The Governator Parts I, II, & III

Officials Reach California Deal to Cut Emissions

(from nytimes.com) SACRAMENTO, Aug. 30 — California’s political leaders announced an agreement on Wednesday that imposes the most sweeping controls on carbon dioxide emissions in the nation, putting the state at the forefront of a broad campaign to curb the man-made causes of climate change despite resistance in Washington.

The deal between the Democratic-controlled Legislature and the Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, calls for a 25 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020, and could establish controls on the largest industrial sectors, including utilities, oil refineries and cement plants. The state has already placed strict limits on automobile emissions, although that move is being challenged in federal court.
...
Since taking office in 2003, Mr. Schwarzenegger, who is seeking reelection in November, has supported efforts to fight climate change, most recently by signing an agreement with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain to do cooperative research on new clean-energy technologies.

Ah Governator! Thanks for taking that first step. You'd have my vote if I lived in your state. But wait! That's not all, there's more??

The Million Roof March

California Approves Legislation for Million Solar Roofs Plan
(from energy.gov)
August 23, 2006-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger put the final pieces in place for his Million Solar Roofs Plan on August 21st when he signed Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) into law. Back in January, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) put the major piece of the plan into effect when it created the 10-year, $2.9 billion "California Solar Initiative" to offer rebates on solar power systems. However, because the CPUC only has authority over investor-owned utilities, the rebates were funded by the customers of those utilities and only available to those customers.

SB 1 expands the program to municipal utilities such as the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water and allows the total cost of the program to increase to as much as $3.35 billion. It also increases the cap on the number of utility customers that can sell their excess solar power generation back to the utility. That number was previously capped at 0.5 percent of the utility's customers, but is now capped at 2.5 percent of the customers. And starting in 2011, SB 1 requires developments of more than 50 new single-family homes to offer solar energy systems as an option.

The Governator's on a roll this election year! However:

Assembly approves universal health care Passage of bill seen as election-year test for Schwarzenegger
(from sfgate.com)
08-29) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- The Democratic-controlled Legislature is on the verge of sending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill that would create a state-run universal health care system, testing him on an issue that voters rate as one of their top concerns in this election year.
On a largely party-line 43-30 vote, the Assembly approved a bill by state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, that would eliminate private medical insurance plans and establish a statewide health insurance system that would provide coverage to all Californians. The state Senate has already approved the plan once and is expected this week to approve changes that the Assembly made to the bill.

Schwarzenegger has said he opposes a single-payer plan like the one Kuehl's bill would create, but the governor has not offered his own alternatives for fixing the state's health care system. As many as 7 million people are uninsured in the state, and spiraling costs have put pressure on business and consumers.

I can't blame the Gov for holding out on this one because this is BIG and could instantaneously impact the lives of millions of Californians the moment it takes effect. I am 100% behind the Gov in his hesitance to sign this bill, as this would make the state of California solely responsible for funding. I want change and when it comes to greenhouse gases, the state of California can strike out on its own and blaze new territory in setting an example to the other 49 to curb emissions. However, health care is a slightly different beast. It should be a NATIONAL issue, not a state one, and demands a cohesive, consistent, national plan. Otherwise the economic health of individual states will dictate the quantity and quality of the kind of health care its residents will receive and that's not much better than the system as it stands now.

I am no proponent of socialism BUT doesn't every man, woman, and panda deserve the same QUALITY health care? (alright let's be honest. Every panda in the United States receives WAY more health care than any of us ever will. Then again, their care is mostly privately funded. Hmmm, faulty analysis will be reviewed post-caffeine ...)

I don't know what the solution is and I'm not sure I really want the federal government wholly in charge of a national health care system anyway. But there is something dreadfully wrong with the system now. Private insurance companies are making waaay too much money without providing nearly enough coverage to enough people in a manner that can't even jokingly pass for 'efficient'. When both patients AND doctors complain about health insurance companies, that means something's not working. It's sad when the miracle of modern medicine is reduced to profit margins and patent infringement suits while the human body is reduced to an actuarial table.

Big rounds of applause to Governor Schwarzze...Schawaaa...to Governor Ahhnold!