Comment Log Display

Dear California Air Resources Board, 

The Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) opposes the
current policy proposition to reduce California’s Greenhouse Gas
(GHG) emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050. Such
a policy overrides the legislative process and jeopardizes critical
voter approved infrastructure projects in the state.

This drastic reduction in GHG emissions is unnecessary for
California, a state that contributes less than 1 percent of global
GHG emissions. While this policy will have a negligible effect on
climate change, it will prove to have catastrophic effects on local
businesses and development projects. These GHG reductions will
create major new constraints on the land use planning and approval
authority of local elected leaders and voters. Implementing such a
policy will increase litigation risks, costs and delays of
projects. The impact of this policy will be extended to all
Californians by eliminating quality jobs, increase housing prices
and upsurge traffic congestion.

There are voter approved transportation and land use projects which
comply with current emission requirements that will be thwarted
under these new reduction levels. The state has an obligation to
spend taxpayer money where voters approve their investments to go.
California is in much need of improvements to transportation
infrastructure and is still suffering a housing shortage.
Implementing these proposals after the close of the Legislative
session foretells that no agency intends to disclose or seek input
on these radical new policy proposals from any elected member of
the Legislature.

Such extreme climate policies affecting the lives of every
Californian deserve the proper legislative review process. It is
therefore imperative that this harmful policy and its subsequent
priorities to expand burdensome California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) regulations are withdrawn.

Sincerely,
					                       

                                                                   
                  
	
Kevin Tamaki 					Stuart Waldman		
VICA Chairman					VICA President