Last fall I was lobbying the Peak Oil Task Force to call on the SF Board of Supervisors to oppose cap and trade and support a 2 cent a pound ($40/ton) tax on carbon emitting transportation fuels. That's 40 cents a gallon for gasoline. They wouldn't touch anything that radical, and I soon left. I am sure any tax would be better than no tax at all. Although I would prefer to keep them as high as possible so there is a real incentive for reducing fuel use and slow over hot economies, and real money going toward funding the solutions. I am on vacation for July and may be traveling. If I am in town, I will try to make it to that hearing and will let other people know of it. Don John-Marc Chandonia wrote:

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

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:56:18 -0700 From: Mike Feinstein <mfeinstein@feinstein.org> To: GCF <cal-forum@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 -----

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