Global Warming Quote of the Day

From Sen. Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer:

“The message I have for climate deniers is this: you are endangering humankind,” Boxer said during a press conference in the Capitol. “It is time for climate deniers to face reality, because the body of evidence is overwhelming and the world’s leading scientists agree.”

Uh...no they don't.  The only one needing to face reality is Boxer.

Navy Names New Ship After Famous Grape Picker

Because we all know how vital grape picking has been to national security:

While the idea of naming a U.S. Naval ship after labor leader Cesar Chavez has roiled some, California Democrat Sen. Barbara Boxer is thrilled that the activist will be receiving the honor.

Boxer called Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus Tuesday to thank him for the decision.

“I applaud Secretary Mabus for continuing the Navy’s rich tradition of naming these supply ships after pioneers, explorers and visionaries by honoring César Chávez, who worked tirelessly to promote fair working conditions and equal rights for all Americans,” Boxer said in a statement. “This is a fitting tribute to Chávez, who served in the Navy, and follows the Navy’s recent decisions to name other supply ships after American visionaries from Medgar Evers to Amelia Earhart to Lewis and Clark.”

Republican California Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, had a very different opinion. He said that it was indicative of the Navy’s politicization.

“This decision shows the direction the Navy is heading. Naming a ship after Cesar Chavez goes right along with other recent decisions by the Navy that appear to be more about making a political statement than upholding the Navy’s history and tradition,” he said.

I think the officer sombreros will be particularly fetching.

Let's not kid ourselves here.  When Navy officials were trying to come up with names for this ship Cesar Chavez didn't leap to mind because of his obvious contributions to national security.  This was a purely political pick designed to pander to Hispanic voters.  You can pretty much be assured that every decision this administration makes in the next 18 months will be directed toward some niche group of 2012 voters.

And in a particularly delicious moment of irony, the same day the Navy named the USNS Grape Picker, the California state legislature voted to strip farmworkers of the right of a secret ballot.

Progress!

Schumer Issues Orders to Democrats

Chuckie Schumer got caught with his foot in his mouth giving marching orders to Democrats regarding the budget battle:

Um, senators, ever heard of the mute button?

Moments before a conference call with reporters was scheduled to get underway on Tuesday morning, Charles E. Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, apparently unaware that many of the reporters were already on the line, began to instruct his fellow senators on how to talk to reporters about the contentious budget process.

After thanking his colleagues — Barbara Boxer of California, Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, Thomas R. Carper of Delaware and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — for doing the budget bidding for the Senate Democrats, who are facing off against the House Republicans over how to cut spending for the rest of the fiscal year, Mr. Schumer told them to portray John A. Boehner of Ohio, the speaker of the House, as painted into a box by the Tea Party, and to decry the spending cuts that he wants as extreme. “I always use the word extreme,” Mr. Schumer said. “That is what the caucus instructed me to use this week.”

A minute or two into the talking-points tutorial, though, someone apparently figured out that reporters were listening, and silence fell.

Today Howard Dean admitted that the Democrats want a government shutdown. They believe it will benefit them the way it did in 1995...but this isn't 1995. With trillion dollar deficits now the norm under Obama the idea of a government shutdown is not so politically incorrect. In fact, I'm not sure it wouldn't have pretty wide support right now. Anything to stop the bleeding.

As far as the story above goes, how many reporters will simply stick to the Democrat talking points and ignore the behind-the-scenes orchestration that was going on?  If the press was really doing its job they would ridicule anyone describing as "extreme" the cuts the GOP is proposing.  The amount they want to cut is barely a blip in the national budget.

A Vendetta Against Elmo

Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer lives up to her nickname:

Sen. Barbara Boxer posited a new theory about what lies behind GOP cuts to the budget. The Republican Party hates Elmo, she suggested in a floor speech Tuesday.

“I believe they use deficit reduction as an excuse to carry out political vendettas,” she said, speaking about GOP cuts to health care, the EPA and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which she noted is funded by the government at a much lower percentage than the BBC in Britain.

“Now they want to zero it out,” she said. “A vendetta, against Elmo.”

I'm sure all the idiot Californians who voted to return Boxer to the Senate must be very proud today.

