Democratic Party sacrificed the planet, children to appease Republicans, get credit for budget deal, charges Green Party of California
GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
SACRAMENTO (August 21, 2007) - The environment and the air that an increasing number of asthmatic children in California are being forced to breathe were the biggest losers Tuesday when the state Senate approved the $103 billion state budget, according to a Green Party of California statement issued Tuesday.
"Democrats in the Senate again sacrificed the environment, and our children's health, to appease Republican lawmakers and the same big monied interests that fill the campaign coffers of politicians in both parties," said Shane Que Hee, GPCA Platform Co-Coordinator. "It is up to Gov. Schwarzenegger to allot the financial pain equitably in his line veto now that he does not have to be re-elected We all live on the same planet, rich and poor."
To get the two votes necessary to approve the budget after a 52-day delay, Democrats claimed they had to agree to exempt public infrastructure construction from greenhouse gas emissions lawsuit, remove requirements that state buildings achieve "green" environmental status and provide up to $250 million to already fat railroad corporations to meet air quality demands.
"The Democratic Party leaders claim they oppose the war in Iraq, but vote to fund it. Now they - like the governor - claim they are pro-environment but vote to continue to endanger the environment. Democrats have abandoned the environment when, in fact, they have the ability to overcome the Republican stranglehold on the budget. But Democratic Party politicians do not have the will to save our planet, and our children's future," Michael Feinstein, former mayor of Santa Monica and co-chair of the GPCA Coordinating Committee.
The Green Party of California has consistently maintained that the U.S. - which emits about one-half of the world's car-caused greenhouse carbon dioxide emissions, and California about 10 percent of that - should, among other measures, end the Air Pollution Credit ("offset") System, which allows large corporations to distribute air pollution over many emission sites; Promote the use of alternative sources of energy relative to fossil fuel, but yet little was in the state budget to do so; Promote the implementation and development of sustainable technologies and create a California Environmental Ombudsman Office to settle legal cases and disputes about pollution.
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Contacts:
Crescenzo Vellucci, State Press Office,
916.996.9170,
Sara Amir (Los Angeles),
310.270.7106,
Dr. Bob Vizzard (Sacramento),
916.206.8953,
Daniel Brezenoff (Southern California),
310.422.2211,
Susan King (San Francisco),
415.823.5524,
The Green Party of California
PO Box 2828
Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 448-3437
Web: http://www.cagreens.org
EMail: