. This party line stuff is dumb.


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He can’t be to bright. I’m sure it would have passed without his vote. This way he would have got what he wanted and not pissed off his base. He lost my vote….


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Voting to end the fire tax and extend the manufacturing tax credit sounds pretty bright to me.


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NEVER vote for Cap n Trade!!


Cap n Trade sucks!!!!


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I think you meant “too” bright. Anyhow, it’s good to know Jordan Cunningham isn’t serving as a Rubber Stamp for climate change deniers. California businesses are important, and Jordan assessed that this Cap and Trade bill was good for Central Coast businesses. Jordan might have lost support of some deniers, but he gained a new look from others who live in the real world.


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Jordan, Jordan, Jordan. When Katcho pushed for the water district he did not evaluate the optics. It cost him congress. You just voted for cap and trade. I don’t care about the details. YOU JUST VOTED FOR CAP AND TRADE!!! Optics, son optics.


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Forget the optics! Californians dodged a bullet with this cap and trade bill. Could you imagine if Republicans were out of the talks and it were just Democrats and their environmental extremist palls? I’m happy we avoided those optics.


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Sold down the river by another one term RINO. He and his band of 8 are what’s wrong with the Republican party. Throw out the bum. Drain the swamp.


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We were not sold down the river; we were protected from an alternative cap and trade bill that would have been 10 times more disastrous for our economy. Cunningham helped keep the swamp away from the cap and trade bill and allowed us to get the best-case scenario in a legislature where Democrats have the supermajority.


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Boy it didn’t take long for the truth to come out. You don’t have to be smart to figure out that the more costs that you put on businesses, that are then put on the populous, is an E ticket (Disneyland’s best ticket years ago) to a disaster for the state. I really don’t know if they can try any harder than what they are doing to bring an end to what use to be a great state.

I think it will be interesting to see how Arnold, Compton, Pechang, Seastrand, O’Malley, Moreno and others who touted this guy as the wonder candidate will say now?

Thanks Jordon for watching out for us.


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Far left Democrats and environmental extremists did try harder. They tried a lot harder. But they failed. Because Republicans like Cunningham were willing to compromise in order to avoid a disastrous bill.


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I thought he stood up for no new taxes period. Didn’t take too long to lay down in Sacramento to pimps.


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Completely eliminating the gas tax and extending the manufacturing tax credit doesn’t sound like laying down to me.


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*fire tax


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Do you really think you will be paying less?


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I am beginning to think that supporting Jordan Cunningham was a mistake.


As a candidate, Jordan Cunningham embraced conservative principles, bus as a member of the California State Assembly, politician Jordan Cunningham is voting with the far-left liberals, and I think we need to look elsewhere for a competent leader.


On another issue, Jordan Cunningham voted with the separatist, La Raza lobby in supporting legislation which would remove Chumash Indian property from the Santa Barbara County property tax rolls. Cunningham apparently thinks SB County taxpayers should pay more so the well-off Chumash Indians can pay NOTHING. This special legislation exempts non-reservation lands, and thus requires special-interest assembly support.


Mr. Cunningham: when will you write a column and explain your ridiculous positions to the people who pay your salary?


Why haven’t you gone to Sacramento in order to put government back on the side of taxpayers, as you promised?


I think the taxpaying citizens of Santa Barbara County, as well as San Luis Obispo County will have to find a more credible representative in the state capitol, because Jordan Cunningham has shown us that he lacks even basic leadership skills, and we all deserve much better leadership than he apparently has.


Sorry Jordan, you failed us.


Just saying,


George Bailey


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