Sunday, April 18, 2004
Florez pushes bond for clean-air funding
Critics question effect on agriculture, motives for the $4.6 billion plan.
Fresno Bee
By Jennifer M. Fitzenberger
Bee Capitol Bureau
(Updated Sunday, April 18, 2004, 7:33 AM)
SACRAMENTO -- State Sen. Dean Florez has revived a $4.6 billion bond measure to help farmers adapt to new clean-air laws, but agriculture advocates reeling from last year's legislative blow are questioning his motivation.
Florez fought fiercely with farmers last year over a handful of bills seeking to reduce agriculture emissions. Five were signed into law, including one that ended the industry's exemption from air operating permits and another that phases out field burning by 2010. Now, Florez, a Shafter Democrat, is focusing on helping to fund the industry's adjustment, prompting farmers to wonder whether he is motivated by a wish to regain their political favor. Florez's bond, intended for the November 2006 ballot, would provide money for dairies, biomass energy plants and alternative waste disposal methods like wood-chipping. "I think he's trying to repair the damage," said Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers League.
"Is this a real, true effort, or is this an effort because of politics?"
Florez said he has no ulterior motives and simply wants to help farmers do their part to clean the Valley's air, which last week was declared the dirtiest in the nation. He said he has planned to help farmers all along, pointing to Senate Bill 701, a similar measure that stalled last year in a funding committee.
"Do I think that doing a clean-[air] bond thing is a sort of way to get into the good graces with ag? I don't think so," Florez said. "If [the appropriations committee] would have let our bill out last year, it would be right along with the package." Florez resurrected SB 701 last week by placing similar language in a gutted bill already in the Assembly. The amended measure, SB 403, will need Assembly approval before moving back to the Senate for agreement.
Florez hopes the bond will clear the appropriations committee this time around. It is unclear, though, whether members would support it given the state's tough fiscal situation. "We'll just have to wait and see when it comes out there," said Bill Wong, chief of staff to Assembly appropriations chairwoman Judy Chu of Monterey Park, who is a Democrat.
Last year, the committee approved no bond bills because the state couldn't afford them. Florez is seeking the support of Gov. Schwarzenegger.
The senator has met with Terry Tamminen, secretary of the state Environmental Protection Agency, about the bond. Florez said the secretary was open to considering it.
"He didn't shoot it down. He didn't say, 'I don't think we should do this,' " Florez said. "That gives us some hope that there's some interest in the administration."
EPA spokeswoman Michele St. Martin said the conversation was private and would not detail Tamminen's thoughts. Florez said his bond is contingent upon the fate of a $10 billion high-speed rail bond, which is scheduled for November's ballot but likely will be delayed to 2006 or 2008. The state can't afford to do both bonds the same year, Florez said.
Schwarzenegger supports moving the rail bond to the 2008 ballot, giving Florez hope that his bond would work in 2006. Many farmers are reserving judgment on Florez's plan until they have a chance to learn the particulars. They'll discuss it this week with Florez. Louie Brown, an agriculture lobbyist, said he is looking forward to talking more with Florez.
"It's a good gesture that [Florez] is reaching out to the industry," Brown said. But "the industry is real cautious because of the treatment they received in the Legislature last year over air issues."
Cynthia Cory of the California Farm Bureau Federation said Florez "promised us last year there would be carrots, and there were none. Any efforts that Mr. Florez can make to turn that around would be appreciated."
Cunha of the farmers league said he won't support a multibillion-dollar bond -- despite the fact his industry needs financial help. "It's just very difficult for me to support a $5 billion bond regardless of what the monies are going to," Cunha said. "I'm worried about our state surviving."
Hefty regulations sucking money from farmers could kill California's agriculture industry in the next 25 to 30 years, Cunha said. In five years, 9,000 farmers went out of business, including about 3,500 in the Valley. In 2002, about 68,000 people farmed in California.
"My industry right now is in a very difficult financial situation," Cunha said. "Can we afford another $5 billion debt on this state's back? I think the answer is going to be probably not."
In an interview last week, Florez outlined his plan to distribute bond money. The amounts likely will change as the bill is debated.
Florez wants to dedicate $1 billion to revive the waning biomass industry. The biomass process, which turns wood waste into electricity, is a cleaner but more expensive way than open-field burning for farmers to dispose of waste.
