No Budget Hostages

Environmental, consumer and labor leaders came together this week to call on legislative leaders to resist efforts to use California’s budget crisis to roll back vital safeguards:

June 1, 2009

Assemblywoman Karen Bass
Speaker, California State Assembly
State Capitol, Room 219
Sacramento, CA 95814
Senator Darrell Steinberg

President pro Tempore, California State Senate
State Capitol, Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814


Dear Speaker Bass and President pro Tempore Steinberg:

In addressing this year’s budget crisis, you will be faced with heart wrenching decisions that will impact the lives of every Californian. The budget solutions that have been proposed balance the budget entirely on the backs of the most vulnerable in our state. We understand the magnitude and difficulty of the task you face. As you struggle to craft a budget solution, we urge you to reject any attempts to leverage fundamental policy protections.

In every legislative session, business groups sponsor bills to take away the eight-hour day and weaken basic environmental standards. These bills do not make it through the Legislature because they are bad for workers and bad for California. But some are not satisfied by the results of the democratic process and seek to use the urgency of the budget process to leverage policy changes they cannot otherwise win. Rolling back the eight-hour day, taking away meal periods, scaling back environmental protections, or contracting out services without any standards do nothing to balance our budget. Instead, they cut worker pay, jeopardize health and safety, and cause irreparable harm to our communities. We cannot allow our core values as a state to be used as bargaining chips.

Proposals to strip away basic labor and environmental standards hurt the very people who are already being harmed most by the budget. Working people and the poor face drastic cuts to healthcare and social services. These are the same workers who will see their wages cut from an overtime takeaway, will lose their lunch breaks in the face of employer coercion, and will see their neighborhoods polluted if environmental regulations are reversed. In the midst of record unemployment, reckless contracting out simply means more layoffs with less oversight for our tax dollars. These layoffs will hit low-wage workers the hardest and will exacerbate the problem by trapping more families in poverty.

For these reasons, we urge you to reject policy rollbacks as part of any budget deal.

Sincerely,

Angie Wei
Legislative Director, California Labor Federation

Bill Magavern
Director, Sierra Club California

Warner Chabot
CEO, California League of Conservation Voters

Christine Spagnoli
President, Consumer Attorneys of California

Listen To California!

Two out of three California voters believe “we can have a strong economy and a clean environment at the same time.” Nearly two-thirds (63%) say environmental laws shouldn’t be used as bargaining chips in budget negotiations.

That’s according to a new poll commissioned by several environmental groups that are Sierra Club California’s allies in battling efforts to undo environmental protections.

California voters have spoken! So far, though, their voice hasn’t been heard by a minority of legislative Republicans from trying to erode these important existing laws that protect our air, our climate, our lungs and our land.

Among them: regulations that protect Californians from diesel pollution caused by dirty engines; allow affected residents to sue to stop global warming pollution; require environmental review of the sale of state lands; and prevent the use of smog-forming pesticides. Another minority-group effort would tie the hands of California air regulators in an endless loop of red tape.

Of course, governing by poll results isn’t always the best thing to do. But in a time of back-door budget blackmail, the recent poll results provide an important reminder of our democratic process.

Let’s hope they’re listening now.

Want Proof? The Sacramento Bee’s website has an actual copy of these scary budget proposals (PDF)!

See what the SF Chronicle’s “Thin Green Line” blog has to say about the poll

State of the State Misses The Mark

Sierra Club California’s environmental advocates today watched Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s short “State of the State” address with disappointment.

Like most Californians, we are caught up in the pain and worry surrounding the state’s fiscal crisis. Gov. Schwarzenegger’s short speech failed to address those very real concerns by proposing real leadership (Click on the photo at right to watch the speech).

Instead of spinning his wheels with a short address, Gov. Schwarzenegger should be declaring 2009 to be the Year of the Green Jobs, as Director Bill Magavern suggested in a recent KQED radio interview. We have opportunities to create and improve public transit, water supply, affordable housing, flood protection and energy efficiency – all without harming our environment or spending money we don’t have.

