Posted on 06/01/2007 10:39:21 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
GOV. Arnold Schwarzenegger has staked his administration upon two signature issues: his international leadership to reduce greenhouse gases and his promise to construct new highways, dams, levees, aqueducts and other public works.
In April "the green governor" toured the globe to tout his greenhouse-gas bill (AB 32) that requires a 25 percent reduction in carbon dioxide by 2020, making it the most restrictive emissions law in the country. More recently, the governor toured California to tout his public-works renaissance that requires $40 billion in taxpayer-financed bonds, making it the biggest borrowing binge in the country.
Individually, these two media events, have played to rave reviews. But combined, they form a picture of breathtaking mendacity.
Schwarzenegger's crusade against greenhouse gases is the single greatest impediment to the era of public works that he has promised. And the crusade for public-works construction is the biggest impediment to reducing greenhouse gases.
To understand the dilemma requires a recap of the chemistry lecture that Schwarzenegger apparently missed.
Highways, dams, levees and aqueducts require prodigious amounts of concrete, whose central ingredient is cement. Cement is manufactured by superheating limestone to produce "clinker," which is about two-thirds of the rock's original weight. The missing third is carbon dioxide.
Lots of carbon dioxide. In fact, cement production is the third-biggest contributor of greenhouse gases in all human activity, ranking only behind internal combustion and deforestation.
And now the farce begins. Schwarzenegger's AB 32 declares carbon dioxide to be the premier environmental hazard of our era. California's Environmental Quality Act requires that any project that degrades the environment must include plans to mitigate that damage.
Last month, Attorney General Jerry Brown used AB 32 to sue San Bernardino County and threaten San Joaquin County on the grounds that their transportation plans fail to explain how they intend to construct or operate highways without increasing carbon-dioxide emissions. In short, the counties cannot proceed with construction until they can demonstrate that highways can be built without earthmovers or concrete and that, once completed, no one will use them.
Brown has suggested that the counties rethink their plans for highway construction and shift the money into mass transit, bus, bicycle and pedestrian projects instead. It's a good bet that's where most of the highway bonds will end up.
The remaining funds for dams, levees, aqueducts, schools and housing will no doubt be sidetracked into similar new-age boondoggles. Legislative plans are already afoot to divert money from Proposition 84 (the water and flood-control bond measure).
This is Jerry Brown's dream come true. As governor in the 1970s, Brown canceled aggressive public-works plans, condemning our generation to shortages of highway capacity, water, electricity and housing.
But he's legally correct. By signing AB 32, Schwarzenegger has turned his promise of a public-works renaissance into a very expensive hoax.
Tom McClintock represents California's 19th state Senate District. Contact him through his Web site, www.sen.ca.gov/mcclintock.
Even though I live in CA I hope this state is brought to it knees for buying into this GW BS.
As a California resident, I second the motion!
“As a California resident, I second the motion!”
Me THREE!!
This is why I moved out of Cali in 1978. The economy should be coming to a complete halt in about 6 to 8 months. If you cannot pour concrete, which is the primary building material for buildings, structures, or roads, there will be no growth.
Without growth, there is no creation of new jobs. Add another 60 million Mexicans in the next 3 years and you are looking at a depression since taxes will need to skyrocket to take care of the Government mandated poor.
And that’s not all, folks. I live in CA too, by the way.
Brown, and “environmentalists” are suing San Bernardino County because the county’s 25 year plan actually contains plans for new housing that isn’t “dense” enough. The county plans for lots of new suburbs with detached houses.
The horror!! Brown and the “environmentalists” are suing to FORCE the county to revise it’s plan so that all new housing will be dense and “near transit”. They plan on suing every county in the state to force the same on them.
What this means in English is that it will soon be impossible to build houses in this state. EVERYONE will be herded into dense, crowded apartments next to train and bus stations.
This is JUST the kind of place I want to raise MY kids in!
No. I will not submit. I will not comply.
Fortunately, I have a house. And I am selling said house in a couple of years when I retire and I am getting out of Dodge.
I don’t want to be here to see the economic and social ruin of my native state.
McClintock Ping!
Never knew that the State Attorney General was in charge of County planning departments, didja? It's been fifteen years in coming. While I'll jest bet I could find such a power in my pocket California Constitution... not.
Agenda21 here we come!
BTTT
McClintock is in the right place. Ahnold is a Total Liberal.
Me Four!
Oh and let me not forget to add, and proudly, that Tom McClintock is my Calif. State Representative and that Elton Gallegly (R), a strong opponent of the amnesty bill, is my federal Congressperson.
Schwarzenegger as Governor has been nothing but a very expensive hoax.
I would eventually like to see Tom McClintock somewhere from within a President Fred Thompson administration.
Remember how the Schwarzenegger supporters warned that unless he was elected, someone like Bustamante (or, in the second round, Angelides) would run the state into the ground with socialist policies?
Well, it seems that the socalist policies have arrived anyhow.
Seriously, how could a Democrat do worse that this guy?
I think they have arrived much faster! And California Republicans slept because Arnold had an "R" next to his name.
In fact, most are still snoozing!
Seriously, how could a Democrat do worse that this guy?
On economic issues, I seriously doubt a Dem could have been worse as they would have met a strong, united opposition.
Make it Five!
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