Big Bucks to defeat Prop 23

Katy Grimes: UPDATE: Contributions for Proposition 23 have been updated today, according to MAPlight.org

The YES on Prop 23 campaign has remained at $9,094,509 raised, and the NO on Prop 23 received another big contribution today totaling $29,932,149. Today, after Bill Gates gave $700,000, to the opponents of Prop 23, a contribution of $300,000 was received from the Nature Conservancy.

OCT 21, 2010: Proposition 23 is facing an uphill battle, and it’s not just “big oil” making all of the contributions to the campaign.

The ads opposing Proposition 23 claim that “big oil” is behind the effort to get California’s potentially devastating  global warming legislation – AB 32 – suspended. It’s even called “Stop the dirty energy proposition.”

The NO on Prop 23 campaign claims, “Two Texas oil companies are spending millions on Prop. 23. Prop. 23 will:

• Result in more air pollution and increase public health risks

• Jeopardize 500,000 jobs and $10 billion in private investment in California clean energy businesses

• Increase consumer energy costs by up to $650 per year by keeping us addicted to costly oil.

Today it was reported that Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates has contributed another $700,000 into the NO on Prop 23 campaign.

Author of Proposition 23 Assemblyman Dan Logue reports, “We are out spent 27 million to 10 million. And it’s billionaires like Bill Gates and the Rockefellers putting their money into the opponents’ campaign.”

Campaign financing reports show that money contributed in support of Proposition 23 totals $9,094,509. The opposition to Proposition 23 has $28,605,564 in contributions. (maplight.org) Where is all of that big money coming from?

Passage of Proposition 23 will create about 1.3 million California jobs by 2020, according to a new study released by the Pacific Research Institute (CalWatchdog’s parent organization).  The report found that “500,000 of those jobs will be created by 2012, and 150,000 in 2011. The California Air Resources Board has already begun implementing AB 32, and soon to come will be more carbon taxes for driving, and using energy in homes and offices.”

But what most people don’t realize is that carbon taxes are a penalty decided upon by politicians and unelected political bureaucrats who believe that California residents should not drive so much, or live in large houses… or in a house at all, which is why they push so hard for more high density housing.

Read the study. Look at the supporters for both sides of Proposition 23.

OCT. 21, 2010