California’s legislative leaders, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, have a plan to stimulate the state’s economy by spending already-approved bond money on “green infrastructure” projects that would improve our state’s economy without affecting its ecology. What’s more, the proposed Green Economic Stimulus Plan looks out for the next generation by providing green jobs training.

Gov. Schwarzenegger also missed his chance to tell California that he’s going to halt his unproductive efforts to suspend California’s environmental laws, after balking at signing a state budget fix that didn’t include enough rollbacks of California’s treasured environmental protections.

As the Governor concluded his remarks today, “Let us resolve the budget crisis, so that we can get on with the people’s work.”

And, we might add, let’s get the Green Economic Stimulus Plan in place, so we can get people to work!

Real Green Stimulus For California

You’ve probably heard by now about Gov. Schwarzenegger’s plan to grow California‘s economy by shrinking its environmental protections.

Now, there’s a plan to stimulate our state’s economy while benefiting its ecology! At a press conference today, Speaker Karen Bass and Senate President pro Tempore, Darrell Steinberg released the California Democratic Leadership’s “Green Economic Stimulus Plan.”

The plan would provide thousands of green construction, transit and Conservation Corps jobs, while refurbishing our state’s roads, levees and water storage in green ways. What’s more, the plan will reach out to would-be high-school dropouts, offering them the promise of green jobs for California’s future.

Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (right) said today, “California must lead the world.” We agree. Californians have a chance to show the world a better way.

As Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (left) said, “The state of our state will be much better if this plan becomes law.” Tomorrow, Gov. Schwarzenegger will give his “State of the State” speech. We hope that he will support the Green Stimulus Plan and prove once again that California can advance our state’s economic priorities without putting environmental protections on the chopping block.

Bad Budget News II: We Are Not Alone!

The governor’s continued efforts to hold out for environmental rollbacks – combined with his proposed cuts for transit – represent a giant step backward for our state’s economy and ecology alike.

But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what some major news organizations statewide had to say about the disappointing proposals sifting through the state Capitol:

• LA Times News Story (1.11.2009)

Schwarzenegger is proposing that the California Department of Transportation forge ahead with some construction projects that are tied up in court over environmental issues. One is a $165-million carpool-lane expansion on U.S. 50 in Sacramento that a judge has delayed because of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions it could generate, among other concerns.Protections would also be lifted on a freeway-widening project through an ecologically sensitive area of coastal San Diego County and on a controversial plan to drill a tunnel into the Berkeley Hills. And Schwarzenegger wants to empower a panel of his appointees to waive environmental rules on other projects.

See the LA Times’ map of the proposed projects

• LA Times Editorial (1.12.2009):

“[T]here's good reason to think a permanent end to public transit funding will be part of future budget proposals. It shouldn't be. California voters have repeatedly shown they want some of their gas tax money to fund transit, and they're even willing to tax themselves more to improve bus and rail systems. Transit agencies, like every other public service, can expect to take a big hit in the next budget, but that doesn't mean their permanent funding stream should be cut off.”

• Contra Costa Times Editorial (1.08.2009):

“[T]he governor was opposed to the Democratic budget, not because of the revenue increases, which he did not criticize, but because he wanted more spending cuts and relaxation of environmental and labor laws to stimulate public works projects.
“On Wednesday, Schwarzenegger said he wanted a bipartisan solution to the budget impasse. In other words, he belatedly has come out against the Democrats' fee-is-not-a-tax scheme, which clearly never would get any GOP support. If the governor opposed the revenue-raising element of the Democrats' budget, why didn't he say so nearly three weeks ago, when it was first proposed?”

• Sacramento Bee Editorial (1.11.2009):

“If you are a business owner, it is likely you belong to the Chamber of Commerce or some other business association. … Here are some questions you should ask yourself: Are the leaders of my association or union acting in the state's interest? Are they even acting in my interest? If I'm a supplier who contracts with the state, do I want a budget resolution delayed so my business coalition can press Democrats to waive environmental reviews of highway projects?”

