Presidential campaign calls out to Brown
The siren song of presidential politics is calling out once again to Attorney General Jerry Brown.
Brown, whose own presidential ambitions used as much technology as possible (he was the first to use a 1-800 phone in for contributions) has submitted his own video question for Monday's YouTube debate, asking them on what they would do to reduce greenhouse gases.
Brown’s YouTube video challenge comes after he sent a letter to each major candidate asking for support of a measure giving states greater power to cntorl emissions from vehicles.
The full letter follows.
Dear Candidate:
I am writing the major presidential candidates of both parties to ask for your immediate
assistance -- by June 15 -- in the fight by California and 11 other states to adopt standards aimed
at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our states. As President Bush discusses global warming
at the G-8 Summit in Germany, his Environmental Protection Agency here at home has been
blocking efforts by the 12 states to cut vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. There is still time to
convince EPA to allow the states to move forward, or at least to bolster the states’ legal case in
the event that our work to combat global warming is thwarted by the federal government.
You probably know that California has adopted landmark global warming regulations to cut
motor vehicle greenhouse emissions 30 percent by 2016. The Clean Air Act specifically allows
California to adopt standards stronger than federal regulations, and then allows other states to
adopt the California standards. But we cannot implement the new regulations until EPA grants us
what is called a waiver. The EPA has been stalling on our waiver request for more than a year,
and the official record on which EPA must act closes on June 15.
As one who may be the next president of the United States, I believe that your written statement,
which we will submit to EPA as part of the legal record, will help bolster our case. I urge you to
give us the strongest possible statement for submission to EPA. Even those who believe the
federal government should not act at this time to combat global warming should agree that, under
the states rights doctrine, individual states should be allowed to act in an area where they believe
the health of their citizens is at stake.
Global warming is the most important long-term environmental, economic and security issue
facing our country and the world, and the stakes have never been higher. Scientists from all
corners of the globe present powerful evidence that manmade greenhouse gasses are threatening
our way of life. Further delay may be our peril.
For your information, the states which have already adopted the California standards are
Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. These states represent one-third of our country’s
population, and together we are waiting to move forward with the most comprehensive effort to
combat global warming in U.S. history. Several other states are considering similar legislation,
but we need EPA's approval for these landmark environmental rules to be enacted.
June 7, 2007
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Thank you in advance for your consideration of our request. If California and the other states are
allowed to move forward, we will be taking a strong step forward in our battle against global
warming. Your support can make a huge difference, both in the EPA process and as part of the
legal record in the event EPA refuses our request and we are forced to seek judicial relief.
Sincerely,
EDMUND G. BROWN JR.
Attorney General
About The
Sausage Factory
Los Angeles Daily News City Hall reporter Rick Orlov writes about politics on the local, state and national stage.
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