San Francisco Chronicle Repots...
photo courtesy of AP
Proposition 87, which would have taxed oil production in California to help fund alternative fuel development in the state, was defeated Tuesday, after a campaign in which both sides spent a total of $156 million.
"I think voters looked carefully at this initiative, and while there is widespread agreement on developing alternative fuels, this measure isn't the way for us to get there," said No on 87 spokesman Bill George.
Beth Willon [TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NOT PICTURED IN THIS PHOTO] a spokeswoman for the yes campaign, said the oil industry's nearly $100 million campaign spending to defeat the measure was tough to overcome.
"What has been amazing is that we've been able to stay in the game all this time," she said. "But what big oil was able to do with $100 million is to plant doubt in the minds of voters on the issue of cost and accountability."
The measure would have raised as much as $4 billion by imposing a new tax on oil extracted in California to help pay for research and development and distribution of alternative fuels, as well as subsidies to consumers who buy vehicles that run on fuel other than gasoline. The tax would have amounted to 1.5 percent to 6 percent, depending on the price of oil per barrel.
***And the endless proposition commercials are over.....***
AAhhhhhhhhh..... [smile]