• San Francisco Chronicle (1.08.2009):

"Now it's back to the bargaining table with the one faction that has been orbiting in outer space while disaster looms in Planet California. The Republican Senate and Assembly members will join Schwarzenegger and the Democratic leaders at a "Big 5" meeting today. The governor said it was time to 'turn the page.' We'll see.
"The GOP legislators continue to refuse to consider any new taxes to fill these deficits. They're seemingly so determined to adhere to their no-tax pledges that your tax refund might get held hostage as a result, and the economy they're claiming to protect will suffer the reverberations of a government breakdown. "

Budget Battles – A More Concrete Plan

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger continues to press for unnecessary big-road-project exemptions to the California Environmental Quality Act. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why he vetoed a proposed budget fix advanced by the democratic leaders in the Legislature.

He’s trying to make something out of nothing. Nonpartisan analysts at the Legislative Analyst's Office have identified problems with Schwarzenegger’s approach. For example, the efforts to roll back California’s environmental protections only would advance many projects by a few months. Other projects may be held back by Prop. 1B limits on spending bond money on project design.

The state’s best hope for economic stimulus may instead lie with investment in rehabilitation and safety improvement projects, such as bridge maintenance, drainage improvements and pothole repair, according to the analysts. Even better, these small-scale projects can be done at less cost, since there’s traditionally more competition for smaller projects.

Such spending could cause true economic stimulus, and offer statewide safety and environmental benefits.

Wouldn’t that be something?

Image courtesy State of California

Putting the Brakes on Bad Budget Ideas

Fed up with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s inaction on the state’s budget crisis, California’s Assembly and Senate leaders have challenged the governor to sign their proposal to help balance the state budget.

So far, the governor has refused to sign a Dec. 19 package of budget-boosting fees, including his own proposal to tax oil companies for the harm they do to California’s air, land and water.

Gov. Schwarzenegger keeps moving back the goalposts. Rather than working to stabilize California’s chilling economy, the governor has been holding the proposals hostage in order to roll back California Environmental Quality Act regulations for a number of massive freeway expansion projects.

Putting the brakes on environmental protections means less consideration for the potential effects of construction: increased global warming pollution; more bad emissions in affected neighborhoods; and potential harm to water, land and endangered species. It also sets a dangerous precedent by removing YOUR voice from projects that could affect YOUR neighborhood!

What’s more, the governor’s budget delay resulted in the shutdown of a number of public works projects, including important habitat restoration work – potentially costing working Californians their jobs!

Sierra Club California joins other environmental groups, workers’ groups and seniors’ advocacy groups in calling for the governor to stop holding the budget hostage – and start working toward a real solution.

Read the LA Times' take on the budget

Gov. Schwarzenegger has threatened to veto the proposals. Read the Sacbee.com story here

Sierra Club California's Paul Mason stands with protesters following a state budget press conference.

Cartoon c. The Sacramento Bee, used for non-profit educational purposes under terms of "fair use" doctrine. Props to Rex Babin.

Read The News Today? Oh Boy!

California’s budget deadline passed over the weekend, but today’s newspaper brought worse budget news.

Republican lawmakers told the Los Angeles Times they want to put off California’s efforts to control the pollution that causes global warming, and to stop harmful diesel emissions from choking Californians, Times reporter Evan Halper wrote today. Because California must obtain GOP votes to pass the annual budget, this proposal must be dealt with before our state’s financial plan can move forward.

None of these proposed rollbacks will have an immediate effect on the more-than-$15-billion revenue gap faced by the state, Halper’s story states.

These regulations don’t just mean cleaner air, they also save lives. Air pollution causes some 24,000 early deaths each year in California, and particulate matter from diesel emissions contributes to those deaths.

California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, on the other hand, stimulates our state’s economic survival. For Californians affected by the recent economic downturn, the Global Warming Solutions Act also could mean new jobs. Venture capitalists poured $1.79 billion into the Golden State's green companies last year, accounting for 45 percent of all green investments in North America.