Biomass operators typically limit the amount of agriculture waste they accept because they get better deals on construction and demolition debris. Florez wants to create a system in which operators would sign long-term contracts with farmers and compete with other plant owners to get a cut of the bond money.
The top bidder in an area -- like an air district -- would get the money. But Florez worries that could put other plants out of business. So he hopes to devise a method by which a second-place bidder also could get some cash.
The plan would create industry competition and give farmers an affordable, guaranteed place to dispose of their prunings and uprooted orchards.
Florez's SB 705, which was signed into law, phases out field burning over five years, ending in June 2010 with old vineyards and almond, walnut and pecan-tree prunings.
In 2002, Valley farmers burned about 1.1 million tons of agriculture waste, most of which was wood in the form of prunings or old trees. Julee Malinowski-Ball, who represents the California Bio-mass Energy Alliance, said Florez has the right idea.
"He understands you have to get it out of the fields and into the facilities," she said. "You have to give farmers tools not to light that match."
Assembly Member Dave Cogdill, a Modesto Republican, has sponsored a shell of a bill to help farmers fund affordable alternatives to agriculture burning, but after several meetings with industry advocates, he hasn't found a viable solution.
Cogdill hasn't thoroughly looked at Florez's plan, an aide said.
Florez also wants to use: About $600 million from the bond to create an expanded Carl Moyer program, which has paid to retrofit diesel engines.
About $200 million to bolster technology like solar irrigation and wood chipping. About $600 million to help the dairy industry by providing low-interest, long-term loans owners can use to buy equipment needed to curb emissions.
Observers, though, say dairy owners cringe at the public scrutiny that goes along with borrowing government money and might not like Florez's plan. Florez also would use part of the bond money to replace aging school buses and fund asthma-management programs.
Agriculture advocates want several lawmakers with emission-reduction legislation to work together and possibly merge some bills. Florez said he welcomes that discussion. "At the end of the day, the people who will elect me are the people who get to breathe cleaner air," Florez said. "If I can help the ag industry implement these [new laws] with a funding source, they ought to be behind it."
The reporter can be reached at jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com
Fresno Bee
By Jennifer M. Fitzenberger
Bee Capitol Bureau
(Updated Sunday, April 18, 2004, 7:33 AM)
SACRAMENTO -- State Sen. Dean Florez has revived a $4.6 billion bond measure to help farmers adapt to new clean-air laws, but agriculture advocates reeling from last year's legislative blow are questioning his motivation.
Florez fought fiercely with farmers last year over a handful of bills seeking to reduce agriculture emissions. Five were signed into law, including one that ended the industry's exemption from air operating permits and another that phases out field burning by 2010. Now, Florez, a Shafter Democrat, is focusing on helping to fund the industry's adjustment, prompting farmers to wonder whether he is motivated by a wish to regain their political favor. Florez's bond, intended for the November 2006 ballot, would provide money for dairies, biomass energy plants and alternative waste disposal methods like wood-chipping. "I think he's trying to repair the damage," said Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers League.
"Is this a real, true effort, or is this an effort because of politics?"
Florez said he has no ulterior motives and simply wants to help farmers do their part to clean the Valley's air, which last week was declared the dirtiest in the nation. He said he has planned to help farmers all along, pointing to Senate Bill 701, a similar measure that stalled last year in a funding committee.
"Do I think that doing a clean-[air] bond thing is a sort of way to get into the good graces with ag? I don't think so," Florez said. "If [the appropriations committee] would have let our bill out last year, it would be right along with the package." Florez resurrected SB 701 last week by placing similar language in a gutted bill already in the Assembly. The amended measure, SB 403, will need Assembly approval before moving back to the Senate for agreement.
Florez hopes the bond will clear the appropriations committee this time around. It is unclear, though, whether members would support it given the state's tough fiscal situation. "We'll just have to wait and see when it comes out there," said Bill Wong, chief of staff to Assembly appropriations chairwoman Judy Chu of Monterey Park, who is a Democrat.
Last year, the committee approved no bond bills because the state couldn't afford them. Florez is seeking the support of Gov. Schwarzenegger.
