California's 'Green Jobs' Experiment Isn't Going Well

California's 'Green Jobs' Experiment Isn't Going Well
By STEPHEN MOORE

Los Angeles

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was all smiles in 2006 when he signed into law the toughest anti-global-warming regulations of any state. Mr. Schwarzenegger and his green supporters boasted that the regulations would steer California into a prosperous era of green jobs, renewable energy, and technological leadership. Instead, since 2007 -- in anticipation of the new mandates -- California has led the nation in job losses.

The regulations created a cap-and-trade system, similar to proposed federal global-warming measures, by limiting the CO2 that utilities, trucking companies and other businesses can emit, and imposed steep new taxes on companies that exceed the caps. Since energy is an input in everything that's produced, this will raise the cost of production inside California's borders.

Now, as the Golden State prepares to implement this regulatory scheme, employers are howling. It's become clear to nearly everyone that the plan's backers have underestimated its negative impact and exaggerated the benefits. "We've been sold a false bill of goods," is how Republican Assemblyman Roger Niello, who has been the GOP's point man on environmental issues in the legislature, put it to me.

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB123336500319935517.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

Wonder if this is the same thing obummer plans for the rest of the country?

he seems to me to be more focused on the economy and the war on terror than the environment...

am i ignorant of something here?

I see what you mean, I was watching Oprah before the election and they were debating the prop about making business have larger cages for animals like chicken, cows. So the main argument against the prop was that the cost of meat, milk, and eggs would raise and the business would leave the state and those products would be shipped in.

I think that instead of putting regulations on business practices the government should put regulations on what can be bought and sold in the country.

i havent heard about any of his policies for animals/the environment... havent even really looked into it... ill have to google some of the policies and props, methinks...

Wow, one of the most conservative editorial sections in the country doesn't like some environmental regulations?? Hot damn!

its a necessary step forward