Officials and Demonstrators Blast Prop. 23
Argue Oil Companies Are Buying Votes
Saturday afternoon outside of Santa Barbara City Hall, dozens gathered — including 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal, Goleta City Councilmember Ed Easton, and Santa Barbara City Councilmember Grant House — to oppose Proposition 23 and march to the Tesoro-owned USA gas station on Carrillo Street. Tesoro is the biggest backer of the Prop. 23 campaign.
Proposition 23, an initiative on November’s ballot, attempts to overturn California’s groundbreaking Global Warming Act of 2006 (AB 32). A recent New York Times report estimated that 97 percent of $8.2 million spent on behalf of this year’s initiative has come from oil companies. Supporters argue that current California laws are having adverse effects on employment in the state; most everyone at the rally disagreed, labeling Prop. 23 as “a dirty energy proposition” that would be detrimental to California’s health, economy, and environment.
Grant House compared emerging green-tech jobs to a gold rush, noting, “Proposition 23 is a roadblock to success while AB 32 is the road map to future prosperity.”
During the march to the USA gasoline station, Ed Easton told The Independent that “Californians should be insulted” over the oil companies’ attempts to buy this year’s election.
The group’s next rally is scheduled for 2 p.m., September 25 at the Valero Station on Calle Real in Goleta.
