By Steve Thompson, Chairman of the Butte County Republican Party
Butte County Fair – Fun for the whole herd of elephants!
I spend most weeks on here writing about government waste, government abuse of people who are trying to make a living, and the evil democrats who gave us all this gigantic mess. This week I thought I’d write about something most people enjoy, the county fair.
The Butte County Republican Party has their booth at the Butte County Fair again this year, and tonight was my night to work the closing shift. I relieved Supervisor-elect Larry Wahl and his wife, Mary, and took over for the evening. Right off the bat we had some great visitors like Wally and Pam Herger, Owen Stiles (republican city councilor from Gridley) and my own Angela Thompson, republican councilwoman from Biggs. I was informed that last night we also had a visit from local republican Doug LaMalfa, and we’ve only been open two days now.
While on shift, I had a lot of average, every day people come up and talk to me. This was pretty good considering the fair seemed to be having a slow night. Most of them wanted to talk about the bigger campaigns, like Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, two very exciting women who are likely to win their races this fall. Whitman is running against the crazy old man without a plan Jerry Brown, and Fiorina is running to take out one of the rudest and most anti-job democrats in the nation, Barbara Boxer. The people asking about these campaigns were excited, they really feel like this is a year of change and that we’re going to see our country turned around in November. At the same time though, they’re leery, and I don’t blame them.
I believe Republicans will take back Congress this year, no doubt about it, but there are some who still don’t think we deserve it. Let’s face it, when republicans had congress for too long they started acting like democrats and spent the nation’s money like there was no tomorrow. There were so many republican sex scandals it was making Bill Clinton look like a saint! In 2006 the American people got sick of it, and democrats were promising to bring a balanced budget and open government, so the people threw out the republicans and gave democrats a chance, much to their current regret. Now the democrats are pushing some of the most radical, far left policy our country has ever seen, along with deficit spending as far as the eye can see. Not to mention a President who is turning into such an abject failure that he’s making Jimmy Carter start to look good! Even David Letterman is now making jokes about Obama being a one term president!
So again, I think Republicans will win this November, but do we deserve it? I will be campaigning for this victory so I hope so. It’s crucial that once we take back congress, we have to start living up to our conservative principles. America is a nation that favors capitalism, warts and all, over the shared misery and soul-devoid socialism. American people are center-right, not radical left. But they won’t continue to give our party second chances if we don’t start earning it. We have to push for swift policy changes to get people back to work and put government on a severe spending diet.
While at the fair I also managed to look around at some of the great offerings. The Taste of Butte County event was well done and offered a variety of local made products like olive oil, sausage, beer and wine. The livestock were there, along with the pigs which reminded me of some young ladies I saw protesting Prop 23 the other day.
The temperature is supposed to come down a little this weekend, so if you have free time, come down to the Butte County Fair in Gridley. Don’t forget to stop by the Republican booth and chat with our friendly volunteers. We’re right next to the Gridley Chamber of Commerce and the people who sell some really tasty fudge. Remember, the county fair is fun for the whole herd!
Your going to write about the fair? Well, you did manage to write 3 out of 7 paragraphs about the fair, the other 4 were all politics. But it’s forgivable, that’s obviously where your heart is at. I think the repubs will take back congress this year, but I also think that Jerry will be our next governor.
Steve, if I may offer you and other republicans some cheap unasked for advice….when you guys talk about your issues using logic and common sense, I start to listen. I always want to know why I might be wrong and someone else might be right. But when you say things like “a man without a plan”, you are referring to a quote from the early nineties, and that’s where you lose me. If your just preaching to the choir, this kind of stuff probably plays well. However, if you are trying to “get through” to any liberals, this stuff doesn’t work. I know that I probably shouldn’t talk because I’ve done the same thing I am accusing you of doing. Just a thought….
The dream: republicans get elected, actually follow through, and get the country (and state) moving again so more people feel like they can afford to take the herd to the fair 😀
Mr. Thompson, maybe you can explain to me why the NRSC is supporting Markowski in Alaska over Mr. Miller., Markowski votes with democrats more than republicans, In my view they should be trying to get Miller elected.
