Democrats sacrificed the planet, children to appease Republicans, get credit
for budget deal
Green Party of California
www.cagreens.org
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Contacts: Dr. Robert Vizzard, spokesperson, 916.206 8953,
thevizz@earthlink.net
Susan King, spokesperson, 415.823-5524 funking@mindspring.com
Cres Vellucci, press secretary, 916.996-9170 greenparty-press@comcast.net
Sara Amir, spokesperson, 310.270-7106 saraamir@earthlink.net
Democratic Party sacrificed the planet,
children to appease Republicans, get credit for budget deal, charges Green Party of
California
SACRAMENTO -- 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.
Green Party of California
www.cagreens.org