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Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the recent EJAC
community workshops. I own a small business located in Stockton CA.
My company employs 3 workers, who rely on their jobs to support
their families and provide for the education of their children. 
 
We have found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the rising
costs of fuel and utilities, much of which are related to existing
environmental and climate change laws that are much stricter than
those in other states.
 
 I'm not just a business owner, my family and my employees live and
work in this community. EJAC was created to be a voice for
vulnerable communities like my region and make recommendations to
the AB32 scoping plan.  We support reasonable regulations to
improve our air quality, but strongly believe these regulations
must be cost-effective and provide measurable environmental
improvements that demonstrably justify the cost.
 
California already has the cleanest energy and the lowest emitting
industrial facilities in the country.  And small and minority-owned
businesses, low-income families, and communities of color already
spend a higher than average percentage of their budgets on
utilities and energy.
 
Small businesses are a critically important source of upward
mobility and job creation in minority and low-income communities.
Before EJAC advocates for more costly regulations that could put a
small business like mine out of business and our employees out of
work, please consider the costs, and promote only those that are
affordable and will deliver truly meaningful air quality benefits
for our communities. Please be as mindful when spending other
people's money as you are spending our own.
 
Thank you.