The Proposition 23 Challenge

We have provided periodic updates on California’s Proposition 23 on November’s ballot. This Proposition basically kills AB32, the 2006 anti-global warming act championed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. Prop 23 suspends AB32 until the unemployment rate in CA falls to 5.5%for a full year.  Less than a hand-full of times has CA experienced that rate of unemployment in the last 40 years and the State currently has over 12% unemployment.

This morning’s Los Angeles Times‘ Columnist George Skelton writes about Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz’ view on Proposition 23. The following are excerpts from that column:

Shultz states that suspending AB32 “would be a catastrophe.” And he continues, “President Eisenhower – a guy whose credentials on national security you had to respect – said that if we imported more than 20% of the oil we used, we were asking for trouble in national security terms.”

“People are saying, well, [AB32] is a job killer. Undoubedly there will be changes. that’s the idea – to shift away from things that emphasize their dependence on oil….Sonner or later, somehow or other, there’s goign to be a price put on carbon. So everybody running companies … take a deep breath … better start adjusting to it.”

Well said.

[Read the entire column]

[For information on George Skelton]

For more information on Prop 23:

Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Landmark Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

CA Air Resources Board Fact Sheet on AB32

Bid to Block AB32 Funded by Big Oil

Climate Experts Oppose Prop 23