Replies

Rockitz: Fortunately, I think you're wrong - Davis desperately needs to solidify his base, which is looking very seriously at the Green. This article, from a couple of weeks ago, shows how disenchanted the Left is with Gray Davis. They even had the nerve to say that Simon, however evil he may be, could hardly have done a worse job!

If Davis vetoes this bill, the Liberal media will slaughter him, and rightly so. To give you an idea of the stakes as senn from the left, here's the Weekly's take on the issue. As you can see, they believe this is an initiative that could revolutionize California, just as the electric car mandate of a few years back did. (What? You say it didn't? This is the same kind of feel-good, no substance issue, and I strongly suspect it will enjoy the same fate even if we don't manage to have it reversed).

Schatze: I believe those ideas were written out of this bill in an effort to make it more attractive to moderates. Frankly, in the end, I think the bill is completely toothless and worthless, and will become a complete no-op by 2009 regardless of what happens. I have expressed this view several times in threads relating to the bill, and so far I have not heard anyone agree ... or disagree.

here's the Weekly's take on the issue

We ought to capture that article. I think what is a toothless bill the National Democratic Party can use to beat on the Republicans in 2002 and 2004. We need to defeat it even though it seems that it is so far off that it is of no consequence!

You are correct in saying that the bill has been amended to make it more "moderate", but there is one factor that is key: the new bills gives CARB the right to determine what manufacturers must do to sell their cars in California. While they can not outright ban SUV or increase gas taxes as the original bill enabled them to do, they can impose strict requirements on manufacturers before a car can be sold in California.

What this means is that either the price of cars will increase because manufacturers will comply with new rules and pass the cost of compliance on to the consumer, or there will be fewer automobile choices to consumers.

I'll need to look at the bill again -- I have read it -- because I'm sure that there's something else insidious in there, otherwise they wouldn't be pushing so hard for it when the public is obviously opposed to it.

Fortunately, I think you're wrong ...

Maybe I'm giving the Dems too much credit? You must admit that it would, however, be politically brilliant to sacrifice this bill for Grey's reelection. I hope I am wrong, because this is the kind of thing that, despite all the cr@p he's pulled, could bring him through on election day and I think that deep down inside he knows it. That's the scary part. His career is over otherwise.