Political Cartoon of the Day

How appropriate - from Michael Ramirez:

I Tried to Stop You, California, But You Just Had to Go and Be Morons Anyway

You didn't pay attention, California, and now you're gonna pay.  While much of the rest of the country was voting to restore some degree of sanity to government, California decided to continue its game of economic Russian Roulette by loading the empty chambers of the gun.  The next time you spin the cylinder and pull the trigger there's going to be a big bang.

Reelecting Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer will probably end up being fairly harmless.  The GOP wasn't going to win the Senate anyway, and in a closely divided Senate with a very Republican House there's not much damage Boxer can do anymore.  She can propose all the crazy she wants - it won't go anywhere.  And frankly, keeping her 3,000 miles away will probably be a benefit.

On the other hand, you really screwed the pooch when you elected Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown, rejected Prop 23 and approved Prop 25.  By rejecting Prop 23 you've pretty much guaranteed that AB 32, the global warming law that won't stop global warming or even make a dent in it if it's happening, will go into full force causing energy prices to skyrocket and driving hundreds of thousands of jobs out of state.  You fell for the ads which said that rejecting Prop 23 would punish the evil oil companies and "save the planet".

Do you know what the difference is between a Democrat politician and an evil oil company?  Oil companies create jobs, wealth and provide energy for America.  Way to go, dummies.

And Prop 25?  Once again you allowed highly misleading ads convince you that by approving 25 you could punish those lazy legislators who don't pass a budget on time.  And in doing that, you just stripped away the protections which have kept the legislature from raising your taxes at will.  They will now be able to pass budgets loaded with new taxes and fees with simple majority votes and we will no longer be able to count on a Republican governor to veto them.  Jerry Brown now has the keys to your house, your job, and your future should you stay in California.  Way to go, morons.

Remember Prop 13, the 1978 measure opposed by then Gov. Jerry Brown that saved Californians from crushing property tax increases?  Brown will be going after it armed with the new powers granted by Prop 25.  You think the housing market has bottomed out?  Just wait.

Jerry Brown is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the unions and if you think he's going to make tough decisions on spending cuts, you're delusional.  He's going to come after more taxes, more fees, and more job-killing regulation.  There's no amount of crazy the legislature can approve that he won't sign.

Until last night the liberal legislature thought it had a lifeline in Washington.  No matter how badly they screwed things up they knew they had Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bully her members to approve a bailout for her home state.  Not anymore.  Pelosi's influence in the House just disappeared and if you think a GOP-led House is going to approve billions to bailout California, you're smoking something (and yes, it's still illegal thanks to the defeat of Prop 19, the only thing California did right last night).

So go ahead, California, spin the cylinder and pull the trigger.  It'll be a mercy killing.

Barbara "Dumb as a Box of Rocks" Boxer May Get Detention Over Teacher Solicitation

It's well known that the teacher's unions are in the back pocket of the Democrats, but that doesn't mean candidates can ask teachers to get their students to volunteer for campaigns:

In a close election race against former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina, California Democrat Sen. Barbara Boxer is facing new ethics complaints over asking teachers to send their students to work for her campaign.

In an Oct. 27 letter to California education authorities, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA), a non-profit group urging lower taxes, said, “In abject ignorance of California state law, the political campaign of Senator Barbara Boxer has openly solicited teachers employed by [Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)] to urge their students to volunteer for her campaign.”

The HJTA letter refers to a letter obtained by the Flash Report, an influential California political blog, from the Boxer campaign that urges teachers to recruit their students to work for Boxer’s campaign.

“As you may know, Senator Boxer is facing her toughest race yet,” the letter from Boxer says, “please let us know if your students are able to help.”

Of course, thanks to a Democrat Secretary of State, Boxer likely will not face any sanctions whatsoever.

Dear Fellow Californians: Please Don't Be Morons

An open letter to my fellow Californians:

Friends-

I am a native Californian.  I was born in Pasadena in 1956, lived briefly in L.A. County before spending most of my youth in Orange County.  All of my schooling has been in California.  During adulthood I've lived either in Orange or San Diego Counties.  I'm as native as they get.