I understand Markowski is well known, but haven’t we been through this before? The entrenched are not always the best choice.
We’re headed to the fair tonight with our herd. We always attend the rodeo and it starts at 8 pm.
Ditto’s on the dream…but dire predictions from highly credible sources say we are headed for a double dip recession and possibly worse.
Okay now here’s my soap box speech: A frequently repeated line is, we’ve printed too much money! Who hasn’t heard that one? And it’s true! Our GDP v national debt is the worst its been and that is a setup for disaster.
Once faith in the dollar goes we’ll get hyper-inflation and if you think things are bad now wait till your $20 dollar bill won’t buy you a loaf of bread and this could happen. You simply can’t print paper currency like we’ve been printing without a solid commodity behind it that people universally trust.
This is why gold has moved from $285 an ounce to over $1200 an ounce in about a decade. Paper has no value, only our good credit makes it worth something and our credit is on shakey ground.
Our previoius efforts to jump start the economy have all failed, the economy is stalled again. Is there anyone who doesn’t believe that?
Obama had the feds print up trillions of paper dollars and spread it around. In every giveaway program it always ended in failure. Cash for clunkers, that worked only until the money stopped flowing and it was real costly and did nothing to sustain us. Tax stimulous money worked only for the time the cash flowed, very costly and ultimately had no lasting effect…grants to communities to build things…same story and so it went. That paper money handed out by the feds never allowed us to find the real bottom of the great recession and rebuild. It’s dragged out the recession. We needed to let natural forces of supply and demand happen and go though a cycle of decline and recovery without the artificial infusion of paper money that has only exacerbated this situation. Now we’re trapped by our debt with no more room to manuever. If we go into a second recession we’re in free fall and who knows how far that will take us?
And whats the governments ONLY answer to our second wave of a stalled economy? Print MORE money! .
“along with the pigs which reminded me of some young ladies I saw protesting Prop 23 the other day.”
I’ve been reading about abuse taken by suffragettes in the 19th century. Nothing changes. And aren’t you ashamed? No? As I said … nothing changes.
“along with the pigs which reminded me of some young ladies I saw protesting Prop 23 the other day.”
Wasn’t it Olympia Dukakis and Dolly Parton playing in “Steel Magnolias” that made fun of a woman dancing at the wedding reception saying her butt looked “like two pigs fightin under a blanket?
A little humor is a good thing. A sense of humor is a treasure!
Libby, you’re right those REPUBLICAN sufffragettes of the 19th century were terribly harassed by DEMOCRATS!!! It was shameful. Aren’t you glad the GOP stood up for them and pushed to get women the vote? Wiithout the GOP on your side you would probably have not seen the vote for women come until decades later. And how have you shown your gratitude for that courageous stand for womens rights, not to mention emancipation, hmmmm? Which once again goes to show us that no good deed ever goes unpunished.
The piggies I was referring to were wearing pig-nose masks as they tried to spread the lie that Prop 23 is about oil and clean air. Prop 23, btw, is about greenhouse gases and jobs, not pollutants.
Joe you’re right and I did slip off track there, I’m thinking of some decent non-political stuff to write after the election, hopefully more on family like the marriage piece I did. Thank you for always pointing out the less rhetorical path and reminding me that I should still be trying to convince people who don’t automatically agree with me.
Harriet, I think what the RNC is doing is foolish and it reminds me of their bungled campaign in NY. My wife and I will be very involved at the CRP (California Republican Party) election in March of a new state chairman, and our efforts will be to ensure that conservative leaders win the day.
You can disagree with someone over their politics and be vociferous about that … but to resort to ridicule over girth (absent any convincing argument against the politics it would seem) is cheap, not humorous, and betrays yet again the weakness of a person’s political position.
Steve, thank you.
I am aware you are not involved directly with the NRSC, however can’t you speak with Cornyn? Maybe he needs to be reminded that President Bush endorsed Arlen Spectre over Pat Toomey, We all know how that turned out.
Markowski is similiar to Spectre in her voting.
We need to stop these people not endorse them.
