2017 September PASO Magazine

P A S O P E O P L E
B y R o b ert Vil h a u er
N e w Ass e m bl y m a n J or d a n C u n -
ni n g h a m w as t h e f e at ur e d s p e a k er
at t h e P as o R o bl es R ot ar y Cl u b l u n c h
m e eti n g o n J ul y 2 7. C u n ni n g h a m
w as el e ct e d l ast N o v e m b er, s u c -
c e e di n g K at c h o A c h a dji a n, t o r e pr e -
s e nt t h e 3 5t h Distri ct i n t h e C alif orni
a St at e Ass e m bl y, w hi c h i n cl u d es
all of S a n L uis O bis p o C o u nt y a n d
n e arl y h alf of S a nt a B ar b ar a C o u nt y.
I n d oi n g w h at h e b eli e v es is b est
o v er all f or his l o c al c o nstit u e nts,
C u n ni n g h a m e x pl ai n e d his J ul y 1 7
v ot e t o a p pr o v e t h e e xt e nsi o n of C al -
if or ni a’s C a p & Tr a d e Pr o gr a m ( A B
3 9 8). H e a c k n o wl e d g e d t h at his v ot e
w as c o nsi d er e d c o ntr o v ersi al b y
s o m e of his R e p u bli c a n c oll e a g u es,
b ut C u n ni n g h a m d ef e n d e d his d e -
cisi o n b y st ati n g t h e b ott o m li n e is
st at e l a w r e q uir es t h e r e d u cti o n of
gr e e n h o us e g as es b y 4 0 p er c e nt
( b el o w 1 9 9 0 l e v els) b y 2 0 3 0. H e
b eli e v es t h er e ar e t hr e e o pti o ns t o
m e et t his m a n d at e: I nstit ut e a c ar -
b o n t a x; l et t h e Air R es o ur c es B o ar d
r e g ul at e r e d u cti o ns; or c o nti n u e t h e
C a p & Tr a d e Pr o gr a m. C u n ni n g h a m
esti m at es t h at t h e C a p a n d Tr a d e
Pr o gr a m will b e $ 1 8 billi o n c h e a p -
er t h a n t h e ot h er alt er n ati v es. It h as
t h e f urt h er b e n e it of eli mi n ati n g t h e
v er y u n p o p ul ar ir e pr e v e nti o n f e e
l e vi e d o n r ur al r esi d e nts a n d als o
li mits t h e us e of C a p a n d Tr a d e r e v e-
n u e f or t h e c o ntr o v ersi al b ull et tr ai n
t h at C u n ni n g h a m o p p os es. T h e v ot e
d e m o nstr at es t h at h e i nt e n ds t o b e
t h o u g htf ul a n d pr a g m ati c i n w ei g h-
i n g t h e c o m pl e x tr a d e- offs p os e d b y
v ari o us l e gisl ati v e i niti ati v es.
C u n ni n g h a m b e g a n his pr es e nt a -
ti o n b y o utli ni n g his f o ur l e gisl ati v e
pri oriti es: i m pr o vi n g t h e r e g ul at or y
a n d b usi n ess e n vir o n m e nt f or s m all
b usi n ess o w n ers; e ns uri n g t h e p u b -
li c s af et y n e e ds of his c o nstit u e nts;
i n cr e asi n g l o c al w at er r es o ur c es;
a n d pr o vi di n g f or a r o b ust C ar e er
T e c h ni c al E d u c ati o n pr o gr a m.
H e n ot e d t h at o nl y h alf of l o c al
hi g h s c h o ol st u d e nts att e n d c oll e g e
a n d o nl y 3 0 p er c e nt att ai n t h eir d e -
gr e e. S o t h e r e m ai ni n g 7 0 p er c e nt
A s s e m bl y m a n J or d a n C u n ni n g h a m
a d dr e s s e s P A S O R O B L E S R O T A R Y C L U B
of y o u n g p e o pl e n e e d t e c h ni c al
s kill s d e v el o p m e nt a n d tr ai ni n g.
