The PCL Insider: News From The Capitol

POST ELECTION WRAP-UP: SUCCESSES, SETBACKS AND SWITCHEROOS

It's been one week since the November 7th election and we've finally recovered from that late night of celebration. We're especially excited to see the jump in voter turnout; civic engagement through the ballot box is essential to restore a responsive democracy and protect the health of our people and environment.

Now that most of the close races have been resolved, let's explore the successes and setbacks that have reshaped the political landscape and examine the ramifications for California's environment.

The momentous sea change in Washington D.C. promises to dampen the tide of regressive federal environmental policies pouring out from the nation's Capitol over the last six years. For example, as the new head of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, California Senator Barbara Boxer may have the opportunity to repair some of the damage caused by former House Resources Committee chair, and fellow Californian, Richard Pombo. With figures like Pombo returning home with their tails between their legs, the new Legislature should get serious about following California's lead in reducing global warming pollution, a central goal of both Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Dianne Feinstein. 

Back at home, we're ecstatic about the defeat of proposition 90, the anti-environment "Taxpayer Trap" Initiative. Fortunately, the diverse coalition of participants fighting this dangerous measure was able to educate enough voters to withstand the stealth tactics of the radical New York state property rights advocates who were bankrolling the "Yes on 90" campaign. Would it really have been that bad if Prop 90 passed? Yes! Oregon voters, who passed a similar measure in 2004, are groaning with buyer's remorse. Over $6 billion in claims have been filed against state and local governments for enforcing basic environmental protections and Oregon's once exemplary environmental laws are now in danger of being revoked for lack of funds. Thank goodness we chose a better path.

California opened a new chapter in state history by approving over $40 billion in bonds. (To give a sense of perspective, that's about what the state of California collects in personal income tax every year and about three percent of the gross state product.) Some of this money has already been dedicated to pressing state needs such as transit, smart growth planning, affordable housing, and coastal protection. Billions of dollars could end up promoting sprawl, damaging habitat and worsening public health. It's now up to all of us to convince the state Legislature to spend the funds wisely. We won't have an opportunity like this again in a very long time.

We were disappointed by the defeat of propositions 87 and 89. These two citizen's initiatives to make Big Oil pay for clean energy and to institute campaign finance reform would have benefited all Californians. Unfortunately big money ruled the day; opponents of both these initiatives invested heavily to retain their positions of power within the status quo. And they did it at our expense. The oil industry sunk over $66 million in cash that they generated through the sale of gasoline to keep us from using less gasoline. (It's enough to make you want to pass campaign finance reform!) Although both measures lost, we were pleased to see how many Californians have come to embrace the concepts behind 87 and 89. That's a remarkable change for the voting public and an inspiring trend for future policy reform.

The California Legislature also underwent some shape changing "switcheroos." Rumor has it that the new Senate looks slightly more conservative while the new Assembly has turned a shade more liberal. With so many new faces in both houses, we feel it's too early to tell - but it's just the right time to start educating these new candidates about local and statewide environmental priorities.

And that's exactly what PCL is doing up and down the state.

Yesterday, we sponsored a meeting with newly elected State Senator Alex Padilla to talk with environmental groups from the Los Angeles area. The participants included fifteen young Angelinos who were getting involved in politics for the first time. Kudos to them! We were heartened to see that Padilla understands the risks and opportunities presented by the infrastructure bonds. He pledged to fight for legislative language to ensure that the bond funds do not contribute to unwise growth patterns or increase pollution. We're glad to have him on our side.

PCL plans to sponsor more meetings with candidates over the coming months. Let us know if you’d like to be involved. And stay tuned to see how the year shapes up!