Poochigian Calls Schwarzenegger’s Signature Global Warming Initiative “Pollyannaish”

San Francisco — During the first debate in the 2006 race for state attorney general, State Senator Charles Poochigian attacked Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signature Global Warming Initiative as “Pollyannaish.” Just last week, Schwarzenegger signed the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent in the next fifteen years.

During the debate, Poochigian was at a loss to explain his opposition to this common sense environmental measure supported by Schwarzenegger. In complete defensive mode, Poochigian finally sputtered that he opposed Schwarzenegger’s measure because he found it “Pollyannaish.”

The bill enjoys wide bipartisan support and was hailed by Gov. Schwarzenegger as the start of a “bold new era of environmental protection in California.” The law imposes caps on greenhouse emissions in an effort to reduce global warming.

Ace Smith, Brown’s campaign consultant, said: “Attacking Governor Schwarzenegger’s global warming initiative is the ultimate act of desperation from a rapidly sinking campaign. Poochigian needs to provide a credible explanation of why he opposes this measure instead of resorting to name-calling.”

Poochigian, a Republican from Fresno, has a long history of opposing laws that protect the environment. Among the bills he has opposed are the Healthy Schools Act and AB 405 to ban experimental pesticides. At the same time, Poochigian authored a law to weaken pesticide regulation in California.

Sen. Poochigian has consistently received zero scores from the California League of Conservation of Voters and the Sierra Club, which regard him as an anti-environmental extremist. Although one out of every six children in his district suffers from asthma, Poochigian routinely opposes measures to clean up the air in the Central Valley.