Cap-and-trade brings in money, despite Republican backlash

California Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) reported last week that farm and agriculture-related businesses in his district have received more than $54 million in cap-and-trade funding.

Last year, Mathis voted in favor of the controversial bill proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Mathis stood by his decision despite backlash from the agriculture community and the Tulare County Republican Party, which pulled support for Mathis and asked him to resign.

Coming from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the money was given to 125 farms, dairies, food processors, vineyards and ranches for programs ranging from dairy digester research and development to alternative manure management and healthy soils.

“It is encouraging to see the extension of the cap-and-trade program benefiting our local agricultural industry,” Mathis said. “These monies are truly helping the local guy on the ground stay in business, while also maintaining a safe and clean operation for their workers and the Valley’s residents.”

Karen Ross, California secretary of the department of food and agriculture, said the funding is a way to help improve air quality in the Central Valley while helping those in the agriculture industry.

“These are very important investments in California’s rural communities for incentives to farmers, ranchers and food processors to replace dirty engines, enhance on-farm water and energy use efficiency, install dairy digesters to create renewable energy, improve energy efficiency at food processing facilities, implement soil health practices, and conserve farmland to sequester carbon,” Ross said.

Mathis said there’s more money coming from the program.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, which seeks to improve health and quality of life for Valley residents, has received more than $80 million in cap-and-trade funding.

However, most of that funding will be used to the support programs that reduce emissions.

Last month, the California Department of Resources and Recovery division announced additional funding from cap-and-trade programs.

CalRecycle reported $9.4 million for Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant Program seeking to reduce 6 million tons of food that ends up in landfills.

“Bolstering California’s food recovery infrastructure will help feed communities in need, create new jobs, and result in significant greenhouse gas reductions,” said CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline. “Our hope is that these programs will inspire similar efforts throughout California.

Two Central Valley agencies, one in Fresno and one in Merced, received CalRecycle funding.

CalRecycle’s Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade funds.

The Environmental Defense Fund, a non-profit organization based in New York, describes cap-and-trade as the best way to reduce emissions that drive global warming.

As explained by the EDF, the cap on greenhouse gas emission is a limit backed by science with companies paying penalties if limits are exceeded.

Penalties get stricter over time.

California is using a unique system that has resulted in a steady decline of the state’s carbon dioxide pollution over the last decade. The EDF helped design and implement the system in California.

The program, though, has angered many Republicans and farmers.

Mariann Hedstrom, head of the Republican party in Tulare County, said she spoke to Mathis on the morning of the cap-and-trade vote and he said he would vote against it. He later told her he changed his mind.

Mathis, committee members said, called constituents' concerns "BS" during his speech while voting in favor of cap-and-trade.

"I've never been embarrassed to say which assembly person represents us, but I am embarrassed now," Hedstrom said. "I don't believe for a second he changed his mind. He knew how he would vote."

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