Governor Names Industry Lobbyist to Clean Air Post

Take action against Cynthia Tuck as California Air Resources Board chair

Since 1967, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been a leader of national and global significance in the fight against air pollution. CARB has been extremely effective in reducing pollutants from cars and stationary sources, often due to the independence and vigorous advocacy of its chairs.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's current nominee to chair CARB is Cynthia Tuck, who has spent her career lobbying for polluting industries. According to Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, Tuck represents "major oil companies and the power plant industry" and "has opposed every major air quality law passed by the Legislature in recent years."

This nomination is a bad sign from a governor who has pledged to cut air pollution by up to 50%.

Governor vetoes environmental improvements

Arnold declares July "Salmon Month" then gives salmon funding the hook

Last week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stunningly used his line-item veto to delete millions of dollars to help clean California's air and water, to protect the coast, and to open parks to millions of people—despite his administration's Environmental Action Plan, which is all but abandoned.

One of Schwarzenegger's cuts pointedly illustrates the growing gap between rhetoric and reality in his administration. Governor Schwarzenegger declared July "California Wild King Salmon Month" on June 16th, proclaiming that now is "a time to consider the valuable role of the salmon industry in fortifying the health and economic prosperity of California." Less than a month later, on July 11th, Schwarzenegger halved funding for salmon restoration from $8 million to $4 million and completely eliminated a $3 million allocation to maintain and operate state fish hatcheries.

"Governor Schwarzenegger keeps saying he is a friend of the environment, but we all know that actions are more powerful than words. We acknowledge a tough budget situation, but for him to seek out these cuts in environmental programs, especially in light of what he has promised, is very disappointing," noted Susan Smartt, CLCV Executive Director.

Though environmental programs account for less than two percent of the total $117 billion budget, a full one third of the governor's new cuts come from already endangered environmental programs. Cuts included $9 million that would have gone toward park rangers and park maintenance, $13 million for the Department of Fish and Game, the entire $10 million budget for a CALTRANS program to lessen the environmental impacts of road-building, and $950,000 in much-needed Coastal Commission funding.

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CLCV events:

CLCV is holding a series of Environmental Leadership Forums with the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) on their recent report California 2025: It's Your Choice, which examines how policy decisions will affect California's future.

The first was held July 13 in Sacramento, and the others will be held 7/27 in San Francisco, and 8/9 in Los Angeles. For more information and to RSVP, see the invitation.

(From left) State Senator Wes Chesbro and Assemblymembers Hector de la Torre and Pedro Nava at CLCV's Environmental Leadership Forum July 13.

The CLCV E-newsletter is distributed no more than twice a month to members, non-profit partners, and other California citizens who are interested in helping elect the best environmental lawmakers and maintain California's status as the nation's environmental leader. About CLCV.