The senator has met with Terry Tamminen, secretary of the state Environmental Protection Agency, about the bond. Florez said the secretary was open to considering it.
"He didn't shoot it down. He didn't say, 'I don't think we should do this,' " Florez said. "That gives us some hope that there's some interest in the administration."
EPA spokeswoman Michele St. Martin said the conversation was private and would not detail Tamminen's thoughts. Florez said his bond is contingent upon the fate of a $10 billion high-speed rail bond, which is scheduled for November's ballot but likely will be delayed to 2006 or 2008. The state can't afford to do both bonds the same year, Florez said.
Schwarzenegger supports moving the rail bond to the 2008 ballot, giving Florez hope that his bond would work in 2006. Many farmers are reserving judgment on Florez's plan until they have a chance to learn the particulars. They'll discuss it this week with Florez. Louie Brown, an agriculture lobbyist, said he is looking forward to talking more with Florez.
"It's a good gesture that [Florez] is reaching out to the industry," Brown said. But "the industry is real cautious because of the treatment they received in the Legislature last year over air issues."
Cynthia Cory of the California Farm Bureau Federation said Florez "promised us last year there would be carrots, and there were none. Any efforts that Mr. Florez can make to turn that around would be appreciated."
Cunha of the farmers league said he won't support a multibillion-dollar bond -- despite the fact his industry needs financial help. "It's just very difficult for me to support a $5 billion bond regardless of what the monies are going to," Cunha said. "I'm worried about our state surviving."
Hefty regulations sucking money from farmers could kill California's agriculture industry in the next 25 to 30 years, Cunha said. In five years, 9,000 farmers went out of business, including about 3,500 in the Valley. In 2002, about 68,000 people farmed in California.
"My industry right now is in a very difficult financial situation," Cunha said. "Can we afford another $5 billion debt on this state's back? I think the answer is going to be probably not."
In an interview last week, Florez outlined his plan to distribute bond money. The amounts likely will change as the bill is debated.
Florez wants to dedicate $1 billion to revive the waning biomass industry. The biomass process, which turns wood waste into electricity, is a cleaner but more expensive way than open-field burning for farmers to dispose of waste.
Biomass operators typically limit the amount of agriculture waste they accept because they get better deals on construction and demolition debris. Florez wants to create a system in which operators would sign long-term contracts with farmers and compete with other plant owners to get a cut of the bond money.
The top bidder in an area -- like an air district -- would get the money. But Florez worries that could put other plants out of business. So he hopes to devise a method by which a second-place bidder also could get some cash.
The plan would create industry competition and give farmers an affordable, guaranteed place to dispose of their prunings and uprooted orchards.
Florez's SB 705, which was signed into law, phases out field burning over five years, ending in June 2010 with old vineyards and almond, walnut and pecan-tree prunings.
In 2002, Valley farmers burned about 1.1 million tons of agriculture waste, most of which was wood in the form of prunings or old trees. Julee Malinowski-Ball, who represents the California Bio-mass Energy Alliance, said Florez has the right idea.
"He understands you have to get it out of the fields and into the facilities," she said. "You have to give farmers tools not to light that match."
Assembly Member Dave Cogdill, a Modesto Republican, has sponsored a shell of a bill to help farmers fund affordable alternatives to agriculture burning, but after several meetings with industry advocates, he hasn't found a viable solution.
Cogdill hasn't thoroughly looked at Florez's plan, an aide said.
Florez also wants to use: About $600 million from the bond to create an expanded Carl Moyer program, which has paid to retrofit diesel engines.
About $200 million to bolster technology like solar irrigation and wood chipping. About $600 million to help the dairy industry by providing low-interest, long-term loans owners can use to buy equipment needed to curb emissions.
Observers, though, say dairy owners cringe at the public scrutiny that goes along with borrowing government money and might not like Florez's plan. Florez also would use part of the bond money to replace aging school buses and fund asthma-management programs.
Agriculture advocates want several lawmakers with emission-reduction legislation to work together and possibly merge some bills. Florez said he welcomes that discussion. "At the end of the day, the people who will elect me are the people who get to breathe cleaner air," Florez said. "If I can help the ag industry implement these [new laws] with a funding source, they ought to be behind it."
The reporter can be reached at jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com
# posted by Senator Dean Florez @ 4:20 PM 
