In 2024 alone, devastating California wildfires have scorched one million acres and displaced thousands. With entire towns reduced to ash and families fleeing for their lives several times in the past decade, alongside devastating droughts and heat waves, climate change issues have increased in prevalence with each passing day.
However, the passing of Proposition 4, also known as the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness and Clean Air Bond Act, would be a key step for Californians to finally fight back.
Proposition 4 would authorize California to borrow $10 billion to spend on various climate programs addressing a variety of issues, including wildfires, rising sea levels and safe drinking water. The proposition would allocate $3.9 billion toward an assortment of water projects, with another $1.2 billion going for the protection of coastal areas from rising sea levels. This issue is especially relevant to California, especially considering that around 80% of residents live within 30 miles of the Pacific Ocean.
Alongside these protections, another $1.5 billion would be allocated toward wildfire prevention and wildlife protection organizations. The rest of the money would go to a variety of climate-related causes, including clean energy and agricultural projects.
The $10 billion bond would be paid back by taxpayers at an estimated cost of $400 million a year over the span of 40 years, totaling $16 billion.
The push for Proposition 4 initially began after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $54 billion climate plan was cut in 2022 after a massive deficit in California’s budget.
Proposition 4 works as a compromise and rebirth of this plan, addressing major issues with climate change that are brutally apparent through recent events such as the California wildfires, and in a broader sense, hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Opponents of the bond argue that, while issues that Proposition 4 would handle are an important cause, the price tag is much too high. California already had an estimated $145 billion worth of debt in 2022, and the addition of another $10 billion would be devastating for taxpayers.
In opposition, State Senator Brian Jones wrote in CalMatters: “Democrat politicians need to answer for their failures on previous bonds and why they can’t pay for these supposed essential services through the existing budget.”
While it would be ideal for the crucial help Proposition 4 provides to be within budget, that simply isn’t a possible reality at the moment. Every moment that passes without some kind of action is a moment where California citizens suffer. If Proposition 4 were to be defeated, it could potentially take months or even years before similar help could be offered to citizens.
Climate change is an issue that affects everyone, but it has been especially prominent in California in recent times. The total acres burned this year alone is 29 times higher than last year, with overall wildfire activity 2,816% higher.
This is just one major issue that Proposition 4 would help alleviate. Other issues, such as climate migration and rising sea levels are major problems that will only exacerbate as climate change worsens. Climate change isn’t an issue that can be solved in one way, but it’s propositions like these that can make California one step safer from its major effects.