I'm old enough to remember when California was truly the land of opportunity, when people in chilly climes would see the Rose Parade on TV on January 1 and dream of moving to the West Coast and the land of plenty. I remember when our schools had supplies that didn't have to be bought by parents, and when teachers actually were more concerned about making sure their students were learning rather than whatever the latest teacher's union email had to say.

I remember when investing in a home meant steady and sometimes spectacular equity growth, when a home could be considered a valuable part of one's retirement portfolio.  Home values soared so often and sometimes so quickly that we had to pass Proposition 13 to keep older people from being kicked out of their homes of 20 or 30 years by skyrocketing property taxes.  We did that in 1978 over the objection of then Gov. Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown.

Yes, I'm old enough to remember when Moonbeam was governor the first time.  And Reagan before him.  Polar opposites in every way.  Reagan had a plan.  Moonbeam didn't.

I remember when 5% unemployment was considered outrageous.  Now we look back on 10% unemployment with fondness.  We've redefined the "good old days".

I remember when opening a business in California was something to be desired, when the risk was worth it because the reward could be so great.  Today it's a different story.  Businesses are fleeing this state for neighboring states which have offered them tax breaks, moving expenses, lower regulation...anything they need to get them to relocate.  With those companies go good paying steady jobs.

California has always been a beautiful place to live, though when I was a kid there were days when it was hard to see thanks to the thick brown blanket that often hung over the L.A. basin on warm days.  I can remember playing at recess and feeling my chest hurt because the smog was so bad.  The push for a cleaner environment has been good ...to a point.  Thanks to efforts by a lot of parties it's rare now to have anything approaching a Stage 1 smog alert.

However, like a lot of those who taste power, the environmental movement has become so emboldened by their power and their influence in Sacramento that we now shut off water to some of the most fertile land in the world in Central California...just to save a 3 inch fish.  Farmers tilling their land can face fines or imprisonment should they accidentally chop up some endangered rat.  People can't build what they want to build or grow what they want to grow without getting the blessing of some environmental action group.  AB32, the punitive global warming legislation passed and signed by the governor will do irreparable harm to this state, but we have a chance to stop it.  More about that in a moment.

Friends, if we put Jerry Brown back in the governor's office and combine him with a liberal legislature, we're through.  Turn out the compact florescent lights, the party's over.  There won't be any tax, fee or regulatory scheme too crazy to be proposed and signed by Brown and the Dems.  You may not be a fan of Meg Whitman, might even hate rich people altogether, but she's the only hope we've got of moderating the mess in Sacramento.  She's far from perfect, but at least she can see perfect from where she is.  Moonbeam isn't even in the same galaxy.

And Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer?  Give me a break.  That woman's so far left she makes Barack Obama look like a Tea Partier.  She may represent a few liberal islands in California where common sense goes to die, but she certainly doesn't represent the views of most Californians.  She needs to be retired.

Carly Fiorina has a business background and understands how taxation and regulation can choke business and kill jobs.  We need her in Washington.

Finally, there are a few vitally important ballot initiatives that need your attention if we are to have a chance for the future:

Prop 19 - Legalizing Pot.  Seriously?  NO!
Prop 23 - Suspends AB32 until unemployment drops.  Absolutely YES!
Prop 24 - Raises taxes on businesses.  Did you read anything I wrote above?  NO!
Prop 25 - Makes is easier for the legislature to raise your taxes.  Absolutely NO!
Prop 26 - Requires the same standards for raising fees that are required for raising taxes.  YES!

You see, the Democrats will tell you we have a revenue problem in California.  They're wrong.  Our revenue was just fine before out-of-control spending ravaged the state budget.  We're going to have to make cuts and big ones.  Across the board.  Raising taxes or other costs for businesses or individuals in this economy will be the end of California.  We're going to have to make it possible for businesses to operate in this state and make a profit.  That's the only way jobs will come back.

And we're going to have to quit spending tax dollars to support people who aren't even legally allowed to be here.  What's so hard to understand about that?

So, in summary, I'm asking you my fellow Californians not to be morons.  Let Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer enjoy their retirement, and let's do the right thing on the ballot propositions.  We're not going to get many more opportunities to save our state.

