Posted by
Pete Zimmerman on Friday, November 07, 2008 10:42:55 PM
In the midst of the highest gasoline prices the U.S. has ever experienced, California residents woke up recently to yet another proposal that would add 10 to 50 cents to price of each gallon of gasoline they will purchase. That’s on top of California’s already high gasoline prices.
The plan, called the “cap and trade” system, limits the amount of permits California will issue in its attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels. The aggressive system would “cap” the number of permits issued, and companies would have to barter and “trade” permits with other companies.
The U.S. Congress recently rejected the same plan, but the liberals in California, including the state’s Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, are pressing for more stringent controls. Never mind the cost to the people of California. What’s important here is that the liberal agenda is carried out, damn the people, the government knows what is best.
California gas prices are already 40 to 50 cents higher, on average, than the rest of the country due to the strict controls placed on the mixture of gasoline retailers can dispose in the Golden State. California gas prices are currently around $2.55 per gallon.
The “cap and trade” system and gas mixtures are just a couple of examples of the kind of extremist measures liberals continue to take to advance their agenda, to save the world, and the people from themselves. Environmentalist rules are halting progress, raising prices, and implementing regulations that make California and America less competitive in the world. Likely many ordinary Californians shake their heads in disbelief when they hear of the latest attempt by environmentalist liberals to impose their wills at the expense of ordinary citizens.
In another incident in California earlier this year, a couple was forced to prune 10 to 15% of a Redwood tree’s upper braches because they were blocking the neighbor’s solar panels. The law under which the couple was forced to comply was passed in 1978 but not a single case had been brought in court until this year.
Oddly enough, both the neighbor with the solar panels (a Sierra Club leader) and the folks with the Redwoods both consider themselves to be environmentalists. And never mind that most environmentalists would cringe at the thought of having to cut down a Redwood, if only part way. And never mind again that the Redwood trees were planted years before the infringed solar panels were installed. Common sense is not a factor for the left. What does matter is that the environmentalist with the most credentials got his way and forced his neighbor to take the extraordinary step of actually cutting down their tree for sake of politically and environmentally correct solar energy. Again, what must the average Californian think of this foolishness?
Stopping at nothing to steal the joy and fun of everyday people, in San Diego, the group California Coast Keepers pressed state agencies to examine the affect fireworks at Sea World have the environment. After all, they say, fireworks release toxic chemicals into the environment that “may” be harmful to animals, birds and humans. But that would need to be studied to know for sure.
The California Coastal Commission has barred some organizations from holding fireworks displays even on Independence Day due to concerns that they might frighten sea birds from their nests. I guess they think they will never come back once their gone! As stated earlier, environmentalist concerns need not take common sense into consideration. Who knows how long it will take the environmentalists to come after the fireworks display in your neighborhood!
Finally, San Francisco residents need not look forward to the cozy winter evenings in front of the fireplace, the regulators with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District have voted (unanimously no less) to ban wood burning stoves and fireplaces from operating on days they deem poor air quality days. Many citizens were outraged, and well they should be, that environmentalists have no extended their reach to inside our homes. 10 other cities in California have taken similar measures as well. God only knows what part of our freedom the left will try to “regulate” next.