'California takes big step' - back towards the hunter-gatherers lifestyle. No wonder that people in sane states are starting petitions to secede from the union.

Forward! And why not? It's all Monopoly money to the Libs. They know they will be bailed out with freshly-printed bills by the Federal Government, eventually.

I'll take 28 gazillion carbon credits, a dozen unicorns, a leprechaun and ... got any Bigfoots left?

A reason why interior trains and pipelines beat Pacific export: you don't want to use CA ports.

The note that 5 of 7 oil refineries may shutter in CA should be 'get out of state' warning to businesses and sane people given the recent gasoline shortages in CA due to CA formula specifications.

Meanwhile, California,which has become a giant self inflicted wound, continues to slip slide towards its very own fiscal abyss . . .

"The mayor blamed a dysfunctional city council and greedy police and fire unions. The unions blamed the mayor. Even now, there is little agreement on how the city got into this crisis or how it can extricate itself.

"It's total political chaos," said John Husing, a former San Bernardino resident and regional economist. "There is no solution. They'll never fix anything."

Yet on close examination, the city's decades-long journey from prosperous, middle-class community to bankrupt, crime-ridden, foreclosure-blighted basket case is straightforward — and alarmingly similar to the path traveled by many municipalities around America's largest state. San Bernardino succumbed to a vicious circle of self-interests among city workers, local politicians and state pension overseers.

Little by little, over many years, the salaries and retirement benefits of San Bernardino's city workers — and especially its police and firemen — grew richer and richer, even as the city lost its major employers and gradually got poorer and poorer.

Unions poured money into city council elections, and the city council poured money into union pay and pensions. The California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers), which manages pension plans for San Bernardino and many other cities, encouraged ever-sweeter benefits. Investment bankers sold clever bond deals to pay for them. Meanwhile, state law made it impossible to raise local property taxes and difficult to boost any other kind.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/13/us-bernardino-bankrupt-idUSBRE8AC0HP20121113

They’re going to need some pretty BIG helicopters to lift Al Gore’s house out of there!

It’s funny that they didn’t include Zimbabwe as one of the example countries to follow, their slipping, must be low on meds this week.

From the story:

“Our overall impact is small,” said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, the agency implementing the program. “What we do will not solve the problem. But we want to demonstrate that this type of system can work.”

"Sale of carbon allowances is expected to generate at least US$1-billion a year."

Now remembering the recent skyrocketing price of gas in Kalifornskya because the state mandated Kalifornskya Gas Blend (KGB) was unavailable from the refineries... what do you think will happen if the following prediction comes true? "The companies that operate California’s 13 oil refineries have been vocal opponents of the program, arguing that it could lead to the closure of five to seven refining facilities."

Best part? Because no other state requires the specific Kalifornskya Gas Blend type Kali will only end up hurting itself!!! Oh happy day.

They just don't see how this does nothing for the environment. It is a tax, pure and simple. And if they think that the companies will be paying it, their heads are farther up their behinds than I thought.

The republicans need to keep congress or President Choom will a) implement a nation wide tax or cap and trade, and b) bail out California. Although I have my doubts all the senate dems will crawl like lemmings into the pacific for either a or b.

Why should we be opposed? This is a great thing. California - on the verge of bankruptcy - will basically implode itself after their recent tax hikes and now their extra penalty on fossil energy. I give them two years, max.

There is a danger here that is not pointed out .... my understanding is that The Canadian Government said they will do the same as the States on "Cap and Trade" ... we will have it if the States go ahead.

I hope that Canada does NOT follow the States in this matter.

Well that should bring the business investment money pouring in. And that's important when your nominal unemployment is over 10% (in truth much higher).

Why would anyone want to manufacture in California when they have to fight through a jungle of taxes, regulations, and high energy prices? Is California aware that businesses have options?

"Superstorm Sandy"

Any journalist who uses this term immediately self-identifies as an idiot.

I think we are living in a make believe world at this point.

Al Gore and the Google boys can fly around in private jets and that's just fine, but the plebs have to see their electricity bills go through the roof because of feel-good carbon trading scams.

The problem is that California is the "canary in the coal mine". Whatever insane legislation is pursued in Cali will eventually (and all too quickly) be copied in other states and all too likely at the federal level.

Just like the the banning of incandescent light bulbs and promotion of the toxic flourescents was picked up even in Canada.

We are always in danger of being poisoned by the California brain toxin.

Words cannot express my anger at the words "green house gas".It is either water or CO2.Both are absolutely essential to life on this planet.To say other wise is the mark of an idiot and I refuse to be marked with that stain.

spike 1 at November 14, 2012 5:20 PM

Yeah, you'n me both......

Didja hear about that "study" by some academic that shale gas polutes more than coal? Based on the "given" that 6-8% of the gas always leaks out the well head....

Well spike 1 @ 5:20, that is what happens when the free lunch crowd elects idiots to power.

The greed of the political class has become a recipe for self annihilation. Its contra survival.

It will bring about California's extinction like any other beast that cannot Survive in a climate they have destroyed.
Making us pay for air & water , than calling them enemies of the environment is just so insane.
They know its a tax on the credulity of its populace.
All because they want more money. I blame the fact most democracies have withered because of Public Unions. Thats the real toxicity to any culture. Along with an attitude of aristocracy by political fools.
An elite less qualified than a savage in deciding anything. Most just ideological puppets with a hankering to enrich themselves.

"Thirty European countries have been using it since 2005, and markets are operating or in development in Australia, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, ....QUEBEC.... and South Korea."

I capitalized "Quebec", as I didn't know they had a cap and trade system going on there.

Like "OMMAG" says, California today,BC tomorrow,and the rest of Canada shortly thereafter.

I only barf a little bit into my air sic bag so I trade the available capped capacity of the bag to the airline, (for more bags of nuts), thereby reducing the overall number of barf bags.

Republicans should give up on every level of gov't in California. Abandon hope and give everything over to the Democrats. Why even try in that state?
What results will be the Dem's legacy.....100%.
Sometimes, important lessons are best learned the hardest way.

What really makes liberal heads explode is that things liberals really hate, like genetically modified foods and fracking, are cutting CO2 emissions in a way the left could never manage through their legislation.

http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/10/technologies-opposed-by-environmentalists-fracking-and-genetic-modification-have-cut-co2-emissions-to-20-yr-low/

Or rather, this would make liberal heads explode if they weren't deliberately ignorant.

Look on the bright side. The last business leaving California won't have to turn out the lights; they'll go out on their own.

Brainwashed children come in all ages. What they really see is fresh taxes, on nothing. Can't beat that. Just ask the BC Premier. Money for nothing and the twits are free.

"California is set to unveil a new weapon in its fight against global climate change on Wednesday ..." by severely limiting the air travel of Hollywood stars and by capping their consumption of electricity in their 60-room mansions ...

NOT!

What pompous poseurs these Big Brothers are, with little or no disruption to their profligate lifestyles.

Fred @ 3:13 PM: "Unions poured money into city council elections, and the city council poured money into union pay and pensions."

'Sounds just like Toronto under Moron, aka, Mayor David Miller. 'Just heard on the radio "could it be that Olivia Chow will be the person to unseat Mayor Rob Ford?"

Lord, have mercy. If Chow becomes mayor of Toronto, we'll be SanFran Redux in no time.

HELP!