Rick Moore
HolyCoast.com

Carly Fiorina Hospitalized for Infection

With only one week to go in a very tough election race, Carly Fiorina didn't need this:

Republican Carly Fiorina's Senate campaign in California released this statement today:

"Carly learned more than a year and a half ago that she, like millions of women, had breast cancer. After successfully battling cancer, she had reconstructive surgery this summer and remains cancer free today. However, this morning Carly came down with an infection associated with the reconstructive surgery and, as a result, she was admitted to the hospital to receive antibiotics to treat this infection. While this will impact her campaign schedule today, Carly is upbeat and her doctors expect her to make a quick and full recovery and be back out on the campaign trail soon. Carly is looking forward to getting back to her full campaign schedule and to defeating Barbara Boxer on November 2."

Hurry back - America can't afford another six years of Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer.

Maybe this anecdote will cheer her up:

In the not to be missed category, Sen. Dianne Feinstein stepped way out of the spin cycle yesterday, as she is often wont to do.

Feinstein was at a campaign event for Sen. Barbara Boxer in San Jose,and was asked by KTVU's Randy Shandobil how things were going, and she replied, "bad."

Feinstein is Boxer's campaign co-chair.

Taking On Boxer

Obama came to Southern California yesterday morning to try and save Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer's career.  I'm not sure a last minute L.A. traffic jam is going to be enough to do it:

California might seem the last state President Obama would need to visit to campaign for Democrats just 11 days before Election Day: he won here by 24 points just two years ago, after all.

The Republican Party is spending millions to help Carly Fiorina, Ms. Boxer’s rival.
But with a booming “Hello L.A.!” the president leapt onto the stage here on Friday to make the case for Senator Barbara Boxer, a Democrat locked in what is clearly the toughest race of her career.

Ms. Boxer has been on the outer rim of Republican targets this year. For all her vulnerabilities, reflected in polls that show voters unhappy with the economy and with Ms. Boxer herself, her political views are roughly in line with this Democratic state, in contrast with her Republican opponent, Carly Fiorina, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard.

But Ms. Boxer is struggling right through these final days of her campaign for a fourth term in the Senate. Republicans — awash in money, emboldened by what they hope will be a national anti-Democratic surge, and sensing Ms. Boxer’s weaknesses — invested $4.8 million in a last-minute effort to pull this state into the Republican column, and said they were prepared to spend more. Ms. Fiorina said on Friday that she was investing another $1 million of her own money in the campaign.

“I’m as bullish on this race as I am anywhere,” said Rob Jesmer, the executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “I think we have a really, really good chance. Boxer’s time to kill Carly was September, and she didn’t do it.”

A recent poll showed 53% of Californians want a new Senator. Hopefully that will translate into a win for Carly Fiorina rather than a split field that gives Boxer a narrow win.

Obama to Campaign for Fiorina and Whitman in Los Angeles Today

(NOTE:  I'm rerunning this one from the other day.)

"WHAT!!" you say?  Obama campaigning for Republicans?

Well, the last time Obama came to Los Angeles he probably cost the Democrats thousands of votes when he tied up traffic on the West Side of LA during the absolute worst part of the day.  Some people were stuck in jams for several hours.  One woman took 2 hours to go one mile and pedestrians had to detour dozens of blocks just to cross the street.

If he doesn't take a helicopter from LAX to USC on Friday morning, this trip will probably lose the Dems more votes than it will gain:

President Barack Obama will visit Los Angeles Oct. 22 to campaign with Sen. Barbara Boxer, it was announced Monday.

``It's terrific that President Obama will be coming to California to campaign with us as we enter the home stretch,'' Boxer's campaign manager Rose Kapolczynski said today in announcing the visit.

This will be Obama's fifth trip to the Southland since taking office. His most recent visit, Aug. 16-17, caused traffic jams in the West Los Angeles area.

And why would the president need to come to Los Angeles to campaign for a liberal Democrat? Because she's in trouble, as is the entire Dem ticket nationwide. The fact that Boxer needs this desperate visit says as much about this election as anything.

Political Video of the Day

David Zucker of Airplane! fame has produced a funny takedown of Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer.  You'll see some familiar faces in this piece:
Call Me Madam Joe from RightChange on Vimeo.

