Illinois could surrender its sovereignty to California

How would you like it if your state surrendered its sovereignty to another state, say, California?

It could happen in Illinois.

HB 3424 could force Illinoisans to follow the stricter California standards regarding vehicle emissions, rather than the ones stipulated in the federal The 2007 Energy Bill, highlights of which are listed below:

The law, according to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, will produce dramatic results by 2020:

Raises mileage standards to 35 MPG, a 40% increase;

Reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) from autos by 30%;

Avoids 206 million metric tons of greenhouse gases annually;

Lowers oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a day;

Saves 18 billion gallons of gasoline per year; and

Requires 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels annually.

This afternoon I participated in a teleconference with Charles Territo of the Alliance. Where does California fit in? Part of that bill allows states choose the California standards. I live in Illinois, I do not, nor can I, vote in California elections. If HB 3424 becomes law here, California legislators and bureaucrats will be deciding not just what our automobile emission standards should, but if they change those standards, Illinois will have to follow suit.

This will limit the types of vehicles that can be purchased in Illinois. For instance, late last year, Chrysler began selling a diesel version Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. It cannot be sold in California and eight other states. Illinois could be next. For you scofflaws out there who think they can travel to Indiana to buy one, registering it with the Illinois Secretary of State's office won't be possible--HB 3424 won't allow it.

Does the auto industry care about clean air? During the teleconference, Territo said, "the auto manufacturers 'gets it.'"

More from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers site:

America needs a more CO2-efficient society, and a new fleet of CO2-efficient autos will be dominating the marketplace.

Automakers are addressing climate change through energy bill provisions that will result in a 30% reduction in CO2 from autos by 2020.

By reducing CO2 by 30%, automakers will lead all industries in setting a clear path to meeting the recent United Nations Bali Climate Change Summit’s goal of a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.

And some more:

There are sound reasons for federal law in all 50 states.

Federal law does not allow states to set their own vehicle safety laws. One state cannot decide to have more airbags in autos, for example.

Federal law does not allow states to set their own food labeling laws or packaging laws because such state laws would create marketplace chaos.

Illinois laws for Illinoisans. One emissions law for all Americans. 'Nuff said.

One of the co-sponsors of HB 3424 is my state representative, Lou Lang. I'll be e-mailing Lang this post.

And yes, I care about the environment.

Related posts:

Marathon Pundit Chicago River dumping follow up

Marathon Pundit Exclusive: Waste pours into Chicago River

To comment on this post, please visit Marathon Pundit.

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Marathon Pundit Chicago River dumping follow up

A couple of weeks ago, Niles Journal reporter Daniel Cameron interviewed me on the telephone about my July 17 post about a milky substance I saw pouring into the North Branch of the Chicago River.

From his article, What Is This Stuff?

Concerned, Ruberry decided to get some evidence. He continued his run a mile and a half south to his home, grabbing a camera to take pictures. When he returned two hours later, the substance was still pouring out of the tunnel.

"This wasn't runoff from some guy washing his car," said Ruberry. "Whatever it was, there was a lot of it."

Ruberry, who works in telecommunications in Niles, decided to take action. He called the Cook County Forest Preserve Dist. The district said it would come investigate, but when it hadn't appeared after 15 minutes, Ruberry left the scene.

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The Cook County Forest Preserve stated last week that it had no record of Ruberry's call, but said it would perform an investigation.

This does not surprise me. Among local law enforcement agencies, the Cook County Forest Preserve Police is regarded as a patronage haven for ward-heelers.

Think Chief Wiggum and the fictional Springfield Police from The Simpsons, and you have a pretty good idea what to expect from them.

Here's what I did that afternoon: I called 911, and the dispatcher transferred me to the Forest Preserve Police. If there is a next time, I'll call, based on information I've gathered since July 17, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Cook County Water Reclamation District, and a non-government group, the Friends of the Chicago River.

The Cook County Forest Preserve Police can be tough when they want to be. Here's what I wrote a few months ago about a reputed incident, in a post about the crime rate in my hometown of Morton Grove:

Oh, in late 2005, while running not too far from the spot where the drifter's body was found, a Cook County Forest Preserve policeman, on a bitterly cold day, confronted me about allegedly--and I want to reiterate, allegedly, urinating fairly deep inside a grove of trees. No one else was there, which says a lot about the law enforcement force derisively known at "the tree police."

It's nice to know Chief Wiggum's boys have their priorities straight.

The polluter has not been caught.

Later today, or perhaps tomorrow, I'll have some more North Branch of the Chicago River pictures--this time of the flooding from this week's heavy rains.

To comment on this or view my continuing series on my July trip to Kansas, click here.

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