Comment Log Display

I received an email from "Doug Soubers", (who could only have
gotten name & email from DGS' online contractors list, which I
object to but can't block).  Mr. Soubers sent me an urgent email
with the topic, New regulatory program could raise gas over $9 per
gallon- CONTACT CARB TODAY!

I am doing so because in fact, I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE of AB 32 and SB
375, and your proposed reduction targets for auto and light trucks
rules!  As I stated in my response to Mr. Soubers, there are many
businesses, labor and community interests in strong agreement with
this policy -- and individuals like myself who want to breath
cleaner air. 

Thanks to the ARB and other forces in California, we finally
achieved success in enacting higher CAFE standards for new vehicles
to be sold in our state.  Now it it time to secure similar
standards on the vehicles already on our roads and highways.  

Why in the world would business interests serve as the basis for
deferring or terminating these critically needed pollution
reduction standards?  It's time everyone do their part in reducing
air pollution.

The fact that we are recovering from a serious recession is no
basis for turning back this and other related efforts to reduce
pollution, or to reduce our dependence on Middle East oil.  In
fact, these new standards create the opportunity for the new green
economy.  

I am greatly concerned by the CA BIA, its members, and like-minded
businesses are so strongly opposed to these proposed pollution
reduction standards.  Yet I don't believe these attitudes and
actions take place in a vacuum.  While in part politically
motivated in an increasingly partisan environment, I believe these
interest groups' concerns may not be receiving adequate discussion,
or that it is not taking place through a meaningful process.  

While resolution of everyone's interests is impossible, it is basic
human nature to want to be heard, to want one's idea to be given
due consideration.  It is when treated respectfully, and given the
opportunity for genuine open-minded exchange of ideas through a
meaningful venue that we demonstrate we are truly a civil society. 
The alternative is the growing inappropriate political
personalization of public policy differences that we see occurring
with increasing regularity, including the use of strong-arming and
the subverting of the rule-making process -- by which there are
truly no winners, least of all for the ARB and the public's health.


Rather, engaging stakeholders who have any role to play in the
issue is the essential first step to ensuring all interests are
considered so as to determine the most effective point(s) of
intervention.  This is why I view the work of the ARB in such high
regard.  The one area I have not heard attended to by the ARB is
the CalPERS, as, given how much sway CalPERS has with the companies
it has invested in, they could also be a critical stakeholder in
state environmental policy.  (Then again, possibly you are
including them in your process but not making these efforts public
-- which I would hope would be done so the public could understand
the connection between investment policies and environmental
outcomes.)

Investment policies can play a pivotal role in shaping business
practices -- including such matters as developing and using
alternative fuels, and keeping jobs in the state (instead of moving
them overseas).  Changing the overall culture of business to shift
attention from the immediate bottom line profits, to one that
adopts civic-minded practices that supports policies that enable
business to stay financially viable.  

As you undoubtedly know, a great example of environmental reform
and alternative fuel investment is Holland as a result of the the
'70s oil embargo, when Jimmy Carter was President.  The overall
culture of Holland's society, and therefore, business, is more
communitarian than in the U.S., enactment of sweeping environmental
policies we could only we hope for.  Thus, our strategy is to
promote and reward such behaviors on a smaller, more focused scale.
 

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed rules that
I am very much in support of.