White House Tried To Block California's Emission Standards
By Nicole Belle Wednesday Sep 26, 2007 2:27pmYeah, Republicans are all about states' rights...until it hurts their cronies' stock portfolios.
The Bush administration engaged in a broad, multi-agency effort to lobby congressmen and governors to urge them to oppose a California plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent investigation.
In December 2005, California petitioned EPA to let the state develop its own program and standards for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Under the Clean Air Act, the federal government holds the express right to regulate emissions but may grant waivers to states, which it often does. If EPA grants California's waiver request, 11 other states could follow suit.
In June, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson wrote California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stating EPA would make its decision by the end of 2007. That's two full years after the initial request.
Why so long? Since the Supreme Court decided in April greenhouse gases may be subject to regulation under the Clean Air Act, there is no basis for denying California's petition. Therefore, for an administration which holds environmental regulation in contempt, the only remaining choice is endless delay.
But apparently Johnson's obstinacy was not enough for the Bush administration. An investigation by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has revealed a coordinated effort to prevent California from pursuing its state regulations. The effort includes Johnson, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, and James Connaughton, the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has written to Connaughton. The letter explains the full details of the campaign.
OMB Watch has been covering this carefully...the ramifications of all the issues at stake are, as they say, "mind-boggling".
Login or Register to post comments.
Frist
Case in point the lack of Republican support for the States that have Medical Marijuana laws, California being 1 of 12, that infringe on portfolios of their cronies in the Pharmacutical Industry.
Because, you know...the Republicans are all about States' rights...unless it involves the environment...or your body...or your property...or...
Dems are good at writing letters.
Getting responses or engaging in corrective/punitive action?
not so good.
blah, blah, blah..."White House Tries to F*ck Something Else Up." So, what's new?
This is getting tiresome.
WTF? Doesn't our government have more pressing things to do rather than fight for air pollution? What the hell would make them want to get involved in California's business? I agree states rights are all well and good unless they go against major campaign funders.
Still satisfied with that party affiliation, Mr. Governator?
What a real leader looks and sounds like (scroll down to the second clip--a Jon Stewart interview):
http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/
Even though he doesn't speak English. And even though his country contributes relatively nothing to global warming, he also has something to say about that.
Remarkable man. I can't look at the blogs anymore today after watching him.
drtoxic @ 5:
What's tiresome, the f*cking up part, or the pointing it out part!?!
Since all of the Bush federal departments are run by
industry lobbyists who do not follow U.S. law,
the states have to lead!
What an Administration.
because there are just too many crimes to remember.....
Bush Admin scandals....
http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html
Bush Admin blocked investigations
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/blocked_investigations.htm
and we still have not forgotten.. Bush Admin unanswered subpoenas..
http://www.democrats.com/subpoenas
..Speaking of California
---> Do NOT let Bush set the ELECTORAL VOTING RULES in California.
Ugh!
Can we offer bush an early retirement package and chip in for his golden parachute? He'll need it if we drop in out over Iraq.
Yeah, ask Michael Schiavo about states' rights.
Yeah, states rights really matter.. unless it goes against their parasitic hold on other people's lives.
Terry Schiavo anyone?
Republicans have little to do with conservatism these days. Republicans these days want more centralized power in the executive branch of the federal government. Rebublicans are authoritarians, not conservatives.
This would be a huge story that the media would cover for days and days...
IF the President were a Democrat, that is...
Why do I have this image of George Bush sitting behind his desk opening a can of Perriair, ala Mel Brooks in Spaceballs?
L&P - I think of Busholini as more the Dr. Evil type.
The Republicans are for state rights because their ideas aren't popular enough to prevail at the national level.
Inviso-Hand @ 15:
Not really -- they will take power in the executive branch if they have it but the overall thrust has been to outsource the government to private industry for the sake of efficiency. Even those things that you traditionally think of as the absolute minimimum of what should be controlled by government have been outsourced -- prisons and the military. (Do you think that the blackwater guys are going to be content with that 'Toys 'R Us' job when they get home?)
I always think of 'W' as the governor in Blazing Saddles. . .
Did anyone hear the global warming hearing yesterday. The Republicans are so embarrassing. Sensenbrenner felt the need to inform the European panel how things are in the United States. I wanted to scream, "please, we're not all like him!!!"
"Yeah, Republicans are all about states’ rights…until it hurts their cronies’ stock portfolios."
Or until Massachusetts legalizes gay marriage, then the Republican ChrisitianOfascists wants the US constitutional amendment banning it.
Hypocrisy thy name is Republican.
It's all about the Republicanistas using bullying executive power to protect the traditional Detroit auto industry (and its attendant suppliers), tire makers and oil companies who might lose business if strict restrictions are passed in California. Did you see "Who Killed the Electric Car?" Did you read Edwin Black's Internal Combustion? I want my hybrid or pure plug-in vehicle, expanded electrified public transit (and my jetpack, but that's besides the point!)!
the cons will do anything to help big oil and big auto. They don't care about the damage from global warming or how many people have asthma, COPD, emphysema or lung cancer. Their robber barons friends are all that matter
So Bush tried to screw over Schwarzenegger?
[...] (Ben Smith) wrote an interesting post today on White House Tried To Block Californiaâ
Login or Register to post comments.