Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Why is the Governor Smiling?

When he took office, he promised to put an end to wasteful spending by closing agencies like the California Air Resources Board. Instead, he authorized 857 million dollars of our money to fund CARB!

As the Governor he had to the power to end CARB and its waste by using a line item veto to cut their budget to zero--8500 teachers lost their jobs in order to fund the California Air Resources Board. Call him or write a letter and ask him why.

Remind him that the latest CARB folly to replace diesel engines in the state will hurt small businesses, truckers, farmers and every person who will pay higher prices when the costs are passed on to consumers. The program is a fraud and so is the so called scientist Hien T. Tran, author of the report on which this plan is based. The new engines that meet CARB standards are less efficient and will add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Perhaps the reason the Governor is smiling, is that just out of the picture, someone is putting some money into his pocket.

Recently a copy of a reply from the Governor was received at KILLCARB.org from a California resident. The reply was standard nonsense about how good these new regulations are. A copy of that reply sent by e-mail is posted below pending receipt of a hard copy version. Now that we now where the Governor stands on the issue, it is time to let him know how you feel about these CARB regulations--and about the agency itself. The Governor's addresses are listed below.

In the meantime we can start looking at who is sending the Governor money. There is an interesting website called MAPlight.org which is a nonpartisan organization. Their goal: Follow the money. They are in the progress of getting current data for California. MAPlight recently won a lawsuit against the State of California and forced them to release the data they need to post the connections. You can read the story here.

