Gov. Brown asks for ideas, but Green Party wants to know if he'll listen to
2 ideas to save the state: Oil severance tax and fixing 3-Strikes law
GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS RELEASE
SACRAMENTO (Jan 31, 2011) - Will Gov. Jerry Brown - who "said" he
wanted ideas - REALLY listen to ideas that could save working families money
and help California recover from its financial crisis, asked the Green Party
of California Monday night after the governor gave his 14-minute State of
the State address.
"Jerry Brown is asking for ideas (but) will he listen when we present
them?" said Laura Wells, Green Party spokesperson, noting that the
governor gave the usual "it's time to tighten our belts" speech,
but omitted any new ideas.
"The Green Party has many constructive ideas, including implementing
an oil severance tax, like other states have done, and imprisoning fewer of
its people to start with, like all other countries have done," offered
Wells, who campaigned on these positions during her 2010 gubernatorial
campaign as the Green Party nominee.
She explained that, as Attorney General, Brown opposed two efforts that
would have helped California's budget today, including a chance to fix the
Three-Strikes law so it would apply to violent crimes only. "This
would reduce the costs to taxpayers, as well as the human costs to families
and communities," said Wells.
"Californians wonder why we are the only oil-producing state with
no oil severance tax. The veto power of the 1/3 minority is the reason. Would
Jerry Brown rather blame the Republican minority, and make the rest of
us pay, while the richest corporation in the state, Chevron, makes headlines
with their huge profits?" Wells charged.
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Contacts:
Laura Wells, Spokesperson, 510.504.4254,
Hank Chapot, Spokesperson, 510.504.3538,
The Green Party of California
PO Box 2828
Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 448-3437
Web: http://www.cagreens.org
EMail: