You are invited to join a diverse array of people on Saturday, May 20, from 12 PM to 3 PM for the “Oil Money Out, People Power In” March and Rally in Sacramento, beginning and ending at the Governor’s Mansion, 1526 H Street.
Speakers featured at the event include Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe; biologist and PhD Sandra Steingraber, author of Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment; David Braun, co-founder Americans Against Fracking and Director of Oil Money Out, People Power In; and Adam Scow, California Director at Food & Water Watch.
Other speakers include San Benito County Supervisor Robert Rivas; Michael Green, (Center for Environmental Heath); Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (Earth Guardians); Lydia Ponce (AIM So Cal); Jose Bravo (Just Transition Alliance); and Jovanka Beckles (Richmond City Council).
While California has the reputation of being the nation’s “green leader,” it is in fact the third biggest oil producer in the nation, right after Texas, the number one state, and North Dakota, the number two state.
During the 2015-2016 Legislative Session, the oil industry spent a historic $36.1 million to lobby California lawmakers and officials. During the last 6 years, the industry has spent $122 million in Sacramento, more than any other interest group.
The Western States Petroleum Association was the top overall oil industry spender during the 2015-16 session, spending $18.7 million. Chevron, the second overall oil industry spender, spent $7 million in the 2015-16 session.
More recently, the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) also topped the list of California lobbying expenditures in the first quarter of 2017, spending a total of nearly $1.4 million.
WSPA and Big Oil use their money and power in 5 ways: through (1) lobbying; (2) campaign spending; (3) getting appointed to positions on and influencing regulatory panels; (4) creating Astroturf groups: and (5) working in collaboration with media.
For more information, go to: www.dailykos.com/...
Here is the press release for the event from Food and Water Watch and Californians Against Fracking:
California has won the reputation of leading the fight for environmentally friendly policies. Yet, last year Big Oil spent an historic $36 million to lobby California lawmakers.
Over the last 10 years, the fossil fuel lobby spent $260 million to influence California politics; that’s more than any other interest group. The industry’s spending spree is paying off handsomely: environmental and public health advocates’ efforts have been thwarted by the power of fossil fuel dollars.
“The obscene amount of money being spent has compromised the legislature and especially the governor, who refuses to ban fracking and promotes oil-friendly policies like cap-and-trade. At a time when we face an urgent climate crisis, we need elected officials free of industry influence in order to get off fossil fuels,” said Adam Scow, California Director at Food & Water Watch.
On Saturday, May 20th, hundreds of Californians, fed up with pay-to-play politics, are converging from around the state to gather at the ‘Oil Money Out, People Power In,’rally and march during the 2017 California Democrats State Convention. They’re traveling from San Diego, Chico and all points in between, to raise awareness and share a common interest in transitioning the state from dirty fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy, which they say will protect the water and air while at the same time creating good jobs. They’re also demanding that elected officials refuse to continue to take money from Big Oil.
“After realizing what the severe environmental and health consequences from oil drilling could mean for San Benito County, our residents voted to ban fracking and similar drilling techniques,” said County Supervisor Robert Rivas.
“The oil industry spent over $2 million to defeat our residents. It's wrong that they are able to spend millions and millions to undermine our democracy. I will never accept oil company contributions and I urge all elected officials to do the same.”
As this avalanche of cash was attempting to entice legislators and sway public opinion, the state of California ordered independent studies on the toxicity of oil operations and scientists made strong and clear recommendations to protect public health.
“We have state-sponsored science that demonstrates health impacts of people living in close proximity to oil and gas operations. Meanwhile, a full two years after a tax-payer-funded study was released and recommendations were made, none of these protections have been put in place, leaving the general population vulnerable to known toxic exposure. What’s happening is California is nothing short of criminal,” said David Braun, co-founder Americans Against Fracking and Director of Oil Money Out, People Power In.
The rally is supported by Food and Water Watch, California Nurses Association, Greenpeace, 350.org, Friends of the Earth, Rootskeeper, Center for Biological Diversityand many other statewide and national environmental and health groups.
Speakers include Braun, Scow, Rivas, Caleen Sisk (Winneman Wintu Tribe), Michael Green (Center for Environmental Heath), Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (Earth Guardians), Lydia Ponce (AIM So Cal), Jose Bravo (Just Transition Alliance) Jovanka Beckles (Richmond City Council) and acclaimed author, biologist and PhD Sandra Steingraber (Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment).
“The crude oil that continues to be drilled out of the bedrock of California is matched only by the gusher of money from the oil industry flowing into Sacramento,” said Steingraber, who also served as Science Advisor for Americans Against Fracking and was instrumental in stopping fracking in her home state of New York.
“The result is dangerous drilling practices in urban areas that poison the air that children breathe, unlined pits full of fracking waste that threaten the water that all Californians drink, and the unregulated use of drilling wastewater to irrigate crops that all Americans eat. We have good data on all these public health harms. But taking action on the evidence requires shutting off the flow of cash from Big Oil to the governor's mansion and to the statehouse,” Steingraber added.
It’s time for California to stand-up to Big Oil, and put the public interest before financial gain. The nation considers California officials to be leaders in the environmental movement. Taking money from the most toxic polluters, who are responsible for climate change and endangering the health of all living things, doesn’t fit that image. Let’s lead the way. “
‘Oil Money Out, People Power In’
Press Conference
When: Saturday May 20, 10:00 am
Where: 13th and K Streets, outside the Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA
Rally
When: 12noon
Where: The Governor’s Mansion, 16th and H Streets, Sacramento, CA
March
When: 1:30PM-3:00 pm
Where: Marching from Governor’s Mansion to the 2017 California Democrats State Convention, Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA
Media/Press Contacts:
Seven McDonald, 213-448-3050, sevenmcdonald@gmail.com
Julie Light, 510-992-4083, jlight@fwwatch.org
###