53% of Californians Want a New Senator

The Tarrance Group, a respected polling operation, has some bad news for Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer:

The race for the US Senate in California is an actual dead heat, with both Fiorina and Boxer standing right at forty-four percent (44%) of the vote. Six percent (6%) of voters are voting for one of the other candidates, and 5% are undecided…

It is also important to note that Boxer’s negatives are fully institutionalized to the point where she has never once broken the 45% level in terms of her ballot strength, and there are a “hard” fifty-three percent (53%) of voters who believe it is time for a new person.

If that last sentence is correct Boxer's toast unless a lot of those undecideds won't vote for Carly Fiorina and will pick one of the minor party candidates.

Attention Libertarians: Here's your chance to get rid of liberal Barbara Boxer and replace her with somebody who would do a far better job for conservative or libertarian causes. Don't waste your vote on a Libertarian candidate who cannot win anything.

Has the GOP Turned the Corner in California?

Geez, I hope so, but it's only one poll so far:

Carly Fiorina currently leads by three points against Barbara Boxer in the race for United States Senate from California.

U.S. Senate Ballot
Total Fiorina 46%
Total Boxer 43%
Total Other Candidates 5%
Undecided 6%

Meg Whitman leads by one point in the race for Governor of California.

Governor’s Ballot
Total Whitman 45%
Total Brown 44%
Total Other Candidates 4%
Undecided 7%

Conclusions
Republicans currently hold narrow leads in California’s top two statewide races this fall, though both remain very competitive.

I still have hope that a majority of my fellow Californians will not be dumb enough to return Boxer to the Senate and Brown to the governor's mansion.

Political Video of the Day

A new video from Carly for California:

VFW Dissolves PAC After Lefty Endorsements

The Veterans of Foreign Wars has come under severe fire after its Political Action Committee issued endorsements to people like Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer and Allen Grayson.  The Commander-in-Chief of the organization issued this statement:

I have reviewed the Political Action Committee (PAC) Board of Directors’ response to our request to rescind this year’ s Congressional endorsements. I disagree with their assessment.

It is now evident to most of the VFW leadership, both National and especially the departments, that the VFW has been subjected to extreme negative publicity throughout
the nation, and the recent endorsement decisions have, in fact, harmed the VFW’s reputation and future ability to fulfill our mission.

I cannot let this erosion of public support for our great organization continue. The apparent lack of the committee to address these concerns will lead to a proposal by me, as Commander-in-Chief, to amend the by-laws at the 112th National Convention for the purpose of dissolving the PAC. Meanwhile, under the authority granted to me as Commander-in-Chief in section 619 of the VFW National By-Laws and under section 620 of the Manual of Procedure, I am withdrawing all PAC appointments effective October 15, 2010.

Accordingly, I’ m asking the council for a vote of “ no confidence” in the VFW PAC as indicated on the enclosed ballot.

They're doing the right thing. The endorsements certainly didn't reflect the political attitudes of their members.

War at the VFW

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee amazingly decided to endorse Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer, who famously dressed down a general in a congressional hearing, and the detestable Alan Grayson in Florida.  Those endorsements did not play well with the rank-and-file VFW membership and the commander-in-chief of the VWF has issued a statement demanding a cancellation of those endorsements:

The angry tone and tenor of the telephone calls and messages being received at national headquarters make it clear that many of our members are not cognizant of the fact that VFW National By-Laws clearly stipulate that the VFW Commander-in-Chief is not authorized to direct or otherwise attempt to introduce his control over the VFW PAC. Furthermore, no membership dues or donations made to the VFW or VFW Foundation are used for the VFW PAC.

As you know, the recent endorsements by the PAC are the subject of much controversy. Unfortunately, many questions have been raised regarding VFW’s involvement in the endorsement process and the integrity of the organization as a whole. Regrettably, many of our members and supporters are disappointed and have misdirected their anger toward the VFW as having lost its purpose....

As determined in the VFW By-Laws, as the national officers, we have specific responsibilities to take definitive action when events can have a detrimental impact on the organization. It is clear to us that the current situation now demands direct action; therefore, we are requesting the chairman and the directors of the Political Action Committee immediately rescind their endorsement actions.

If they don't correct this the VFW is going to take it in the shorts on memberships and donations.

