Western Climate Initiative website
The latest way Governor Napolitano is wasting taxpayers’ money promoting herself and her left wing agenda is through the “Western Climate Initiative.” Half the population doesn’t believe that global warming is manmade, they believe it is a natural recurring process and nothing to be alarmed about, eventually it will be replaced by a cooling period. Also, the authority of Napolitano to do anything about global warming on a state level is dubious. Sort of like when Goddard holds a press conference and declares he’s going to “do something” about gas prices – but then never does anything, because he has no jurisdiction.

A piecemeal approach like this with a few Mexican states and a few U.S. states participating sets us up for conflict with the federal government. California is already at odds with the EPA over its overly stringent fuel efficiency standards. It’s absurd that Arizona is setting itself up for regulations even more burdensome than the federal government, which other states don’t have to adhere to. The money that is going to be wasted fighting with the feds over our go-it-alone efforts will be enormous.

It’s frankly appalling that no one is calling the governor on this waste of tax dollars when we’re facing a $2 billion budget crisis due to her insistence on overspending. Her face is prominently featured on the Western Climate Initiative website, and in the email sent out below. Is there really a need to put her picture on these, other than self-promotion? Everywhere I look these days there’s a smiling picture of Napolitano. She’s gearing up for a run for U.S. Senate to replace McCain – and doing it on the taxpayers’ dime. This climate initiative will accomplish nothing – there’s a reason it’s called “global” warming. It’s just a feel-good measure that gets Napolitano’s name and face out there.

How much is Arizona’s participation in this Napolitano promotional gimmick costing us? She’s set up a huge advisory group – how much is that? The cost of implementing the measures she’s decided upon is going to be enormous. Her authority is dubious – how can she sign Executive Orders binding Arizona’s agencies to these onerous requirements without legislative approval? Someone needs to submit a public records request and find out the cost of Arizona’s participation in Napolitano’s self-promoting initiative. This is outrageous that we as taxpayers are required to continue to fund her publicity stunts in the face of a $2 billion budget crisis.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Dear Friends,

Global climate change is one of the most serious issues facing our state and the world – and it’s a threat we’re taking strong steps to combat in Arizona.

Our state has been a leader in the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) – a group of American states, Canadian provinces and Mexican states that is taking a regional approach to doing our part to prevent climate change.

While climate change is truly a global issue, the Southwest stands to be among the regions in the world that is most adversely affected by climate change, which could bring increased drought and more severe wildfires. Clearly, as long as we continue to see no real action from the federal government on this important issue, it’s critical that states take the lead and act.

The WCI is in the middle of taking its biggest strides yet toward developing a design for a regional cap-and-trade system that will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases our region is releasing into the atmosphere. Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard from stakeholders and members of the public about how to make a system that works to reduce our region’s greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

Even apart from WCI, Arizona has already led in reducing our energy use. The state’s Climate Action Plan will lower energy use, reduce waste, and save money in the process. State buildings now adhere to energy-wise LEED conservation standards, and we are already making the transition to a fleet of low-emissions state vehicles. Each of these steps will have an impact on energy savings – and also on climate change.

I’m proud that Arizona has taken the lead in an area as important as climate change. If you’re interested in the WCI, please visit www.westernclimateinitiative.org for more information. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call my office at (602) 542-1318 or visit www.azgovernor.gov for information and news in state government.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano
Governor