Stand Up For Clean Energy ... Vote No On Prop 23

Stand up for clean energy … “As the national leader in clean, renewable energy, California is showing us the way to a clean energy future. That’s why it’s so critical that we defeat Proposition 23.” www.repoweramerica.org

Stakeholders opposed Prop 23

Earlier this month I attended a press conference called by Governor Schwarzenegger’s office in collaboration with No on 23 – Californians to Stop the Dirty Energy Proposition – to bring attention to the dangerous potential impact of Proposition 23. Shangri-LA Construction hosted the event at their LEED built airplane hanger at the Burbank airport. Community stakeholders, business leaders, city officials, the San Fernando Valley Green Team and union workers were all on hand to support the opposition. That was also the day I saw the first television commercial alerting Californian’s about the nasties of Proposition 23.

Jennifer Berthelot Shangri-LA Const

Proposition 23 claims to want to ‘suspend’ California’s clean energy standards for air pollution control – the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 – put in place by AB32, which they say is temporary until the economy improves and unemployment numbers drop below 5.5%. Unfortunately, it appears that if Prop 23 were to pass, it would actually impede AB32’s landmark legislation and repeal its important clean energy goals for 2020.

California has been a true leader in the area of clean energy and continues to work hard to support sustainable education, development of new green jobs, protect the health of its stakeholders, their families (especially the children) and continues to make great strides in moving away from our dependence of fossil fuels.

On October 21, 2010 I saw the first television commercial funded by BIG oil companies supporting Prop 23! I was wondering when these BIG companies behind the bill, Valero and Tesoro (and other oil companies) were going to get aggressive with their dirty media blitz? Well … it has started!

Laid off Tesoro employees

One message in the ad promises to save a million jobs. However, union workers laid off earlier this year by Tesoro had a much different story to tell at the press conference when they showed up to help oppose the bill. A picture is worth a thousand words. Perhaps Tesoro didn’t get the memo that they were supposed to be saving jobs, not creating higher unemployment numbers … oops?

Anyway a speaker at Bioneers this past weekend said it very bluntly … “We as Californians have a responsibility, an obligation to our state – to show what we can do to create a competitive sustainable clean energy production market. AB23 is a great opportunity that will bring billions of dollars of investment and help create hundreds of thousands of desperately needed jobs. The bottom line ... Vote NO on Prop 23!!!!”

Please get involved and spread the word – www.repoweramerica.org is looking for able bodies to make outreach calls to educate people, donate money, etc. – see/hear Al Gore’s message on prop 23.

For additional information visit www.StopDirtyEnergyProp.com