Environmental sustainability and a thriving economy are both essential for California’s future.
That’s why the Environmental Solutions Coalition is committed to reduce plastic waste and encourage recycling — but without increasing taxes and costs on hard-working Californians. Together, we must protect the planet while building a more equitable tomorrow for working families.
California families are already struggling to make ends meet in a state that is increasingly unaffordable. We just can’t afford more for diapers, food and other necessities.
Families and people on fixed incomes have to cope with the highest cost of living in the nation, and it is no surprise that California has the highest adjusted poverty rate among states.
Working families and people on fixed incomes face:
Skyrocketing inflation
Annual inflation was 7.9% in February 2022, the highest since January 1982.
Surging energy and gas prices
The average California price for gasoline reached $5.91 a gallon by the end of March 2022.
Highest state sales tax
Paying 7.25% in 2021, Californians face a higher state sales tax than residents of any other state.
And it’s getting more expensive every day. California families and people on fixed incomes can’t afford increasing taxes and more costs.
Increasing taxes and cost hurts us all
Hard-working California families
Seniors and people on fixed incomes
Minority communities
All Californians
Finally, special interests shouldn’t be allowed to game the system by exploiting environmental problems and abusing taxpayers to make more money without actually helping the environment.
Take for example, Recology…
- Waste management corporation with a permanent monopoly over trash collection in San Francisco
- Fined $36 million in a public corruption scandal after it admitted to bribery allegations related to overcharging consumers $100 million
- Regularly dumped its plastic waste in China until that country stopped accepting it
To make up for lost profits, it’s been looking for more funding from California taxpayers and consumers.
California can reduce plastic waste and encourage recycling without increasing taxes and costs on working families.
Rather than imposing new taxes that Californians can’t afford, state leaders must focus on real solutions to encourage recycling at the local and state level and work to reduce plastic waste.
Join Our Coalition!
At a time when millions of people in California are facing inflation at an unprecedented level and the cost of living continues to rise, the last thing we need is new or increased taxes and fees.