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By Jane Fonda
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I’ve seen some dark days in this country—times when our elected leaders have had self-serving agendas of their own, and everyday Americans came together to make it clear we need to protect the things that matter most to us, not to them. And I know I’m not alone in thinking we could be on the verge of one of those moments when voters make it clear they’ve had enough of corporate cronyism when they cast their ballots this November.
Across the country, concerns about corruption and the outsized influence of corporate money in politics are reaching a fever pitch. There’s a good reason for that. President Trump and his accomplices are raking it in at every opportunity. That corruption is on the ballot this November 3. But the corruption doesn’t stop at the top: corporate interests are also trying to throw their weight around on issues found lower down our ballots.
One clear example of this trend is Proposition 45 in California, which was put before voters by the California Chamber of Commerce and is being heavily bankrolled by data center developers, oil and gas interests, and for-profit utilities. The measure claims it will make California more affordable by dismantling critical safeguards for public health and the environment. It would severely restrict public oversight for a long list of projects, including warehouses and data centers, pipelines, forest clear-cutting, and sprawl-style housing.
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This reduced public oversight in California could not come at a worse time. The Trump administration is aggressively dismantling clean air and clean water protections that Americans have counted on for the past half-century. This measure would severely weaken the key environmental protection law in the state, making it easier for big corporations to pollute with less accountability to the communities where their projects are built.
Prop 45’s proponents claim their goal is simply to bring down housing costs. If that’s the case, why have data center developers, oil and gas interests, and for-profit utilities like the infamous PG&E and Southern California Edison contributed more than $10 million to persuade voters to pass it?
This is not a riddle—the answer is simple. All voters need to do is follow the money. If this measure were really about affordability, it would include provisions to make sure the increased profits developers will reap translate into lower rents or caps on electricity bills to offset the impacts of the data center boom. It doesn’t.
The same story is playing out across the country. Americans have woken up when it comes to rising electricity rates, worsened air quality, and higher demand for water that data centers can bring, especially to low-income communities and communities of color who are already forced to live with the consequences of industrial pollution in their neighborhoods. Voters want a say in where these developments are built and assurances they will be protected from their outsized impacts. If Prop 45 passes in California, those fundamental, common-sense rights would be rolled back in the most populated state in the nation.
Beyond data centers, Prop 45 makes it easier to widen freeways and build housing in high-wildfire-risk areas. In a state that is facing a growing insurance crisis, stemming from increased rates of wildfire and the impacts of climate change, it is hard to imagine how this approach will make life more affordable for regular Californians. More directly, California’s independent Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates implementing the measure could carry a cost of $100 million or more each year.
The bottom line is that rather than reducing costs, Prop 45 shifts them from project developers to taxpayers. In rolling back protections for clean air, water, and land, the measure is sure to increase pollution across the board, especially in communities where residents are already living with more than their fair share of pollution. Fewer protections often means more health problems, especially for vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. And shredding our environmental safety net means more taxpayer funded cleanup of polluted sites.
It’s hard for me to watch polluting corporations try to convince us all that clearing the way for smoggier skies and dirtier water is in our best interest. Luckily, we are at a moment when the scales appear to be falling from the eyes of voters across the country. Polluting industries do not have our best interests in mind. They are focused on their bottom lines, not your grocery bill, your mortgage payment or the air you breathe.
Let’s hope California voters recognize Prop 45 for what it is, and defeat it roundly.
Jane Fonda is an Academy Award-winning actor, activist, and founder of Jane Fonda Climate PAC.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
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