Sierra Club is working with our public health, environmental, and environmental justice allies to ensure that the recent 'wins' at the Air Resources Board - reducing diesel pollution from trucks and off-road construction equipment, are not 'rolled back' due to Republican demands during the budgetary deliberations.

Feb 2 Readers' letters , Mercury News
Posted: 01/31/2009
GOP holding state budget hostage (3rd LTE)

Mike Olenczuk (Letters, Jan. 30) expressed his support for Republicans who ostensibly demand that the state live within its means. However, that's not all they are demanding.

Republicans have regrettably resorted to a form of budgetary extortion, demanding dangerous public health and environmental rollbacks that would jeopardize the health of all Californians. Mercury News reporter Paul Rogers initially wrote of 10 highway CEQA exemptions demanded by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Jan 19. Since then, the Republican leadership has expanded the list to lifting pesticide rules, allowing more diesel pollution and much more.

If the Republicans only discussed budgetary matters, Olenczuk's point would be valid. Sadly, they have seized the budgetary crisis to demand environmental and public health rollbacks that they couldn't achieve during the legislative session.

Irvin Dawid
Chair, Sierra Club California Air Quality Committee Palo Alto