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.
San Diego is costal, and with the exeption of La Jolla and National City, its a red state, LOL
If Duncan Hunter was truly surging right now to the point of moving up into the first tier of Republican Presidential candidates, then you may have something there. But, Duncan Hunter isn’t greatly surging upwards at all! Duncan Hunter is still my first choice, but he seriously needs to move into the first tier if he’s truly to have any kind of serious chance for Presidential victory! I’m hoping for either a Duncan Hunter/Fred Thompson or a Fred Thompson/Duncan Hunter Presidential ticket out of many other decent possibilities. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party, and RINOS at every political level must be defeated to the best of human abilities!
The other would-be Republican wanna-be's are all gonna trip over their own anatomy and fall flat on their faces and THEN the cream of conservativeness will rise to the top and we'll have our winner!!! Next February is a lifetime away in CA politics!!!
The CA and multiple states Republican Primary Election will be decided immediately after New Years Eve (Anno Neuevo) in Mexifornia!!! Watch for it!!!
AHEM...
We'll be sure to let you cross over into a more civilized state of Sierra Republic. Of course I see signs on I-5 over there in Siskayou County that they wanna join up with southern Oregone in another new state of "Jefferson!"
Hay! More power to 'em!!!
It’s pretty sad when those you thought were friends abandon you so quickly, ain’t it?
Hhhmmmph!!!
;-)
With the corporate land held by tax-exempt foundations.
The only reason he hasn't is because FReepers and other conservatives are falling for Fred Thompson's fan dance.
Hey! I'm just tryin ta tuffen the two of you up so's you can be ready fer the revolution(s)!!!
A whole lot of our founders and righteous leaders are doin at least 78 RPM in their graves right about now!!!
Everybody still thinks none of the unthinkable can happen in America, especially in CA. But by the time they realize it's happening, it'll be too late to stop the compound problems and what resources we once had will be pissed into the wind, taking decades and decades to return to anything near what we have today.
You never know what you've got till it's gone...
“With the corporate land held by tax-exempt foundations.”
Ah, yes! The Clintonian “Third Way”.
Well, gag me with a socialist. And they did. :-(
Thank you!
“The only reason he hasn’t is because FReepers and other conservatives are falling for Fred Thompson’s fan dance.” No! The reason why Duncan Hunter isn’t surging into the first tier of Republican Presidential candidates is because he has been in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1980! History show again and again that those who are running for President who are from Congress don’t do that well. Presidential candidates who have been Governors in the past have done very well and have a much better shot at victory.
State of Jefferson? They say it’s illegal, but then what jorge and his buddy annnolllddd are trying to do is illegal. Negative x negative = positive...I’ll be ready for the State of Jefferson!
That sure doesn't sound right! Did "they" ever say why??? Was it because they were trying to take pieces of two states at once to make a new state out of???
Even that could be gotten around by the old "two-step" process!!!
Hey man! Where there's a will, there's always a way!!!
People have to be willing to get things done!!!
Or as I argued here at the time (and was derisively hooted-down), at least the blame for this kind of stupidity would have been placed on the Democrats' doorstep. Now Republicans will get hammered for the consequences of "me too" socialist RINO policies. I've been calling this guy SchwarzenKennedy since he announced for Governor. In the words of the late Sam Francis Republicans have again proven themselves the "Stupid Party."
Perhaps, but since I've never seen the Republican party in California actually put any money or support behind him, I suppose we'll never know.
They have very short memories and unless their TV screen reminds them they forget about the real Fred Thompson. The one who would not have likely won reelection to the senate because Republicans were rather disgusted with him. You would think after Arnoid Kennedy people would learn better than to support someone just because they are on TV and popular. Fred is a much better lawyer and actor than he ever was or ever will be as an elected leader. If they want a good Tennessee Conservative on a presidential ticket then draft Jimmy Duncan as a VP. He has been approached by a third party as well.
Fred will fold to the DEMs just like Arnoid did in California. I think some Freepers need to go back to the impeachment threads and do some reading to refresh their memories. Fred's naps or whatever during his committee hearings by no means helped matters. He gave up about a third way through them. This was the man who started out with a "Let the chips fall where they may: Lions Roar and ended those hearings with a "Don't name any names" squeaky mouse voice.
Fred is too close to being a John McCain without the temper. The DEMs will lead him around like a kid with a new puppy dog.
He got various endorsements, including from FR, during the election for Gov. He has some excellent Conservative attributes.
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