The California Chamber of Commerce has submitted initiatives that would allow polluters to avoid paying to clean up their messes.  If my two daughters had as much money as the Chamber, I’m sure they would want the California Constitution to protect them from cleaning-up after themselves too.

These measures are a rehash of Proposition 37, which was defeated by environmentalists led by Lenny Goldberg in 2000. It basically equates fines and cleanup fees to taxes and requires a two-thirds vote.

This would greatly hamper the legislature’s regulate polluters and would save some of California’s most toxic businesses billions of dollars.  By the way, congratulations to S. Shariq Yosufzal of Chevron Corporation for just being elected First Vice Chair of the California Chamber of Commerce.

This has been on the Chamber’s wish list for some time, but the timing seems odd.  These measures would be perfect candidates for the low turnout June 2010 election, but it is too late for the Chamber to get them on that ballot.

It is just as likely that these measures are more weapons for the Chamber’s arsenal in their war with Democratic forces.  Are these measures designed to get the environmental lobby to split with labor over the simple majority initiatives?  Time will tell