Libby,
I made no reference to anyone’s girth. The girls in question were both skinny. One of them was quite nice and the other a little rude. However, they were wearing PIG-NOSE MASKS for their protest. This was my reason for referencing the pigs. If it came out otherwise that was accidental. I agree that making fun of someone’s girth is pretty lame, and both Limbaugh and Michael Moore have received their fair share of such ridicule.
Harriet,
My own crusade to conservatize the republican party begins at the local level. I am working with other county chairmen to get a more conservative state chair for the CRP, one who is not afraid to stand up for the principles of our party. It would then be his job to go to the RNC hearings and call for leadership with a little more courage. That doesn’t mean I couldn’t write a letter expressing my concerns to those at the top, and if that’s what you’re suggesting I’m happy to do it.
While I may disagree with republicans elected from other states, I have little influence over the voters of those states. I may disagree with moderate republicans but they have a place in the party as well. Where RNC is concerned though, I think they’re making a grave mistake in the mistreatment of our friends in the TEA parties, who are really the heart and soul of this country.
The TEA party voters are going to throw the democrats out of office this year. Whether or not they decide to throw out republicans in the next election depends on how well we start listening to them.
Whether or not they decide to throw out republicans in the next election depends on how well we start listening to them.
Steve, exactly. One reason we have all democrats running the country.
I am not suggesting that only conservatives should be elected, eliminating moderates, I am talking about a concerted effort by Republican leaders to campaign for people like Spectre and Merkowski over more conservative candidates.
I did e-mail the NRSC chairman, will be interesting to see if he responds.
Harriet you are to be commended for taking the time to send that email! I wish more people would do that and I think they are starting…people are mad, and this motivates them to get things done they should have been doing all along.
Dude, this is the sentence:
“The livestock were there, along with the pigs which reminded me of some young ladies I saw protesting Prop 23 the other day.”
There is no “masks” anywhere in it, or in the succeeding paragraphs. The degree to which our political class is incapable to intelligently communicating their views is danmed worrisome.
Watch the Steve Thompson denial video, where he denies knowing how Dan Logue and the Texas oil companies got in bed together to get Prop 23 on the ballot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEkW9hpD2F0
Jessie, why not share with us what you know about how Dan Logue and the Texas oil companies (with businesses located in California) “got together”. You make it sound so sinister! Was it? I think our readers would like to know, don’t you?
Jesse I wished you had been more forthcoming and given us some details. I watched your video and the video seems to imply Dan did not write the proposition. Steve Thompson who works for Dan said most of Prop 23 came from prior similar bills that he did write.
Are you challenging this?
I looked up Dan’s campaign finances for 2010. Okay, he has received about $12,000 (roughly 13%) of his campaign money from oil companies (and this includes BNRR from Texas). Is this your connection to Texas oil? If it is, it sure isn’t much.
Please explain, because I believe more money came from California oil companies than Texas oil companies.
Further, this $12k seems like a very piddly amount to get someone to back a major proposition, especially when this could be one of the most costly initiatives in our state’s history.
I’m waiting for your reply but at this time I believe Dan didn’t do this for the money. I think he’s being sincere and further I support what he’s done, because its needed to help jump start California’s economy. (We’ve discussed this at great length on PS many times and our reasons have been made known loud and clear. )
Lastly, I would like to know if you are connected to anyone running against Dan or the Democratic party? Its only fair that you let us know.
This is not new news. From the Chron of 08/10:
“The fight against Proposition 23, which qualified for the November ballot and if passed would suspend California’s pioneering climate law AB 32, got testy today as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom called out Valero and Tesoro, the Texas oil companies spending the lion’s share of the money for Prop 23, and said political candidates like Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina were standing in the way of progress for cheap political gain.
“Mayor Newsom joined with the No on Prop 23 campaign, the California Nurses Association, and the California chapter of the American Lung Association at a press conference in the Bayview to highlight a new report, “Toxic Twins” by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and the California Environmental Justice Alliance. The report details the numerous environmental violations perpetrated by Valero and Tesoro as well as the toxic chemicals they spew legally and illegally into the air.