If this proposal sounds familiar, it’s something the Republicans first proposed in April, and we’ve been speaking out about it all this spring. Our allies in the health and labor communities have joined us in a simple message to the Legislature and governor: Don't allow our quality of life to be held hostage or traded away in budget negotiations.

-Bill Magavern, Director, Sierra Club California


See what Sierra Club California had to say about the budget plan in May

Read the California Air Resources Board’s report on the early deaths

Your donation provides a voice for clean air in California’s Capitol

Banding Together To Protect The Budget

Remember last year’s budget debacle?

California’s legislative Republicans held up the budget for more than a month as they tried to roll back environmental protections – and as everyday Californians rolled their eyes at the lack of leadership they exhibited.

Now, they’re at it again. They’ve already said they plan to postpone implementation of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, roll back diesel pollution reductions and undermine the 8-hour work day. These proposals probably will become a big part of the negotiations surrounding California’s 2008-2009 budget.

So this year, Sierra Club California and its environmental, health and labor allies have taken an early, unified stand against the efforts to undermine our environmental and worker protections.
California needs solid proposals to close a budgetary gap that’s yawned to more than $15 billion.

That’s why the Republican proposals are so shaky: they actually pile on more potential costs. For example, the Republicans want the Legislature to extend deadlines for cleaning up dangerous emissions from the diesel trucks responsible for nearly 40 percent of California’s most toxic diesel pollution.

At what cost? Diesel pollution annually leads to 1,500 early deaths annually, and causes about $12 billion in costs associated with premature death, health care, lost productivity and lost school attendance each year.

There’s even more potential expense associated with a delay in the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act. If we don’t immediately address the pollution that causes global warming, we won’t benefit from the measures taken to reduce that pollution: cleaner air and energy, more efficient cars and appliances and protected coastal areas.

And we might not take in as big a share of the $1.79 billion that venture capitalists poured into California’s green economy last year.

Despite the clear benefits provided by the environmental rules, Sierra Club California advocates fully expect this year’s budget negotiations to once again include a battle to protect our air and atmosphere.

As the minority party, Republicans have the most power during the budget process, since they can withhold the few Republican votes needed to reach the 2/3 super-majority required to adopt the budget. Last year, they tried (and mostly failed) to block the use of the California Environmental Quality Act to address global warming.

Even as the Republicans gear up to attack these critical protections, the state’s most important Republican, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger indicated this month that he wants to keep the Global Warming Solutions Act safe from attack. He’s also made it easier to implement the diesel truck rule, by providing nearly $50 million to assist low-income truckers in complying with the new rules. Legislative Democrats, most notably Senator Alan Lowenthal and Assemblymember Mark DeSaulnier also stand with us. Like us, they’re taking a stand against the potential hijacking of the state’s budget.

Hopefully, when the budget negotiations begin in earnest, California’s working families won’t be rolling their eyes at another Republican tantrum. They’ll be looking forward to cleaner air, cleaner energy and a new, greener future.

See What Sierra Club California Advocates Have To Say About The Budget

Your Donation Helps Us Safeguard The Budget

Make The May Revise More Sustainable

Every May, California's governors release a "May Revise," a revamped version of the budget that reflects the latest budget projections.

This May, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget reminds us of the importance of all types of sustainability.

In his May Revise, the governor proposed several one-time fixes, including borrowing money from the Public Transit Fund.

That brand of unsustainable borrowing could keep Californians from enjoying safe, clean public transportation. Increasing public transit ridership improves air quality – and lowers commuters’ gas costs.

The May Revise offers no sustainable source of funding for AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act. True solutions to our state’s global warming emissions will emerge when polluters pay for the cost of cleaning up the emissions they create.We’d also like to see the Resources Agency gain a more permanent source of funding, since it’s one of the first agencies to suffer the pinch of budget cuts.

Many bright ideas shine through the smog of today’s tight fiscal times. For example, the governor’s revised budget provides $50 million to help low-income truckers meet state diesel standards early. And our state parks will stay open, following tremendous pressure from outdoors-loving Californians.