Here is the Governor's Reply


Sent 9/14/2009	Reply: NONE
Dear Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger: I am a voting citizen who resides in your district. My name is Robbie Glenn. KILLCARB.ORG is a website made popular by Dr. Bill Wattenburg on his radio program heard Saturday and Sunday from 10pm to 1 am on KGO in San Francisco. Dr. Wattenburg is asking his listeners to contact their representatives and demand legislation to put an end to the California Air Resources Board. This web site will track progress and publish the replies that come back from Senators and Assembly Members. You are my representative and I want the Board abolished. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has become a rouge state agency. Their budget for this year alone could pay the salaries of some 8500 teachers. That is not all. CARB’s current effort to replace every diesel engine in the state will cost 20 to 30 BILLION dollars and cause a financial burden on an estimated 30 thousand business owners, putting many of them out of business. 30 thousand businesses represent 150 thousand jobs that could be lost if these companies pull up stakes and move from California. If that is not enough, new diesel engines that meet the CARB standards are less efficient and WILL ACTUALLY ADD TO THE AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE! CARB claims that this must be done because particulate matter in the exhaust of diesel engines is a health hazard to Californians. They base this claim on a report written by Hien T. Tran, a CARB employee. Hien T. Tran LIED on his employment application, stating that he held a PHD from UC Davis - when in fact, he bought his PHD from a diploma mill. He is still employed by CARB. WHY? These facts are documented. By the way, Another Billion dollars is budgeted by the state to pay for the replacement costs of these new LESS efficient engines--that alone could pay the salaries of another 10 thousand teachers in the state of California. Can we afford that in these economic times? I am asking for documentation in writing that you would support and/or introduce legislation to abolish CARB so that I may document you support on the website. If I do not hear from you, I will assume that you support wasting our money by supporting CARB. Thank you for your time and attention in this important matter. Respectfully: Robbie Glenn Citizen of this great state with a vote and a voice.
Sent: 11/01/09
11-1-09 Sent to: Senator Mark Leno Assembly Member Jared Huffman Senator Dianne Feinstein Senator Barbara Boxer Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger From: Jesse Owings Kaposi Marin County, California Subject: Budget- Reduce Government Waste and suggestions to help I am a citizen of California and I live in Marin County. I was born and raised here. I am a 30 year old busy student. I don’t have as much time as I would like to write you a letter. I am concerned about the State budget and I have some suggestions to help with the problem. I see many agencies using up billions of dollars with little benefit to the people of California. I’ve worked at numerous municipalities where I saw first hand thousands of dollars of waste every month. I see inexcusable tax dollar waste rampant through out our state and federal governments. There are hundreds if not thousands of state agencies in California that have little or no benefit for the people of California. Not only that but these agencies make my life more difficult by fining me or forcing me to pay fees and adding additional cost to products and services that I need. For example, gas in California is more expensive then anywhere else in the nation. Smog checks on my car cost me about $100 which is going to increase in 2010 because the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is going to rule that all current dynamometers must be replaced to meet new, more stringent regulation. I can’t burn wood in my fireplace to keep my home warm on a “spare the air day.” I burn wood because I can’t afford to heat my house with a heater. These regulations are increasing the cost of living in California so high that I could wind up on welfare. Side Note: Wood burring is carbon neutral. The burning process just speeds up the decomposition process. Government workers on the public payroll don’t seem to understand that when they regulate everything in sight the extra cost of doing business is passed down to me, the consumer, as in increased prices for gas, services, energy etc. I’m having trouble naming any state agency that has proved beneficial for me except for the department of education, law enforcement and the fire department. I hear commercials on the radio advertising the mere existence of state agencies. These agencies are spending our tax dollars to create public awareness of their existence. Why is this allowed? This is an inexcusable waste of our tax dollars! It is not necessary for the DMV to advertise itself, so why is it necessary for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and CARB to do so? Another agency responsible for tax dollar waste is the California Water Resources Board. They want to spend billions of dollars on AB 885. We already have regulations locally enforced by our counties that manage these regulations. Not only that but if this bill passes it means that people using a septic tank will have to pay an annual $325 inspection fee. For what benefit? People maintain these tanks on their own otherwise they wouldn’t be able to flush their toilet. On a federal level I found out that Nancy Pelosi has been provided a private jet to fly back and forth from San Francisco to Washington at a cost of $60,000 a week while she promotes policies that limit the amount of resources I should use. Consider all of the pollution created by these government agencies who manage our air and water quality. They occupy huge administrative buildings full of thousands of people producing pollution through their energy demands: lighting, heating, cooling, maintenance, machines and etcetera. And the people have to get to their workplace DRIVING CARS. Consider all of the manufacturing that goes into production of pamphlets, fliers, pens, and bumper stickers used to advertise and “educate the public.” Consider the manufacturing of all of the equipment used by these agencies: chairs, desks, computers and so on. There are about 340 employees in the Bay Area Air Quality Management District alone (wikipedia). And the California Air Resources Board operates on a $759 million annual budget (wikipedia). Whatever happened to cost vs. benefit analysis? I’d say all of the so-called benefit and reduction in pollution attributed to the effort of these organizations is negated by their mere existence. If the employees of these organizations got a job in the real world, they would benefit our community instead of taxing it and levying fines on it to pay for their existence. In closing: What’s next? I can’t mow my lawn, smoke a cigarette, BBQ or drive to work on a “spare the air day”? I’d say that I don’t own my house any more. I’ll just mail my mortgage payment to the government every month. The money spent on wages and benefits of most government employees could be spent so much more wisely to help reduce pollution. Again, whatever happened to cost vs. benefit analysis? The money could be spent insulating and weatherizing people’s homes, or to create a fund that would help people pay their PG&E bill and therefore not have to burn wood to keep warm, or to create a fund to assist people in purchasing an EPA certified wood stove to replace their non-compliant stove, or to create a fund that would assist Chinese manufacturing companies to become less polluting by funding the implementation of more green practices. Remember, we all live on the same earth. Lastly, why should government workers have a state provided car? Why can’t you drive to work in your own car and pay for your own gas like everyone else does? You will not receive my vote in the next election unless you actively work to disband CARB and stop excessive regulation that only benefits the growth of government. I will educate other people about this problem and your position on this issue. I am dependant on my government representatives to make good decisions but it seems that many of their decisions are made in their own self interest. Jesse O. Kaposi Resident of Marin County CA.

Governor's Office:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160 ( new number )

District Offices:

Fresno Office
2550 Mariposa Mall #3013
Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: 559-477-1804
Fax: 559-445-5328

Los Angeles Office
300 South Spring Street
Suite 16701
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Phone: 213-897-0322
Fax: 213-897-0319

Riverside Office
3737 Main Street #201
Riverside, CA 92501
Phone: 951-680-6860
Fax: 951-680-6863

San Diego Office
1350 Front Street
Suite 6054
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-525-4641
Fax: 619-525-4640

San Francisco Office
455 Golden Gate Avenue
Suite 14000
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: 415-703-2218
Fax: 415-703-2803

Washington D.C. Office
134 Hall of the States
444 North Capitol Street NW
Washington D.C. 20001
Phone: 202-624-5270
Fax: 202-624-5280