Barbara "Roll the Dice" Boxer

Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer has been caught in a little scheme to benefit her son through federal legislation (from Big Government):

Ten years ago, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)– currently chair of the Senate Ethics Committee– personally moved legislation that has financially benefited her son, Capitol Confidential has learned.

Boxer, then in her second term as a U.S. Senator, carried legislation restoring federal recognition to a Native American tribe, the Coastal Miwoks. At the time, the Miwoks claimed to be a “nongaming tribe.” However, Boxer’s legislation, as signed into law by President Bill Clinton, allowed for a casino to be constructed– a result that would specifically have been blocked under similar legislation introduced by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

Now, with a major relevant condition having been met, local residents are bracing themselves for construction of a new casino, a project that has been pushed by none other than Boxer’s son, Doug Boxer. Questions are being raised about the younger Boxer’s involvement and his mother’s legislative actions that paved the way for what looks like a financially lucrative deal benefiting him personally.

Less than a year after Boxer’s tribal bill was signed into law, Doug Boxer helped negotiate a casino partnership between the tribe and Station Casinos of Las Vegas. Doug Boxer’s firm also acquired options on 2,000 acres of land that was later transferred to Station Casinos for an undisclosed price, but which some reports indicate could have been as much as $24 million.

In addition, Doug Boxer’s firm took a consulting fee for brokering the land deal. The amount of that fee has also remained undisclosed, but in May 2003, tribal chairman Gregory Sarris told the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat that the consulting fee was “too much, more than I would like.”

If and when the casino does in fact open, Doug Boxer will profit then, too: According to Boxer campaign spokesman Matthew Kagen, Doug Boxer and the developer involved in the project are partners in a limited liability corporation that would financially benefit from such a move.

There's more at the link.

Indian casinos are a pox on California, and Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer is enabling them and directly benefiting her own family in the process.  She needs to go.

The Most Important Race of 2010

Fred Barnes has a lengthy piece on the Boxer-Fiorina race for Senate from California and how if Boxer falls liberalism will take a real body blow.  All the more reason to vote her out.  Read it all here.

Bogus Pollution Numbers Used to Justify Economy-Killing Environmental Regulation

I think Prop 23 in California just got a big boost:

California grossly miscalculated pollution levels in a scientific analysis used to toughen the state's clean-air standards, and scientists have spent the past several months revising data and planning a significant weakening of the landmark regulation, The Chronicle has found.

The pollution estimate in question was too high - by 340 percent, according to the California Air Resources Board, the state agency charged with researching and adopting air quality standards. The estimate was a key part in the creation of a regulation adopted by the Air Resources Board in 2007, a rule that forces businesses to cut diesel emissions by replacing or making costly upgrades to heavy-duty, diesel-fueled off-road vehicles used in construction and other industries.

The staff of the powerful and widely respected Air Resources Board said the overestimate is largely due to the board calculating emissions before the economy slumped, which halted the use of many of the 150,000 diesel-exhaust-spewing vehicles in California. Independent researchers, however, found huge overestimates in the air board's work on diesel emissions and attributed the flawed work to a faulty method of calculation - not the economic downturn.

The overestimate, which comes after another bad calculation by the air board on diesel-related deaths that made headlines in 2009, prompted the board to suspend the regulation this year while officials decided whether to weaken the rule.

Proposal announced

On Thursday, after months of work, the air board and construction industry officials announced a proposal that includes delaying the start of the requirements until 2014 and exempting more vehicles from the rule. It would be a major scaling back of the rule if the air board approves it in a vote scheduled for December. The announcement was made as The Chronicle was preparing to publish this report, which had been in the works for several weeks.

The setbacks in the air board's research - and the proposed softening of a landmark regulation - raise questions about the performance of the agency as it is in the midst of implementing the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 - or AB32 as it is commonly called, one of the state's and the nation's most ambitious environmental policies to date.

All the more reason for Californians to support Prop 23 which would suspect AB32 until the unemployment rate in California drops to 5.5% or less. And while they're at it they should reject Barbara "Dumb-as-a-Box-of-Rocks" Boxer whose ads keep talking about creating all these fictitious "green" jobs, something that will never happen.