Posted on 09/14/2006 9:46:48 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Environmental groups, lured by the prospect of more than $4 billion for public-transit projects, are backing away from opposing the massive transportation bond on the November ballot. The environmentalists also are daunted by the nearly $7 million in campaign funds amassed by the bond's supporters.
Over the weekend, the 75-delegate board of the Sierra Club of California decided against opposing the $19.95 billion bond package, which includes the money for public transit and $14 billion for road construction, plus other projects.
Bill Allayaud, the group's legislative director, said Northern California members pushed to fight the bond, while many Southern California members wanted to stay neutral.
"There wasn't even a breath of talk about supporting the bond," Allayaud said.
Allayaud added that there had been "some talk" that the Sierra Club stance might influence other groups, though he said he did not know of any other groups that were specifically waiting on a Sierra Club decision. Several groups currently have votes pending on the measure, but only the California Bicycle Coalition has come out against it.
Another of the largest and most influential groups, the Natural Resources Defense Council, also will sit out the transportation-bond fight. According to spokesman Craig Noble, the group's energy is going to go toward supporting Proposition 84 (water bond) and 87 (oil tax) and opposing Proposition 90, which would allow property owners to sue the state government for money lost due to environmental laws.
Dan Jacobson, legislative advocate for Environment California, said that environmental advocates have had one of their best legislative sessions in years, highlighted by the passage of the AB 32 global-warming legislation and the SB 1 Million Solar Roofs bill, both of which his organization was heavily involved in. In the meantime, he said, they have not had the time to do the proper research on the transportation board and it's likely effects.
Across the board, these groups said they disliked the $14 billion in road money the bond would provide--but were supportive of the $4 billion earmarked for public transit. Allayaud said that instead of fighting the bond itself, his group would fight on a project-by-project basis to try to make sure as much money as possible goes to transit and congestion relief rather than new road construction. He also praised Senate Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, for protecting the environmental-review process for bond projects.
The transportation bond enjoys a 50 percent to 38 percent lead among likely voters, according to the most recent Public Policy Institute of California poll. Support is even higher in the environmental strongholds of the San Francisco Bay Area.
"I think we're pretty pleased with the environmental coalition we've been able to put together," said Paul Hefner, a spokesman for the Rebuild California Plan umbrella group. Seven environmental groups have endorsed the bonds, he said, led by the League of Conservation voters.
Among other environmental groups, the Planning and Conservation League (PCL) will decide whether they will come out against the bond at their meeting on September 21. The Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TALC) could not reach a decision at its September 6 board meeting, and will reconvene late this month.
"There's certainly a chance we'll oppose it," said executive director Stuart Cohen. But he added that they won't be fund raising or starting a committee. The opposition, if it happens, would be through the "free media," such as putting out press releases and talking to news outlets.
Gary Patton, executive director of the PCL, echoed these thoughts: "We won't have any money, I'll tell you that."
This "no money" would be arrayed against $2.4 million gathered by Californians to Improve Traffic: Yes on Proposition 1A and 1B. The California Alliance for Jobs' Rebuild California Committee provided $1.3 million of this money out of the nearly $2.2 million total it has amassed. The Let's Rebuild California committee has $2.8 million.
This includes $1 million transferred last Wednesday from the original umbrella committee, Rebuilding California--Yes on 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E, established by Perata when he first began championing the infrastructure bond last year. That group has pulled in nearly $1.6 million total. Major contributions have come from the building industry and unions who stand to benefit from construction. Even the garbage and sanitation industry has chipped in over $26,000, with $16,650 coming from the California Refuse Removal PAC.
"Just getting rid of the waste from $20 billion in construction projects is significant," noted Cohen.
Malcolm Maclachlan is a Capitol Weekly staff reporter
Enough pork to go around for all of 'em!
What, the BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone) lost this round?
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