“As the report shows, Tesoro and Valero combined have four facilities on the list of the top 15 worst polluters in California, with Valero’s Benicia refinery at number 4 and Tesoro’s Martinez refinery at number 8. Both companies have also repeatedly violated pollution laws in California and continue to do so, settling with government agencies like the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The report also notes the people most impacted by the pollution are people of color and low-income communities.”
And the Huffington of 07/22 gives us a dollar figure:
“The California Jobs Initiative, which is leading the effort to suspend the climate change legislation, has raised over $3.1 million to suspend the Global Warming Act. They have the financial backing of Texas oil giants Tesoro and Valero, as well as Occidental Petroleum and the conservative Adam Smith Foundation, according to The Sacramento Bee.”
Way back when, Big Auto bit the bullet and commenced producing catalytic converters, right here in the good ol’ USA.
And Big Oil will bite the bullet and scrubber those stacks.
Big fat liberal “Decepticon” exagerators love to treat oil companies as if they were an aliens force…sorry…they are not!
Jerry Brown wrote the language that would go on the ballot in such a way as to deceive voters and favor the lefty green position…so of course it was taken to court. The people that work in the oil industry, the people that use oil products, and the people in California that NEED A JOB have as much right to support passage of this bill as others have to oppose it. Money and support to oppose this bill will come from nurses (unions), teachers (unions), environmental organizations, and green industry as well…so what’s the beef.
The LA Times reported on the judge who ordered changes in the language used to describe prop 23:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/04/local/la-me-climate-change-20100804
Making the legislature in California think about what is needed to put people back to work in California is a HIGH PRIORITY right now. What Californians DON’T NEED right now is higher energy costs, especially if they are out of work…retirees with income being taxed at a higher rate next year…defaulting on a home loan…a business paying higher workers comp…a family or business anticipating higher health insurance premiums…or a college graduate wondering if he’ll ever get to leave that Mickey D’s night shift for an opportunity in his field.
Without a strong economy this puppy just won’t fly anyway…think about it.
Jessie that’s a fun video but hardly worth posting. It reminds me of the interview George Soros’ people did trying to burn Dan Logue but ultimately doing nothing.
What it does signify is that Logue has hit a nerve with Prop 23 and it’s got the radical enviors pissed, otherwise they wouldn’t waste their time with this stuff.
Let’s be clear, California already has some of the strictest pollution laws in the nation, and Prop 23 won’t affect those laws. AB 32 was written to deal with GREEHNHOUSE GASES, namely carbon dioxide, which is produced naturally by the earth. AB 32 gives the California Air Resources Board unlimited power to enact Cap & Trade in California and to place restrictions on our daily lives in order to reduce our “carbon footprints”. Your car, your house, your energy use, everything can be regulated by them. Goodbye freedom.
And goodbye jobs. AB 32 will run another 1 million jobs out of California. It will raise your energy rates by as much as 60%, which will destroy manufacturing in this state. This will likely be the economic death of our state, or at least of the middle class.
If these draconian rules were implemented by the federal government, at least it would be fair for all states. Asking California to go it alone makes us terribly uncompetitive in the business world. We will run off more businesses and jobs. When they go there will be no more tax revenues to pay for schools or public safety.
Prop 23 is the only way to stop this train wreck. Vote YES on Prop 23.
Steve,
Prop 23 is just good old-fashioned fear mongering. You have no data to support the claim AB 32 will cost jobs. In fact, this is same tired rhetoric your side used with clean air laws you now trumpet.
Dan Louge is simply trying to make a political name for himself. (How is that fence going?) To do so, he has enlisted the help of Texas oil companies who have ponied up 23 million dollars to fund the campaign.
Are you really trying to tell us that Texas oil barons care about California jobs? Really?
The truth is that the dirty energy industry in Texas is using our local representative to destroy the clean energy here in California.
Shame on you both.
Mark, shame on you!
“Prop 23 is just good old-fashioned fear mongering. You have no data to support the claim AB 32 will cost jobs.”
Not true!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256981030653158.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_AboveLEFTTop#
Cap and Flee – California refutes its own ‘green jobs’ policy.
