[Sustain] [mfeinstein at feinstein.org: [G-C-F] Who is interested in lobbying for a carbon tax in California?]

[John-Marc Chandonia]

----- Forwarded message from Mike Feinstein <mfeinstein at feinstein.org> -----

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:56:18 -0700
From: Mike Feinstein <mfeinstein at feinstein.org>
To: GCF <cal-forum at marla.cagreens.org>
Subject: [G-C-F] Who is interested in lobbying for a carbon tax in
	California?

Dear all

As some of you recall from earlier discussions, the California 
Commission on the 21st Century Economy is considering a carbon tax as 
part of its final recommendations, which will be voted upon on July 16th 
in San Francisco.

http://www.cotce.ca.gov/meetings/

That effort to institute a California carbon tax is being led by one of 
the Commissioners Fred Keely, who is currently Santa Cruz Treasurer and 
was formerly in the Assembly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Keeley'

Unfortunately there has been very little public testimony at the COTCE 
hearings - I was the only member of the public to speak at its February 
hearing at UCLA and was one of two members of the public to speak at is 
second UCLA-based hearing earlier this week.

Here is a video of my February testimony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd1y_G7wZ4k

The purpose of this email, is to find Greens who will help organize 
voices from the environmental community across California to lobby the 
Commission to include the carbon tax.

Here is a web site with basic information about carbon taxes:

http://www.carbontax.org/

At the COTCE's March hearing, they heard this presentation about carbon 
taxes:

http://www.cotce.ca.gov/meetings/testimony/documents/BORENSTEIN.pdf

Carbon and Energy Taxes as a Revenue Source for California": Severin 
Borenstein, Director, U.C. Energy Institute, Professor, U.C. Berkeley 
Haas School of Business

The proposal that is now before the COTCE is a $20/ton carbon tax on 
gas, diesel and jet fuel.  This would equal an 18 cents/gallon tax on 
gasoline.

$20/ton is VERY modest, but would be a fantastic start (by contrast, the 
Green Party of Canada recommended a $50/ton carbon tax in last year's 
Canadian Federal election 
http://www.greenparty.ca/en/background/06.06.2007b )

What I have learned thus far is that NONE of California's major 
environmental groups have weighed in with COTCE on the carbon tax.

What I am looking forward from all of you, is if you are personally 
connected to the leadership of major environmental groups in California, 
would you be willing to make contact with that leadership to explore 
whether they would be willing to send in letters of support for the 
carbon tax to the Commission.

If you are able to identify people who are willing to do so, I would be 
happy to faciliate their connection with Fred Keely and his support 
staff, so they can coordinate on the content of their letters to the COTCE.

Thanks

Mike

----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
John-Marc Chandonia (jmc at sfgreens.org)
http://sfgreens.org/
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