In the midst of the greatest economic decline since the Great Depression, California moves blindly onward in its quest to achieve green utopia. The San Diego Union Tribune recently asked Schwarzenegger whether he would consider suspending AB 32’s drastic regulations to help the state cope with the recession—a provision upon which he predicated his initial support for the legislation. Incredibly, despite all evidence to the contrary, and regardless of how dire the economic conditions, the Governor asserts he is “not going to suspend regulations that are creating jobs and stimulating the economy.”
In the three years since he signed the legislation, Schwarzenegger has apparently thrown his early caution to the wind. The Governor now asserts that suspension of AB 32 is unnecessary because “Major programs under AB 32 will not go into effect until 2012. By then, the economy will continue to improve – helped by the continued growth of California’s clean tech sector.” Schwarzenegger’s administration concluded that only if there was evidence that AB 32 “has something to do with growing unemployment” would they suspend AB 32. Perhaps the California Small Business Roundtable should send a copy of their alarming report to the Governor’s office.
Justifying his commitment to climate change regulations, the governor commented, “One study estimates that $2.5 trillion of California assets are threatened by climate change. Think about that, this means our highways and certain buildings will be threatened.” What the Governor fails to recognize is that California citizens are the real assets in California. And right now those citizens face an unemployment rate disproportionate to the rest of the nation. The real victims of California’s climate change war are the average citizens who are the true engine of economic recovery and prosperity.
United Nations Climate Change Conference delegates can certainly follow Schwarzenegger’s example in implementing subnational environmental regulations. But they follow California’s lead at their own economic peril.