California has a forward-looking climate policy, but everything depends on how it’s implemented. And buying the face time band private access needed to make things better for industry just gets easier: the state Chamber of Commerce is actually selling access to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s much-touted governors’ climate summit Sept. 30.
Here’s the gist of it from the Sacramento Bee:
A top California Chamber of Commerce official is soliciting six-figure donations to help Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger host a climate change summit in Los Angeles, offering contributors private access to the governor and "first-paragraph mention in official event press release," according to donor materials.
Schwarzenegger will host the Governors’ Global Climate Summit 2 from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 to give leaders of states and other "subnational" governments a platform to discuss clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Organizers have billed the event as a precursor to a major U.N. Climate Change conference scheduled for December in Copenhagen, Denmark.
To pay for the Los Angeles conference, Schwarzenegger is relying on the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit group with ties to the California Chamber of Commerce and other business leaders who opposed 2006 legislation mandating a reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020.
Climate summit donors can become a "Blue Sky Sponsor" for $250,000 or a "Clean Air Sponsor" for $100,000. Both levels offer access to a "VIP Reception" with Schwarzenegger, a photo op with Schwarzenegger and mentions in the official press release, along with prominent placement on event materials. Five other opportunities with price tags between $100,000 and $250,000 offer similar benefits.
Donors can become a "Title Sponsor" for an unspecified price. That sponsor can host its own private reception "with key participants" and receive "first paragraph mention in (the) official event press release," in addition to the other opportunities to meet with the governor.
The Chamber’s almost wholly owned "Protocol Foundation," which is funding the meeting, also pays for the governor’s travel and a pile of other expenses. This sort of corporate funding, laundered through a foundation, is nothing new in California–other bland-sounding corporate-funded groups pay for lavish foreign travel and meals for legislators and state regulators. The funders, of course, send their top lobbyists to wine and dine with the people they want to influence. Chevron has been very active in such trips.
Does it sound dirty? Of course. Is it against the law? Not in California. It’s just a disgrace. These foundations are a very thin veil over direct, intimate access by corporate lobbies to the people that we elected to govern for all of the people. unfortunately, the people can’t pull in a six-figure bribe–no, sorry, I mean donation–with a bake sale.