Readers React: The economics of California’s push to go green

To the editor: It’s often said that transitioning to a renewable energy and sustainable transportation system will cost a lot of money. What these people neglect to consider are the savings in hard costs and external costs that can easily pay for the transition. (“California’s bold attack on climate change,” Editorial, Jan. 8)

California residents send billions of dollars out of state each year by purchasing gasoline and diesel. This massive transfer of wealth weakens our economy by reducing the available money in the state.

The residents who have switched to using locally generated electricity to power their cars means they are no longer sending their money out of state.

Since powering a car on renewable electricity costs less than gasoline per-mile driven, the consumer saves on money that they can then spend on local goods and services— generating many jobs in our own communities.

Paul Scott, Santa Monica

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To the editor: The editorial board’s support of Gov. Brown’s costly green agenda comes as no surprise.

Indeed, it doesn’t seem to matter how much damage the punishing cap and trade taxes will do to California’s economy or to the people of California in terms of skyrocketing energy prices and the overall cost of living.

Coupled with all the damage California’s U.S. Sen. Boxer has done with her environmental extremist work, she and Gov. Brown have blindly driven California on a runaway train to crashing at the hands of regressive liberals.

Unfortunately, Sen. Boxer and soon-to-retire Sen. Dianne Feinstein will surely be replaced with other regressive Democrats elected by indoctrinated voters bent on committing voter-assisted social, political and economic suicide.

Daniel B. Jeffs, Apple Valley

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