T h e l e gi sl ati v e f o c u s o n t hi s i s s u e
i s p arti c ul arl y ti m el y si n c e t h e st at e
gr a nt pr o gr a m t h at c urr e ntl y f u n d s
t e c h ni c al e d u c ati o n pr o gr a m s i s
s et t o e x pir e at t h e e n d of t h e n e xt
s c h o ol y e ar a n d m u st b e r e a ut h o -
ri z e d b y t h e C alif or ni a l e gi sl at ur e
s o o n. C u n ni n g h a m h a s i ntr o d u c e d
l e gi sl ati o n ( A B 4 4 5) t o p er m a-
n e ntl y f u n d a n d i m pr o v e t h e C T E
pr o gr a m a n d i s w or ki n g wit h m e m -
b er s of b ot h p arti e s o n p a s s a g e.
O n hi s ot h er pri oriti e s, A s s e m -
bl y m a n C u n ni n g h a m i s pr o u d t o
h a v e s u p p ort e d f u n di n g f or t h e
n e w P a s o R o bl e s w a st e w at er tr e at -
m e nt f a cilit y t h at will i m pr o v e t h e
q u alit y a n d a v ail a bilit y of dri n ki n g
w at er t o l o c al r e si d e nt s. H e h a s
al s o s u p p ort e d i xi n g t h e i nt er s e c -
ti o n of Hi g h w a y s 4 6 a n d 4 1. T hi s
d a n g er o u s i nt er s e cti o n h a s r e s ult -
e d i n si x d e at h s t hi s y e ar al o n e, b ut
n o d e si g n f or i m pr o vi n g s af et y h a s
b e e n f ort h c o mi n g fr o m C altr a n s.
C u n ni n g h a m o bs er v e d t h at t h e
C e ntr al C o ast d o es n ot h a v e t h e
p oliti c al cl o ut of m aj or m etr o p ol -
it a n ar e as li k e L os A n g el es or S a n
Fr a n cis c o, m a ki n g tr a ns p ort ati o n
r es o ur c e all o c ati o ns e xtr e m el y c h all
e n gi n g. H e b eli e v es y o u h a v e t o
b e a “s q u e a k y w h e el” t o g et t hi n gs
d o n e a n d h e c o nti n u es t o a g gr es -
si v el y a d v o c at e q ui c k a cti o n fr o m
his c oll e a g u es i n S a cr a m e nt o t o a d -
dr ess t his s af et y n e e d.
C u n ni n g h a m is als o v er y pr o u d
of his w or k o n l e gisl ati o n t o i m pr o v e
b a c k gr o u n d c h e c ks f or p u bli c s af et y
of i ci als, a n d w h at h e c o nsi d ers t o
b e t h e b est s m all b usi n ess i niti ati v e
u n d er c o nsi d er ati o n t h at cr e at es a
g o v er n m e nt li ais o n t o ef i ci e ntl y r e -
s ol v e r e g ul at or y or ot h er iss u es f or
s m all b usi n ess o w n ers.
C u n ni n g h a m w as r ais e d as p art
of a t hir d g e n er ati o n f a mil y r esi di n g
i n t h e C e ntr al C o ast. H e gr a d u at e d
fr o m At as c a d er o Hi g h S c h o ol, att
e n d e d P oi nt L o m a N az ar e n e U niv
ersit y, r e c ei vi n g a d e gr e e i n p h ysi cs
wit h h o n ors. H e s er v e d as a S e n at e
F ell o w i n t h e C alif or ni a L e gisl at ur e,
w or ki n g f or t h e S e n at e Mi n orit y
L e a d er o n l e gisl ati o n a n d p oli c y.
J or d a n r e c ei v e d a l a w d e gr e e fr o m
U C B er k el e y. Aft er gr a d u ati n g, h e
w or k e d i n W as hi n gt o n D. C. as a n
att or n e y i n pri v at e pr a cti c e, a f e d er al
l a w cl er k, a n d a n att or n e y f or t h e U. S.
D e p art m e nt of J usti c e. H e r et ur n e d
t o t h e C e ntr al C o ast t o r ais e his f a m-
il y, a n d j oi n e d t h e S a n L uis O bis p o
C o u nt y Distri ct Att or n e y’s Of i c e as a
D e p ut y D A.
Aft er h e l eft p u bli c s er vi c e, h e
f o u n d e d t h e C u n ni n g h a m L a w
Gr o u p. His p assi o n f or t h e c o m m u -
nit y c o u pl e d wit h his e x p eri e n c e as a
d e p ut y distri ct att or n e y a n d t a x p a y -
er a d v o c at e, m oti v at e d his s u c c ess -
f ul r u n f or t h e St at e Ass e m bl y.
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