Sep 28 2010
Prop 23: Texas Oil Companies Game California Ballot for Profit
Two Texas oil companies are bankrolling an effort to effectively repeal California’s air pollution and clean energy standards through ballot proposition 23. Supporters of Prop.23 call it the “California Jobs Initiative”, and argue that California’s environmental standards inhibit job growth. The ballot initiative suspends the provisions put in place four years ago by California Assembly Bill 32. Prop. 23 would suspend AB 32 until California’s unemployment rate dips and holds steady at 5.5% for a full year. The No on 23 campaign says this has only happened three times in the last 40 years and warns that this suspension would become a de facto repeal of environmental protections. In August California’s unemployment rate was at 12.4%. Last week the Sacramento Bee reported that Republican Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has taken a position against Prop. 23, but said she would suspend AB 32 for at least one year. She reasoned that, “While green jobs are an important and growing part of our state’s economic future, we cannot forget the other 97% of jobs in key sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, transportation and energy.”
GUEST: Steven Maviglio, Spokesperson with the NO on Prop. 23 Campaign
Find out more at stopdirtyenergyprop.com.
2 Responses to “Prop 23: Texas Oil Companies Game California Ballot for Profit”
The California Jobs Initiative (CJI) is an oil corporation farce and fraud. There is no connection, whatsoever, between greenhouse gas emission reduction and the loss of jobs. This notion is an insult to the intelligence of the people of California. In fact, there is job growth in the clean, renewable energy industry. Chevron employs 65,000 worldwide and CJI is not going to change this. The only jobs created by the oil industry are clean-up jobs after oil spills and deep water, blow-outs and pump-handler jobs. CJI will make fantastic profits for the oil industry, increase air pollution, especially in communities around their refineries, and there will not lower gas prices. Koch Industries, Valero and Tesoro are super Enrons. Since when did the oil companies start to show any concern for the unemployed and their families and for small businesses?
Prop 23 would suspend AB 32 forever, because if the unemployment rate fell below 5.5%,then, the oil companies will come up with excuse to further suspend AB 32. Oil corportion, media advertisements are designed for anyone who is stupid enough to believe them. If elected, Whitman will be suspending AB 32 for than one year. After one year, Whitman and Big Oil will come-up an excuse to further suspend AB 32.