California's 'Green Jobs' Experiment Isn't Going Well

Wall St. Journal ^ | January 31, 2009

[Steelfish]

JANUARY 31, 2009

California's 'Green Jobs' Experiment Isn't Going Well

By STEPHEN MOORE

Los Angeles

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was all smiles in 2006 when he signed into law the toughest anti-global-warming regulations of any state.

Mr. Schwarzenegger and his green supporters boasted that the regulations would steer California into a prosperous era of green jobs, renewable energy, and technological leadership. Instead, since 2007 -- in anticipation of the new mandates --

California has led the nation in job losses.

The regulations created a cap-and-trade system, similar to proposed federal global-warming measures, by limiting the CO2 that utilities, trucking companies and other businesses can emit, and imposed steep new taxes on companies that exceed the caps.

Since energy is an input in everything that's produced, this will raise the cost of production inside California's borders.

Now, as the Golden State prepares to implement this regulatory scheme, employers are howling. It's become clear to nearly everyone that the plan's backers have underestimated its negative impact and exaggerated the benefits. "We've been sold a false bill of goods," is how Republican Assemblyman Roger Niello, who has been the GOP's point man on environmental issues in the legislature, put it to me.

[Texas Eagle]

Mr. Schwarzenegger and his green supporters boasted that the regulations would steer California into a prosperous era of green jobs, renewable energy, and technological leadership.

Instead, since 2007 -- in anticipation of the new mandates -- California has led the nation in job losses.

What are the odds.

[2banana]

CAUSE:

The environmental plan was built on the notion that imposing some $23 billion of new taxes and fees on households (through higher electricity bills) and employers will cost the economy nothing, while also reducing greenhouse gases.

Meet EFFECT:

Meanwhile, the state is losing jobs, a lot of them. California's unemployment rate hit 9.3% in December, up from 4.9% in December 2006. There are now 1.5 million Californians out of work. The state has the fourth-highest housing foreclosure rate in the nation, has lost more businesses than any state in recent years, and is facing a $40 billion deficit. With cap and trade firmly in place, the economic situation is only likely to get worse.

[hinckley buzzard]

The study concludes that the plan "will not only significantly reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions, but will also have a net positive effect on California's economic growth through 2020."

You would have to have been truly psychotic to believe this.

[A message]

A Santa Monica customer I met with today is starting a new business and is incorporating in Nevada because California business laws absolutely stifle and discourage starting businesses in California.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

"We've been sold a false bill of goods" -- Republican Assemblyman Roger Niello.

For crying out loud, anybody with a basic understanding of science and economics and a good dollop of common sense knew exactly how this would turn out. If Nielio is really this stupid, he should be a Demoncrat.

[FormerACLUmember]

Mega-Rino idiot Schwarzenegger and the utterly corrupt, incompetent democrat oligarchy are systematically destroying California.

[SierraWasp]

""We've been sold a false bill of goods," is how Republican Assemblyman Roger Niello, who has been the GOP's point man on environmental issues in the legislature, put it to me." (emphasis added by SierraWasp)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

There is STILL a microscopic bit of sanity left in the once blessed state of California!!! Haleluyah!!! (did I spell that right? I ain't that much of a Holyroller, ya know)

[DiogenesLaertius]

It doesn’t matter what any Republican says. After any truthful information is processed by the liberal lobbying groups, liberal press in San Francisco and LA, and digested by citizens that are educated by one of the worst secondary school systems in the US; this is will all be George Bush’s fault, even if he is no longer the president.

[truthguy]

Here's what I would do to fix California's economy.

1. Completely eliminate the California Air Resources Board. These people are the most useless group imaginable. They are a total duplication of the EPA and they cost the state of California Billions both directly and indirectly every year.
2. Build 6 (at least) new Nuclear Power Plants (units). But 2 units at Diablo Canynon. 2 at the Rancho Seca site and 2 new units in the So. CA area. This would create thousands of new jobs-good jobs that would be productive.

Just these two things along would be a good start.

[A message]

If Nielio is really this stupid, he should be a Demoncrat.

Nielio I believe was the lone Republican that did not sign the no tax pledge other state Republicans recently signed. He is that stupid and is pretty likely to sign on to the 14 billion in new state taxes.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Arnold Schwarzenegger-Kennedy is a joke, too bad it is on
the few fine people still left in this once great state.

[Steelfish]

Keep Dreamin’ Won’t happen so long as CA consists of little socialist republics like Santa Monica, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Santa Barbara

[penelopesire]

Hey new england asshats that voted for Obama,dems and rinos!

Please don’t come to my state looking for jobs just because your madhatter liberal bi-partisan crap has utterly failed in your state.
I know it is tempting, because we actually have a good economy in these tough times and our state is run by fiscal conservatives. Make no mistake..we don’t want your kind.

Got It?

[squidly]

Here's the rub:

Due to their vast wealth, the Hollywood elites who are on board with this erroneous thinking will be the last to feel the pinch from this. Since their representative at the federal level, Henry Waxman, is Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and since President Obama shares his views, and since these Hollywood elites aren't going to turn on Waxman anytime soon, if ever......

Soon we will be seeing similar measures enacted at the federal level. Never mind that even without this preposterous nonsense, our economic situation is only worsening to the point where it could be catastrophic.

I am comforted by the fact that both sides of my family own farmland on which crops and livestock are raised, so that we may have the opportunity to continue to eat.

[Amerigomag]

Build 6 (at least) new Nuclear Power Plants (units)...

Government's role is not as an employer.

If government wants to relax environmental standards and allow the private sector to build these facilities, fine. But, government shouldn't impose utility rates that artificially enrich utility investors.

I think you'll find, even with relaxed standards, nuclear power still isn't competitive in a free market.

[RedMonqey]

“We've been sold a false bill of goods,” is how Republican Assemblyman Roger Niello, who has been the GOP’s point man on environmental issues in the legislature”

Sounds like a RINO (Assemblyman Roger Niello) has finally awoken to the friggin this pig in a poke scam Arnold and the other RINOs have bought into .

And they signed their party's name to the bill. See what putting bipartisanship above principles means...guilt by association.

GOP... the Stupid party.

[goodnesswins]

Yeah...and now Bambi wants to basically implement this across the country.....swell.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I am comforted by the fact that both sides of my family own farmland on which crops and livestock are raised, so that we may have the opportunity to continue to eat.

Hopefully you have many strong draft animals, because you won't be able to find diesel at any price for your tractors, harvesters and crop driers. Maybe you can use your manual labor on a 1-acre plot to feed your family.

[Deetes]

Who would have guessed . A big NO DUH !!!