Environmentalists are split on whether the money raised from carbon auctions should be used for High Speed Rail.
Governor Brown, who will release his proposed budget Friday, has pitched the $68 billion rail project as an environmentally-friendly alternative to cars.
Dan Jacobson, with Environment California, agrees.
“I think it’s a good idea because what we need to move toward is electrifying the transportation system as a whole," says Jacobson. "And being able to reduce the amount of carbon that goes into moving us from point A to point B is what high speed rail does.”
But the governor upset environmentalists last year by taking a $500 million loan from cap-and-trade revenues to balance the state’s books.
Erica Morehouse is with the Environmental Defense Fund.
“We’re willing to consider it with an open mind along with other proposals and that that will be lens we’re looking at it through is, can it reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” she says.
But other environmental groups say high speed rail is an inappropriate use of funds. They say that money should be used on projects that will reduce greenhouse gases now.
March 17, 2014A battle is brewing over the “rainy day fund” measure on the November ballot. California Governor Jerry Brown and legislative Democrats want to replace it with their own alternate budget reserve proposal.
January 16, 2014Hundreds of parents, students and administrators attended a marathon state school board meeting to weigh in on how California’s new state funding formula should be implemented.
With the California legislature back in session Dems remain in control and focused on the economy, while minority Republicans say Democrats must resist the temptation to spend California’s multi-billion dollar budget surplus.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
