Editorial: Global-warming welfare is on its way State scheme will redistribute greenhouse-gas fees

09-03-2009 • OC Register

Anticipating hundreds of millions of dollars a year in greenhouse gas fees collected from California businesses, the Legislature is planning to redistribute much of the bounty to the state's "most impacted and disadvantaged communities." Perhaps a bill pending in the state Senate reveals the motive of feel-good legislative efforts to fight global warming: a massive redistribution of wealth. Assembly Bill 1405 calls for 30 percent of new fees raised under global warming regulations yet to be drafted to go to a Community Benefits Fund to be used in specially selected communities, based on specific criteria also yet to be drafted. A Senate analysis says anticipated new rules by the state Air Resources Board allow revenue from fees imposed on greenhouse gas emitters to pay for the board's administrative costs, but not for "climate-change-related mitigation activities." AB 1405, authored by assembly members Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, and V. Manuel Perez, D