California Construction Trucking Association (CCTA)

I Love My Country but Fear the Government

It’s August, and I must have too much time on my hands because I’ve been reading the paper, the internet, and watching the news more than I usually do this time of year. Then again, maybe it’s the lack of profitable work.

Regardless, I have been rather amused lately (and at other times fearful) of the dysfunction that seems to be so rampant in our government, both state and federal. When trying to understand it all and how it relates to construction and our economy here, the first thing that got my attention was an editorial piece by the internet inventor, the guru of green, the head CO2-caused global warmist1, Mr. Hockey-Stick-Carrying Advocate: Al Gore. The second was another unbelievable story about a study done by USC (I was shocked it wasn’t a UC school) trying to tie parents’ stress to kids’ health problems and NOx — they of course call it pollution.

So first, let’s talk about the Al Gore thing. We all know how the mainstream media loves to portray big Al as the visionary “eco-prophet” who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his climate advocacy. But is Al Gore truly such a selfless do-gooder? What does it say about the motives of an environmental crusader when that person stands poised to rake in billions of dollars from the very carbon credit trading scheme that he is tirelessly advocating? That is exactly the position that he finds himself in today. The leading advocate of the theory of “man-made global warming” is also one of the people who would most likely benefit financially from the implementation of a “cap and trade” carbon credit taxing and trading scheme. You see, Al “show-me-your-carbon-credits” Gore is both chairman of Current TV and the Generation Investment Management-e. Yes, GIMe is a London-based investment management firm with an “investment style that blends traditional equity research with a focus on sustainability factors, including social and environmental responsibility.” All this is just feel-good gobbly-goop propaganda for buying and selling carbon credits. David Blood, the former chief executive of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, is the CEO for the venture. Thus the nickname: Blood and Gore. Unfortunately, most of that Blood & Gore will be ours, the taxpayers!

The Gore editorial from the Huffington Post was called, “What Do the Debt Ceiling and Climate Crisis Have in Common?” Mr. Gore noted that “a significant number of Republican and Tea Party Members of Congress apparently hold the view and…construct their own alternative version of reality and defend it against fact-based reasoning.” Ironically, the graph found in the debt debate is looking more and more like the hockey stick concerning his claimed CO2-related climate crisis. He must have seen the cover of our April CTN magazine.

Support of his position, he claimed, was the unanimous opinion of “every” National Academy of Science member in every major country in the world. The word “every” is typically used to indicate each member of a group without exception. That’s at least what the dictionary said. He went on to add that “professional scientific societies in fields related to the study of the climate crisis and 97 percent of climate scientists in the world also support” his warmist beliefs. He concludes by saying it’s all settled science, based “on the laws of physics.”

Fortunately for us skeptics, many ideologues cling to the view that these facts and the science behind it are wrong. In many cases they are contrived and fraudulent, and I believe that many activist scientists are perpetrating a hoax of massive proportions. Many rightfully believe that warmists are either greedy, can you say Al Gore, waiting for the carbon credit boom, while the other academics are jonesing for more grant research dollars, while others/progressives are secretly promoting the expansion of government (EPA, Dept. of Interior, CARB, Water Board) and union jobs and dues. Vilifying conservative media celebs such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, who are generally more reliable than the green-global scientific community in analyzing the impact of global warming pollution and its effects on joblessness, our national debt, and government waste, is not a solution to the debate! It is all bait and switch. A pig with lipstick is still a pig!

As big Al sits around at his Carolina mansion amassing his fortune, telling us to live like he says and not as he does, you have to wonder, are they all like him? I’ll bet you he has a carbon footprint the size of the state of Rhode Island, not what you would expect from someone who cares about the environment. Of course, most enviros will support his actions because he’s doing Mother Earth’s work and saving the plant from big oil, banks, and Wall Street.

The second story, in—you guessed it—The Huffington Post, made me think of Jerry Brown and his friend Mary Nichols, the queen of CARB and her green jihad against working people like us. We are all collateral damage from the enviro-movement’s reckless disregard for the rule of law and their incestuous relations with all the green left-wingers in, around, and related to government who have a grand plan for us all. Do you think there is anything more stressful in the State of California than the small business person’s experience—being driven out of business?

If you think “yes, this is all unfair and definitely unAmerican,” then please read on about a “new” publicly-funded study that found parents’ stress levels may be tied to “pollution’s” lung capacity effect on kids—WHAT? Yes, you can’t make up things like this. You have to read this one to believe it! If you can’t find some real health effects from NOx/particulate matter on people and especially “our kids” these days because the air is so clean, researchers just make up some absurd possible causational or associated effects.

At the bottom of page 7 (Aug 2011 CTN) is the story that I read from Reuters in late July, which I found rather irritating. I took the liberty to add some commentary in italics next to the points of interest the writer decided to use.

"Parents' Stress Tied to Pollution's Effects on Kids"

And just a little bit more of this broken government crap, I recently received an email that was an invitation to a hearing in Sacramento:

SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT Revisions to the Sacramento County Portion of California’s State Implementation Plan to Remove Control Measures SMAQMD - 412, IC ENGINES and SMAQMD - 471, ASPHALTIC CONCRETE

These measures would have required installation of new equipment or upgrades of existing equipment. The following factors have led staff to recommend this revision:

Recent impact of the economic downturn in the construction and development industry; reduced emissions and estimated emissions reduction potential from the control measures, which increased the cost effectiveness well beyond other measures.

Where did they come up with those revelations and ideas? What the heck have we been saying since before the meltdown, I mean recession/depression, of 2007? This economic conclusion will surely guarantee folks at CARB a starting spot in the Dumb & Dumber Olympics of 2012. We have known for years we can’t afford this regulation, and we have known for years we are in a recession. Where in the hell have our government officials been? Clearly not very concerned about their paychecks, are they?

Finally, Some Association News

We have elections coming up for state officers in September. On pages 8 and 9 of the magazine this month, we have listed a small but important profile of each candidate; while most run unopposed, there are a few competitive positions in the race. The voting ballots will be mailed out on or just prior to September 1, and they must be postmarked no later September 30 to be counted. Please make sure you vote and are engaged with the future of CDTOA; it is your association.

I hope all of you will continue to fight against all of this regulatory injustice. I’m committed. Remember to call your legislators and raise their awareness of what is going on in our industry and the scientific deception surrounding everything that CARB, the EPA, and the UC schools of public health do. Make no mistake—this is a war. That’s exactly how the enviros treat it all. There is no fairness or integrity in this war. If we are to slow down the environmental rapture a little, we need to understand all the things they do, mostly with impunity, because they are right and doing Mother Earth’s work.

I want to thank all of you that have made a difference and encourage all of us to continue.

Remember, strength in numbers, Kill CARB!

Rob McClernon