If there was any doubt about what it might take for us to get to full compliance under AB 32, the State’s 2006 greenhouse gas regulation law, we may have to look no further than the North Coast of California.

According to an article published yesterday in Capitol Weekly, California’s North Coast is expected to cut its greenhouse gases to 1990 levels long before the deadline in 2020.

Unfortunately, the reason for this compliance is due largely to the painful shrinkage of the local economies.  Drastic reductions in logging, wood processing, and other timber-related activities as well as the loss of a key rail line have devastated the area economically over the past few years, and have apparently had a resultant shrinking affect on carbon dioxide output.

A key point in the article noted, “…absent industry, any sparsely populated, forested region with a congenial climate presumably would generate only modest carbon emissions and have an easier time of meeting the AB 32 requirements than an urban, industrialized zone.”

In other words, if we roll back our economy to the colonial period, we’ll probably be able to comply with the provisions of AB 32 very easily. 

I encourage you to read the article here.

This week, I was discussing the potential pitfalls of AB 32 compliance on the Comcast Newsmakers program with Steve Swatt.  The program, which will air regularly on Comcast in the coming month can also be viewed here:

Assemblyman Roger Niello on Comcast Newsmakers from CA Assembly GOP on Vimeo.

I’ve heard from a lot of folks lately, thanks to a recent Sacramento Bee article, about my alleged support of a tax increase to help resolve this year’s budget crisis. Let me clarify.

I did not say anything to The Sacramento Bee that I have not said to countless other newspaper, radio and TV reporters over the last many months.

I have said all along that revenues will definitely have to be a part of the budget solution. It is important, though, to find revenue sources that are not new or increased taxes, such as the Republican proposal to divert the taxes imposed by Props 10 and 63 for special purposes to the general fund on a temporary basis.

I have also continually pointed out that the real budget debate is not, as much of the press has tended to report, simply between reducing spending vs. increasing taxes. While bringing spending in line with revenues on an ongoing basis is an important Republican priority, of upmost importance is overall reform.

We simply must change the way we do things that tend to create the feast and famine budget cycles that we continually experience. This includes government reforms, especially in education where we impose mandates and restrictions on operations that force higher spending, as well as budget reforms, especially our well publicized spending cap.

Further, it also makes good sense, in this disastrous economy, to implement reforms to business regulations that have made it difficult for businesses to succeed in addition to measures that would work to stimulate the economy.

It makes absolutely no sense to ask the taxpayers of California to pay more if we are not willing to reform our ways. Unfortunately, the majority party has ignored every reform proposal that Republicans have put forward, including the ACA 19 (2008) spending cap proposal authored by Republican Leader Mike Villines and me.

Fortunately, since the first of the year, budget discussions between the Big 5 (The Governor and the four legislative leaders) have taken on a much more collaborative tone. The Democrat leadership hasn’t agreed to our reform proposals, but they have seemed willing to at least discuss them.

Governor Schwarzenegger delivered his sixth State of the State address this morning. Unlike past addresses when the Governor has always had very big ideas about the direction of the State, today, the Governor rightly called for getting our financial house in order before moving on to anything else.

California remains in a state of virtual paralysis until our $40 billion budget deficit is resolved. Afterward, the Floor of the State Assembly becomes a real life “spin room” as members of the legislature, constitutional officers, and even former Governors discuss the address with members of the media. We put this clip of some of my comments to the media together following the speech.

Our apologies for the audio. The room is bustling with activity, but if you turn up your speakers, you can hear my thoughts on the Governor’s speech and some of the issues associated with this budget crisis. In this clip, I was interviewed by Jenny O’Mara of Capitol Public Radio and KCRA Reporter David Bienick.

Recently, I made two appearances on the two Fox News Channels discussing the state’s budget crisis. In December, I appeared on the Fox Business Network discussing the overall problem and the possibility of state infrastructure work being shut down. That interview can view be viewed here.

This week, I appeared on the Fox News Channel with Neil Cavuto once again discussing the budget and the possibility of IOU’s being issues to taxpayers to pay income tax refunds. A truly frightening proposition, but one which carries a lesson to all of those who think that a big tax refund from the state is a good thing.