Sierra Club California will sustain its efforts to negotiate a budget that protects our air, water, natural resources and communities.

Our advocates comment on the specifics of the May Revise

See what the governor had to say about the May Revise

Sierra Club California Welcomes Karen Bass

Sierra Club California honors newly sworn-in Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. Her historic day also represents a great day for clean air, clean water and a healthy California.

We're pleased to see such a strong ally ascend to one of the state's most powerful positions. Assembly Speaker Bass voted with the environment on 12 out of 12 key bills last year, supporting water conservation, alternative fuels and green buildings. In 2006, she stood with environmentalists to support AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, and 10 other key measures to again score 100 percent on our environmental report card.

Assembly Speaker Bass has made addressing the state's troubled budget her top priority. We look forward to working with her to ensure Californians have access to the natural places we love and to protect our air, water and atmosphere.”

- Statement, Sierra Club California Director Bill Magavern

Check out our 2006 and 2007 report cards.

Read more about Sierra Club California's budget worries

Schwarzenegger Proposes to Close 48 State Parks & Cut Lifeguards at 14 State Beaches

Last week Governor Schwarzenegger proposed cutting $13.3 million from the Department of Parks and Recreation general fund budget in 2008-09, in attempt to close the huge $14 billion state deficit. This reduction would mean the closure of 48 state parks out of 278 existing parks and reduce the number of lifeguards at 14 state beaches in Orange, San Diego and Santa Cruz Counties. The department would also eliminate 136 permanent employees that work in the state park system, including park rangers, maintenance workers, scientists and tour guides.

Sierra Club California strongly opposes any effort to close our state parks. These cuts would be devastating to the millions of Californians who rely on their state parks for recreation, educational opportunities and quiet enjoyment of nature.

Shutting down state parks is out of touch with the priorities of Californians. The 48 parks slated for closure represent some of the most significant cultural, historic, and natural resources in the state. State parks slated for closure include Henry Coe near Morgan Hill, Portola Redwoods in San Mateo County, Sutter’s Fort Historic Park in Sacramento, Del Norte Redwoods near the Oregon Border, Pio Pico in Whittier, and Great Valley Grasslands in Merced.

The 14 state beaches that are slated to have lifeguards removed from their shores are some of the most popular state beaches in California. Proposing that California’s state beaches can go through the summer without adequate lifeguard staffing is a dangerous proposal that threatens the health and safety of Californians. Lifeguards would be reduced at Silver Strand State Beach in San Diego, San Clemente State Beach in Orange County, Sunset State Beach south of Santa Cruz and other locations.

Click here for a list of proposed park closures and lifeguard reductions.

We believe that the Governor’s proposal is the wrong way to go about balancing the state’s budget. The total reductions from the state parks budget would only eliminate one-tenth of one percent of the state deficit.

Sierra Club California is contacting legislators and working with them to oppose the closure of any state parks during the budget process. Soon, we will be asking you to contact your legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger to tell them to keep all of California’s state parks open for everyone.

Jim Metropulos
Sierra Club California

California Budget Finally Approved – Environmental Law (Mostly) Dodges a Bullet

The California Legislature finally approved the 2007-2008 State Budget yesterday – 51 days into the fiscal year and more than two months past the legal deadline of June 15. As has been discussed here and in many other forum’s, one of the biggest hurdles to completing the budget was the demand by the minority party in the Senate to weaken the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), particularly as it relates to global warming pollution.

So how’d it turn out? Though the language affecting CEQA is complicated, and will undoubtedly be litigated, it appears that little damage was done. There is a good post on the California Majority Report blog by Steve Maviglio, Assembly Speaker Nunez’s Deputy Chief Staff responsible for communications, which explains the CEQA deal in plain English.

There is also a particularly good post over at Bill Bradley’s New West Notes blog, which discusses more of the political context of this climate change skirmish.

Both of these articles are worth a read if you’re looking for more details about what played out over the past month.

** UPDATE** If you want to read the actual language of the CEQA exemption (SB 97 - Dutton) including the floor analyses and the vote count, you can find all that information here.