Gov. Sarah Palin Opposes California Clean Air Plan
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| Also listed in: Courage Campaign Staff |
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Tags: Alan Lowenthal, Clean Air, goods movement, John McCain, Sarah Palin
Tags: Alan Lowenthal, Clean Air, goods movement, John McCain, Sarah Palin
Yesterday's Courage Campaign blog described the significant judicial victory which clears the way for the nation's busiest trade hub, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to allow only trucking companies with clean-burning fuel trucks to serve their ports. Their program is partially paid for by a new fee on each container passing through the ports. Long Beach state Senator Alan Lowenthal passed a similar measure at the state level for a range of air pollution reduction initiatives including train engines and railway improvements. Gov. Sarah Palin has asked our governor to veto the state measure approved by the legislature earlier this year.
Why does Palin oppose clean trucks and trains, thus clean air in California? It could be that she represents entrenched special interests such as the American Trucking Association who opposed the local and state programs. It could also be that she represents entrenched special interests such as Wal-Mart which sources more than 80 percent of its products from China, and must ship most of it through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
But what about the air we breathe, especially for those living in San Pedro, Wilmington, Long Beach, City of Commerce, Inland Empire, Fresno and other parts of the Central Valley?
This program ultimately is to improve the air quality for millions of people impacted by the growing transportation goods movement.
According to the LA Times, Gov. Palin wrote a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urging asking him to veto Lowenthal's bill signed August 28th:
"Enactment of Senate Bill 974 will have negative impacts on both Alaska and California," Palin wrote. "For Alaskans, a very large percentage of goods [90% or more] shipped to Alaska arrive as marine cargo in a container."
Palin said many Alaskan communities lack road access and depend entirely on goods shipped by container, something that has significantly increased in cost in recent years. Many of those containers pass through the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports before arriving in Alaska, and Palin argues that the fee will add even more to the cost of goods shipped to her state.
"This tax makes the situation worse," Palin wrote. "Similarly, the tax may harm California by driving port business away from its ports."
The letter concludes by requesting that "due consideration be given to our state and that you not sign Senate Bill 974."
Point of information, the new fee is only $60, I doubt that would produce significant cost increases for Alaskan consumers, nor influence shippers like Wal-Mart to move its distribution infrastructure through Mexico to save less than a $100 per container.
Most importantly, California needs this bill, I believe that Schwarzenegger not made his promise not to sign any other bills until a budget was passed, he would have signed this weeks ago because it is the right thing to do.
The real McCain lied to us, he told us she was a maverick, but she's not, she's just a stoop for the entrenched special interests who want no responsibility and care nothing for the well-being of our communities and the air we breathe.
Why does Palin oppose clean trucks and trains, thus clean air in California? It could be that she represents entrenched special interests such as the American Trucking Association who opposed the local and state programs. It could also be that she represents entrenched special interests such as Wal-Mart which sources more than 80 percent of its products from China, and must ship most of it through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
But what about the air we breathe, especially for those living in San Pedro, Wilmington, Long Beach, City of Commerce, Inland Empire, Fresno and other parts of the Central Valley?
This program ultimately is to improve the air quality for millions of people impacted by the growing transportation goods movement.
According to the LA Times, Gov. Palin wrote a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urging asking him to veto Lowenthal's bill signed August 28th:
"Enactment of Senate Bill 974 will have negative impacts on both Alaska and California," Palin wrote. "For Alaskans, a very large percentage of goods [90% or more] shipped to Alaska arrive as marine cargo in a container."
Palin said many Alaskan communities lack road access and depend entirely on goods shipped by container, something that has significantly increased in cost in recent years. Many of those containers pass through the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports before arriving in Alaska, and Palin argues that the fee will add even more to the cost of goods shipped to her state.
"This tax makes the situation worse," Palin wrote. "Similarly, the tax may harm California by driving port business away from its ports."
The letter concludes by requesting that "due consideration be given to our state and that you not sign Senate Bill 974."
Point of information, the new fee is only $60, I doubt that would produce significant cost increases for Alaskan consumers, nor influence shippers like Wal-Mart to move its distribution infrastructure through Mexico to save less than a $100 per container.
Most importantly, California needs this bill, I believe that Schwarzenegger not made his promise not to sign any other bills until a budget was passed, he would have signed this weeks ago because it is the right thing to do.
The real McCain lied to us, he told us she was a maverick, but she's not, she's just a stoop for the entrenched special interests who want no responsibility and care nothing for the well-being of our communities and the air we breathe.