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/blog/sanjay-varshney-and-dennis-h-tootelian/new-study-finds-ab-32-scoping-plan-imposes-staggering-co
“New Study Finds AB 32 Scoping Plan Imposes Staggering Costs on Californias Families and Small Businesses,” By Sanjay Varshney and Dennis H. Tootelian
(Sanjay Varshney is the Dean of the College of Business Administration at the California State University, Sacramento. Dennis H. Tootelian Ph.D is a Professor of Marketing and the Director of the Center for Small Business at the California State University, Sacramento.)
http://www.envirovaluation.org/index.php/2009/07/29/cost-of-ab-32-on-california-small-busine
“Cost of AB 32 ON California Small Business – Summary Report of Findings,” By CostBenefit on Jul 29, 2009
“Are you really trying to tell us that Texas oil barons care about California jobs? Really?”
Well smart a**, they care about jobs at least as much as you do and since they actually ARE employers I’d say they care a he** of a lot more.
“The truth is that the dirty energy industry…”
That so-called “dirty” energy industry produces a product that you have used and counted on since your birth! You will continue to use and count on it for the forseeable future because NONE of your alternatives have a prayer of supplying anywhere near what is needed in the forseeable future. If anyone is playing the fear mongering game it is environmentalists, many of whom are heavily invested in alternative energy businesses and coercive government schemes!
As I said, shame on you!
Tina,
Shame on you for shaming me for shaming him. So there.
The report you cite has been shown to be “deeply flawed.”
Here is the executive summery:
Report to the California Attorney General 2009
Dr. Frank Ackerman Stockholm Environment Institute and Tufts University, Somerville, Massachusetts
Sanjay Varshney and Dennis Tootelian have authored two recent reports on the economic impact of implementing Californias greenhouse gas law, AB 32, and on the cost of state regulation on California small businesses. Their studies predict that AB 32 will result in losses as large as 10 percent of California output (gross state product), and that the losses from state regulation overall are responsible for a loss of one-third of Californias output.
Both studies are unsound and unreliable economic analysis. The losses they project would be serious economic impacts if they were real. They are, however, entirely unreal; they should be viewed merely as daydreams of disaster.
The report on the economic impacts of AB 32 is deeply flawed in numerous ways:
The authors count only the costs of AB 32s energy efficiency, conservation, and clean energy measures, not the savings. In the strange world of their scenarios, money spent on fuel-efficient cars, better insulation, and energy-saving new appliances will not conserve a single gallon of gasoline, save a single kilowatt-hour of electricity, or create a single job. This one-sided calculation hopelessly skews the results.
The authors assert without any proof that the carefully researched estimates of AB 32s costs prepared by the California Air Resources Board must be far too low. Their own estimates of AB 32s costs are highly exaggerated, based on unsubstantiated guesses and back-of-the-envelope calculations. Among their mistakes:
They assume no savings in energy use from expenditures to build a zero net energy home, even though by definition a households energy bills would go to zero;
They incorrectly assign the savings resulting from new, more fuel efficient cars as a cost imposed on older cars;
Their estimate of increases in food costs is rife with speculation and overlooks the extensive literature on the energy and transportation requirements for food;
Their estimate of increases in the costs to small businesses is based on double counting of small business receipts and arbitrary assumptions about the costs and cost increases businesses face.
Overall, their estimate of losses from AB 32 is more than an order of magnitude greater than comparable estimates from serious, well-documented studies of the economic impact of climate policies.
The study about the impacts of regulations in general on economic output in California is also a deeply flawed and shoddy economic analysis:
The report is based on a large, elementary, mistake. The authors use rankings of state business climates from a Forbes magazine article to explain the difference in output among states. But amazingly, they ignore the obvious fact that bigger states with larger populations have bigger economies. Instead, they attempt to explain all the variation in the size of state economies on the basis of small differences in business climates as perceived by Forbes. Their conclusion that Californias regulatory climate imposes great economic losses thus has no support, based on nothing but exaggerated, misplaced extrapolation from the Forbes article.
