Where did the idea
come from?.
Salas to be a part of history in the
making. We nonetheless have goose bumps from
being on the assembly floor submitting AB 603 and seeing "Grewal Family" name
on the notice board in the assembly hall
As. But being there
on, the assembly floor, a visitor you are just allowed to be in the gallery, just feels great!. We were honored and
delighted to be invited by Mr. Ari: It was an
amazing experience.
The
bill would grant a subsidy to those who replace their natural grass lawns
with synthetic turf, if passed. Students in Hanford, brothers Arijeet and Rajvarun Grewal, helped
forward a bill that would subsidize synthetic turf in California, cA. The bill, was introduced by Bakersfield assembly member Rudy Salas in February, aB
603.
What was the
experience like traveling to Sacramento to introduce AB 603? Did anything occur
that was unexpected? What was the most surprising thing you learned about during
your trip introducing the bill?.
When did you realize
that the possible of artificial grass as a drought-tolerant choice wasn't being
fully utilized?.
Still, we
learned that there was not a state-wide program that provided state-wide
incentives, given that some of the cities and cannot afford to provide incentives to its residents and counties do not generate much tax
revenue. Raj: After
researching extensively on this topic, businesses that purchased and
installed artificial turf and we learned that many cities in
California did provide rebates for homeowners.
Could you
expound on that?. On your Facebook page you say that "One day, water may lead to the division of California".
Raj: It is a
politically hot subject. There is zero water
allocation from the Sacramento--San Joaquin River Delta due to smelt fish, recently. A division of California has been proposed, several times
in the past. The majority of Central Valley residents believe
that Big Brothers on both sides (North and South) control most of the legislative
processes due to their population and, hence, influence and control of the flow of water. More than any other political reason, water was the
main issue.
we have learned that the sky has no limit in defining our own
destiny. Proposing this bill has given us the
opportunity to help our neighborhoods
Also,. Ari: Our community
has instilled in us the will power to give back to our community.
We have learned
more about the other projects and bills that are being proposed in the Assembly
Session. We have learned to become more
active in our community. Raj: It was a
wonderful experience.
Yet, grass is a part of our
natural lives. On the other hand, takes away
that naturalness, xeriscaping. Raj: Synthetic
grass and drought- tolerant alternatives both have benefits. They both help reduce the wastage of fresh
water.
How does this
experience fit into both of your long-term goals?.
Ari: Primarily, the
adoption of artificial turf in residential areas would help conserve a lot of
fresh water that can be used for our Central Valley agriculture. It would also decrease the chances of another
severe drought to occur in California.
You are interested in pursuing a career in politics because of this
experience, raj, according to a
report. Is there a specific area of politics you are interested in?.
As xeriscaping?, do you think
synthetic grass has any advantages over other drought-tolerant alternatives
such.
Phil Ting and asking for his support in person. We have also
requested the local city council and county Board of supervisors to write to
Mr. We believe we have already reached the masses
via TV and newspapers. We also encourage the industry (including your company) to support and lobby our bill. Ting in our bill's support. Ari: It was a great
pleasure to meet Mr.
Therefore, we proposed a portion of
incentives to train them in fake turf installation. Ari: We wanted to
make sure that our proposal does not negatively impact anyone, especially
hardworking Californians in the landscape industry.
Therefore, we wanted to do our
part to conserve fresh water. We
learned that more than 60% of fresh water is wasted on lawn care in
California. Ari: Living in the Central
Valley, one cannot escape drought news.
What do you think
will be some of the long term effects of the popular adoption of synthetic
grass in residential areas?.
My
brother and I became interested in finding out if we could install synthetic
grass, which will help conserve fresh water. Decided to redo our landscape, raj: Last summer
we. My father explained that synthetic
grass is expensive, and he further explained that we could go for it if it was
subsidized like solar panels. This
encouraged us to propose legislation.
Students in Hantford at Pioneer Middle
School and Sierra Pacific High School, ari and Raj, thought of the idea and suggested it to
Mr. Salas via a letter. MrSalas liked the idea, and now it's being put into motion. The brothers created a Facebook page for their project called Saving California Farms One Drop at a Time.
Phil Ting?. Mr, did you have a
specific strategy for pitching the Bill to the Chairman of the Assembly
Committee on Revenue and Taxation.
Salas) and support our bill. and Mr. Raj: We extremely appreciate you reaching out to
us. Once again, we strongly request your
company's leadership team to engage law makers in California (especially Mr
Ting.
On your Facebook page you say that popular adoption of synthetic turf will "bring economic
prosperity to the state of California". Could you explain this a bit further?.
What motivated you to
pursue this endeavor so seriously?.
Installation, manufacturing, maintenance) and. E-commerce, of people were against Internet or online shopping, ari: In the beginning
lot, now we can see how
many jobs it has created in terms of software and, and logistics (warehouse and transportation)
jobs. Along the same lines, we strongly
believe that the fake turf industry will also contribute in creating jobs
(ie.
Going through this
adventure has definitely opened my eyes to the endless career paths from which I could
choose. Raj: I have not
fully chosen my field; however, whatever job I do take, i would love to give
back to my community.
Is there anything
else either of you would like to talk about?.
What has it been like
working with Bakersfield assembly member Rudy Salas? Are there any lessons you
can impart to us that you learned from working with him?.
Ari and Raj agreed to speak with us in this interview, and
Global Syn-Turf is honored to have them .
Could you expound on this idea?. On your Facebook page you say that you "would like to propose a clause in the bill allocating a
percent of subsidy to supply vocational and trade education for those who may
get negatively impacted so they can rebuild a better and brighter future for
themselves and their families".
...