The methodology used in the report implies the absurd result that at least one state could achieve a five-fold increase in incomes, producing more than $200,000 per person, simply by changing its regulatory climate. No research has ever suggested a conclusion remotely close to this assertion.
A correct analysis would compare the impact of state regulation and other factors on the per capita output of states, rather than absolute output. When corrected in this manner, the analysis carried out by the authors show that the regulatory environment of California or any other state has no correlation with the states per capita economic output. The Forbes rankings of business climate explain nothing about the differences among states in output per capita.
In short, there is no substance to the outsized claims by Varshney and Tootelian. Their reports contain elementary errors, arbitrary assumptions, and enormous guesswork. Their anti- regulatory bias clearly skews their results toward finding large, unsupported costs.
As for the rest of your comments, you also assume incorrectly that Texans care more about jobs than I do. Once again, you are wrong.
The dirty energy industry may have create a product I relied on since birth, but that doesn’t change the fact that their product is dirty, and in competition to the clean energy of California.
But I am happy to are towing the line that Texas billionaires care about us poor Californians. Say it loud, please. It only helps our side when the public sees how ridiculous your side is.
And don’t forget about climate change, the reason for AB 32 in the first place. Oh, you don’t believe that either because it is supported by university researchers out only to line their pockets.
BTW, how come Sanjay Varshney and Dennis H. Tootelian are different?
Either way, it does not matter what you think. We are going to have an election. Finally. I can’t wait.
I predict Prop 23 will not only fail in California, even better, it will fail in Butte County as well.
Mark: “The report you cite has been shown to be “deeply flawed.”
Anything that disagrees with the green agenda is labeled “seriously flawed”…or deeply flawed! Big surprise! The fact is all of the green regulations that have been put on the books since the seventies have cost citizens. To argue that it hasn’t is to be incredibly ignorant of the workings of business.
“The losses they project would be serious economic impacts if they were real. They are, however, entirely unreal; they should be viewed merely as daydreams of disaster…”
And you continue on with the ususal sales pitch for green products and the utopian dream that the greens envision. Your remarks are “liberally” sprinkled with all the buzz words…flawed, incorrectly assigns, enormous guesswork, envelope calculations”. Big words used by pointy headed thinkers that have never made a payroll. I notice too that the basis and proof for this opinion is not offered. Where is the proof that AB 32 won’t impact Californa negatively?
We are dealing with opinions about future outcomes here. Please don’t assume that the opinion you favor is more enlightened, provable, or intelligent than any other…that is elitist snobbery at it’s most profound.
“In short, there is no substance to the outsized claims by Varshney and Tootelian. Their reports contain elementary errors, arbitrary assumptions, and enormous guesswork. Their anti- regulatory bias clearly skews their results toward finding large, unsupported costs.”
Once again with bthe buzz words….you have given me nothing that shows this regulation will not have a negative impact on California…lots of attitude and judgemental snarkiness but nothing that would convince this business owner, that is already facing increases from other liberal “smart” legisaltion, that you know what you’re talking about.
I don’t need “analysis” as a business person to know that this regulation will cause my costs, and therefore the cost of product to the consumer, to go up. I don’t need analysis to know it will effect my ability to keep employees on the payroll! Any person that ever managed a budget knows that when prices go up their budget has to be adjusted. If prices for everything rise there will be a decided (forced) change in the family living standard. If the cost to businesses rise enough business will leave California, or shut down, and jobs and revenue to the state will be lost. That’s just common sense.
“The dirty energy industry may have create a product I relied on since birth, but that doesn’t change the fact that their product is dirty, and in competition to the clean energy of California.”
There you go with the “dirty” again! It’s a shameful tactic and lousy with exageration. Oil is a natural substance. We have already done plenty to minimize the polluting elements that occur in refining it. New technologies are bringing their own problems as you will soon see…and they will not be sufficient to replace oil anytime soon!
Besides, if your products are so dang superior why do you try to destroy the competition by demonizing it, why do you resort to the tyrannical practice of bringing the Hammer of BIG government regualtion down on their heads? If the green products were truly superior you wouldn’t be able to stop Americans from buying them and screaming for more! The problem is they are not superior…not at this time anyway. Jack booted government forces the use of those products. This is evedence that a larger agenda is at play here…otherwise you would just compete and beat the competiton fair and square.
“But I am happy to are towing the line that Texas billionaires care…”
Blah blah blah. I said Texas Billionaires care more about JOBS than you do…class bigotry only makes you look stupid and petty on this subject. There are millions of people employed in the oil industry worldwide and the product is one that if it hadn’t made some folks very wealthy by now we’d all be greatly surprised. Any fool knows that a product that delivers makes money. I suggest you refrain from the Texas billionaire rant…the oh so hypocritical AL Gore is no slouch in the wealth building arena and has positioned himself quite nicely in this bogus carbon trading scheme to rip us all off for BILLIONS. His “product” is hot air…a pretend product…and sure to collapse just as the tech bubblew did because it was built on hot air and a dream. He’s playing the whole world like Bernie Madoff palyed investors. At least those Texans made their money on a product people could see and use to better their lives.
“And don’t forget about climate change, the reason for AB 32 in the first place.”
How could anyone forget this bogus excuse to fundamentally “transform” the world into socialist nirvana? Power and control is the vehicle that this puppy is built upon and the dupes that buy into the part of it that is BS are the fuel that drives that vehicle. Old Al and other fly around the world using the substance you all hate so much just so they can spew the scarey scenario that sells green product and legislation…it’s all so romantic and otherworldy! But their product is flawed or they wouldn’t have to fool people in order to sell it.
“I predict Prop 23 will not only fail in California, even better, it will fail in Butte County as well.”
Bully for you. I hope you’re handed your prediction in a barf bucket. My business and the kids that work for me have had enough suffering, and quite honestly, have done enough already for the environment thank you very much!
“As for the rest of your comments, you also assume incorrectly that Texans care more about jobs than I do.”
Why do you even bother with this? The Texas companies in questions have facilities in California that they don’t want to pay to clean up. Any such expenditure would impact their profitablity.
And this “jobs” nonsense is just that … nonsense. Any monies they saved moving production abroad they would just have to lay out in transportation costs … so there is absolutely no question of any impact on refinery employment.
This whole Prop 23 campaign is merely and effort to sucker the gullible, with the aid of big oil shareholders, into preserving profitability at the expense of the public health.
You gonna let ’em do this?
Here’s another opinion backed by quotes from Big Oil Exxon execs:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/oil-companies-support-global-warming-alarmists-not-skeptics.html
Another person suggested that the big oil firms like the cap and trade policy because it will hurt the smaller companies putting some out of business. Good old government ruining competition and picking winners and losers.
Mark,
I feel no shame for bringing forth the truth. AB 32’s strongest proponents, including you, have admitted that this policy will be a job killer and that it likely will do nothing to stop global warming. You and the other supporters are willing to sacrifice our economy so that California can lead a parade with no one in it.
Bringing up oil companies is a ruse, basically attacking the messenger. Oil companies employ over a half million people, how many jobs have anti-business democrats created lately?
Even if you believe in global warming, asking California to be the only place in the world imposing draconian environmental restrictions on itself is economic suicide. If you are right and Prop 23 fails, I hope whatever industry you work in isn’t affected by the loss of tax revenue our state will incur. You and I may disagree on the issues but I hope this doesn’t cause you to lose your job. After AB 32 is fully enforced, there will only be the rich and the poor left in this state. I hope you’re ready for that.
Tina,
You are right. It is oil barons, not billionaires. Class has nothing to do with it. Thanks for the correction.
Steve,
Could you please help me (and other PS readers) by telling us who to contact to oppose the measure. I am requiring students in my classes to participate in the Prop 23 election, on one side or the other; their choice.
I have found the NO folks, but I can’t find anyone to speak in favor. Do you have contact info for YES on 23?
Thanks.
Mark,
Thank you for letting your students look into both sides, I don’t know that Yes on 23 has a local organization yet, but I’ll find someone for you. I know the Butte Farm Bureau is backing it so maybe they can help.
Thanks. If you find a local group, please let Post Scripts know.